Lonny Frey, baseball player, 1933-1948

Lonny Frey

Born: 8/23/1910 in St. Louis, MO, USA

Died: 9/13/2009 in Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA

MLB Debut: 1933-08-29 | Final Game: 1948-09-28

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Linus Reinhard Frey

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Biography

Lonny Frey, born in 1910, was a versatile position player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1933 to 1948. Known for his energetic playing style and tenacity on the field, Frey appeared in 1,535 games throughout his career, accumulating 1,482 hits and a batting average of .269. He showcased his power with 61 home runs and demonstrated his ability to drive in runs with 549 RBIs. Frey was also a threat on the base paths, stealing 105 bases, which highlighted his speed and agility, making him a well-rounded player during an era that valued both offensive and defensive contributions. A three-time All-Star, Frey played in a transitional period of baseball history, navigating through the tail end of the Great Depression and the post-war era. His contributions were particularly noteworthy as he played for teams such as the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs, where he became a fan favorite due to his hustle and determination. Frey's legacy endures not only through his impressive career statistics but also through his role in popularizing the game during a time of significant change in American society and sports.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1535 5517 848 1482 263 69 61 549 105 752 525 0.269 0.359 0.374 0.734 4427.2

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .268 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .359 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +6.8% above league average.

Career SLG .374 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.734 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1933 BRO NL 34 135 25 43 5 3 0 12 4 13 13 0.319 .270 (+18%) .329 (+15%) .377 (+6%) .707 (+10%) 244.7
1934 BRO NL 125 490 77 139 24 5 8 57 11 52 54 0.284 .278 (+2%) .340 (+5%) .392 (+2%) .733 (+4%) 445.4
1935 BRO NL 131 515 88 135 35 11 11 77 6 66 68 0.262 .279 (-6%) .342 (+3%) .399 (+9%) .742 (+6%) 649.0
1936 BRO NL 148 524 63 146 29 4 4 60 7 71 56 0.279 .283 (-2%) .349 (+5%) .404 (-8%) .753 (-2%) 2.3
1937 CHC NL 78 198 33 55 9 3 1 22 6 33 15 0.278 .276 (avg) .342 (+11%) .398 (-7%) .740 (+1%) 144.8
1938 CIN NL 124 501 76 133 26 6 4 36 4 49 50 0.265 .272 (-3%) .341 (-3%) .392 (-7%) .734 (-5%) -540.5
1939 CIN NL 125 484 95 141 27 9 11 55 5 72 46 0.291 .274 (+6%) .342 (+13%) .393 (+15%) .735 (+14%) 1523.7
1940 CIN NL 150 563 102 150 23 6 8 54 22 80 48 0.266 .267 (avg) .335 (+8%) .387 (-4%) .722 (+1%) 366.3
1941 CIN NL 146 543 78 138 29 5 6 59 16 72 37 0.254 .262 (-3%) .332 (+4%) .373 (-4%) .705 (avg) 97.0
1942 CIN NL 141 523 66 139 23 6 2 39 9 87 38 0.266 .253 (+5%) .323 (+15%) .349 (-2%) .672 (+7%) 983.9
1943 CIN NL 144 586 78 154 20 8 2 43 7 76 56 0.263 .255 (+3%) .324 (+7%) .346 (-3%) .671 (+2%) 337.1
1946 CIN NL 111 333 46 82 10 3 3 24 5 63 31 0.246 .256 (-4%) .328 (+12%) .358 (-10%) .687 (avg) 266.2
1947 CHC NL 24 43 4 9 0 0 0 3 0 4 6 0.209 — — — — 0.0
1947 NYY AL 24 28 10 5 2 0 0 2 3 10 1 0.179 — — — — 0.0
1948 NYY AL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1948 NY1 NL 29 51 6 13 1 0 1 6 0 4 6 0.255 .263 (-3%) .340 (-9%) .379 (-12%) .719 (-11%) 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 20 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1947 WS NYA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.000
1940 WS CIN 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1939 WS CIN 4 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 966 0 2369 2986 151 642
3B 22 0 19 27 6 3
OF 34 0 49 4 2 0
SS 420 0 856 1261 158 228

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1933 BRO SS 34 0 66 89 18 11
1934 BRO 3B 13 0 13 25 5 1
1934 BRO SS 109 0 232 375 35 81
1935 BRO 2B 4 0 10 13 0 3
1935 BRO SS 127 0 264 388 44 72
1936 BRO 2B 30 0 64 74 11 12
1936 BRO OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1936 BRO SS 117 0 238 331 51 52
1937 CHN 2B 13 0 24 32 1 5
1937 CHN 3B 9 0 6 2 1 2
1937 CHN OF 5 0 7 0 0 0
1937 CHN SS 30 0 53 67 8 11
1938 CIN 2B 121 0 278 390 25 80
1938 CIN SS 3 0 3 11 2 1
1939 CIN 2B 124 0 324 412 18 83
1940 CIN 2B 150 0 366 512 21 111
1941 CIN 2B 145 0 340 432 24 93
1942 CIN 2B 140 0 340 424 18 95
1943 CIN 2B 144 0 399 461 13 112
1946 CIN 2B 65 0 169 172 13 33
1946 CIN OF 28 0 41 4 2 0
1947 CHN 2B 9 0 17 20 0 4
1947 NYA 2B 8 0 14 22 3 7
1948 NY1 2B 13 0 24 22 4 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 952
Third Base 22
Shortstop 423
Left Field 8
Center Field 16
Right Field 24

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 32th 1.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player NL 27th 4.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 8.0 336 0