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“Baseball Eccentrics and Zany Characters” Frenchy Bordagaray

I remember when I first saw this photo of Frenchy Bordagaray and his lovely wife Virginia 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? 

And what in the world is Frenchy doing here? Passing time while learning how to knit? Not exactly the normal off-field activity of a ballplayer. How about a good-old-fashioned game of gin, Frenchy? Good thing Babe Ruth wasn’t there to witness this scene…Frenchy never would have lived it down!

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!

You can almost hear the jealous chatter from his gawking Dodger teammates as Frenchy sauntered into the Brooklyn club house one day with this gorgeous little sugar plum (as they said back then) hanging on his arm. Who could blame him for his “eat-your-heart-out” grin painted all over his face?

The 1930’s clubhouse “lingo” probably went something like this:

“Hey you bums… take a gander at Frenchy’s new dish…a real knockout, a real hot tamale. This dame’s definitely a looker! 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…

Yes, Frenchy 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. Not exactly Babe Ruth-type numbers. 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 I 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 once was 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.
• 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 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.

Your comments welcome

Gary Livacari