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 Frenchy Bordagaray Photo Gallery

Baseball’s Eccentrics and Zany Characters!

“Frenchy” Bordagaray

Let’s Have Some Fun!

A couple years ago, I started a new ongoing series that I called: “Do You Have A Funny Caption For This Photo?” It didn’t go anywhere back then, but I thought I’d give it another try!

Let’s Start Things off!

Here’s a repost of one of my favorite photos, along with the essay I wrote to accompany it. It’s zany Brooklyn Dodger Frenchy Bordagaray with his pretty wife, Victoria. The time frame is 1942-45, Frenchy’s second tour with the Dodgers. They’re sitting on what appears to be Frenchy’s travel locker, possibly passing time before Frenchy leaves on a road trip. 

Here’s my caption for the photo:

“Frenchy, darling… you’re such a big help to Mommy! You could be cavorting with your Dodger teammates right now, playing cards in the clubhouse. Instead, you’re helping Mommy knit her scarf! You’re such a good boy, Frenchy!”

Let’s face it: Frenchy was whipped! What 1930s-era ballplayer in good conscience would allow himself to be photographed in such a “compromised” situation? Knitting, of all things! Can you imagine the razzing Frenchy took from his Brooklyn teammates when this photo leaked out?

This also gives me a chance to repost the essay I wrote to go along with this photo a  couple years ago. In case you missed it the first time, I think you’ll get a kick out of it. It’s one of my all-time favorite posts:

Another Edition of:

“Baseball’s Eccentrics and Zany Characters!”

 Stanley “Frenchy” Bordagaray

“The trouble with Bordagaray is that he thinks he’s a Babe Ruth and wants to be paid accordingly…trouble is, he’s not Babe Ruth, not by a mile!” –Minor League manager Lew Moreing

Frenchy Marries Way Over His Head!

I remember when I first saw the featured photo of Frenchy and his lovely wife Victoria a few years ago and thinking to myself – how can I say this nicely? – That Frenchy had married quite a bit over his head. OK…so now I’ll be more blunt: What could she possibly have seen in Frenchy? I later found a few other pics of Frenchy and realized I may have been a bit too hard on the old guy. He wasn’t a bad-looking hombre himself (see photo gallery).

But his wife Victoria…now that’s a different story! She’s one good-looking gal. Plus, as I later found out, this was no Hollywood-style Joe DiMaggio-Marilyn Monroe-type marriage. The couple tied the knot in 1940 and stayed together 52 years with four children and seven grandchildren. I’d call that a pretty successful marriage!

The Day Frenchy Sauntered into the Brooklyn Clubhouse!

You can almost hear the jealous chatter from his gawking teammates as Frenchy sauntered into the Brooklyn clubhouse for the first time with this gorgeous little sugar plum (as they said back then) hanging on his arm. Who could blame him for the “eat-your-heart-out” grin painted all over his face? The 1930s-era clubhouse chatter probably went something like this:

“Hey, you bums… take a gander at Frenchy’s new dish…a real knockout, a real hot tamale. This tomato’s definitely a looker! Check out those gams! That little kitten could have any creep she wants, so what’s a good-lookin’ doll-face like her doin’ with an eye-sore like Frenchy anyhows? How’s he rate?”

I guess we can conclude Frenchy had a way with the ladies! Meanwhile, back to Frenchy’s baseball career…

Frenchy: A Zany Character!

Yes, he was quite a colorful character. He played 11 years in the majors (1934-1945) for five different teams. A decent but not great ballplayer, over his career, he hit .283 with 14 home runs and 270 RBIs. Frenchy was just zany enough to fit in with both the Cardinals’ “Gas House Gang” and the “Daffy Boys” of the Brooklyn Dodgers. That’s hard to do!

 Here’s a few things I learned about him (from his SABR biography written by Norm King):

• • Frenchy actually ran a 100-yard race against a horse at the California State Fair. Unfortunately, Frenchy lost the race.
  • Frenchy once forgot to go out to his position in right field. None of his teammates noticed until a player hit a double to Frenchy’s vacated spot…and no one was there!
  • Frenchy loved being the center of attention, as he no doubt was one day when his Dodgers beat the Cardinals, 4-3. ”I accounted for all seven runs,” he recalled. ”I knocked in four myself and played a Terry Moore hit into a three-run homer!”
  • Once, Frenchy’s hat blew off while chasing a fly ball. He stopped to retrieve it as the ball flew away from him…and then continued chasing the ball! His Brooklyn manager, Casey Stengel, wasn’t pleased: “The cap wasn’t going anywhere, Bordagaray, but the ball was!”
  • Frenchy was once tagged out when he tried to score standing up. He said he didn’t slide because “I had some cigars in my back pocket that I didn’t want to ruin.” Again, manager Stengel was not pleased.
  • Frenchy caused a scandal when he showed up in 1937 sporting a mustache he had grown fora small part in a film in an era when players were all clean-shaven. The facial hair created a huge media sensation.
  • Stengel finally had enough of Frenchy, and supposedly said shortly before Frenchy’s release: “One clown on this club is enough. If anyone’s going to be a clown, it’s going to be me!”
  • Frenchy’s minor league managerial career came to an abrupt end when he once spat on an umpire. He was suspended for 60 days and fined $50. Told of the league action, he said: “I deserved something, but this is more than I expectorated!”

Let’s take a moment to remember one of baseball’s great characters, Frenchy Bordagaray, and his pretty wife, Victoria. Sadly, Frenchy passed away on April 13, 2000, aged 90. Victoria Bordagaray passed away on April 7, 2016 aged 97.

Gary Livacari 

We’d love to hear what you think about this or any other related baseball history topic…please leave comments below.

Photo Credits: Featured photo from The Brooklyn Dodgers Photographs of Barney Stein, 1937-1967; All others from Google search

Information: SABR Bioproject piece on Frenchy Bordagaray by Norm King; also from the Frenchy Bordagaray Wikipedia page. 

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