Frank Wickware

Frank "Rawhide" Wickware
Pitcher
Born: (1888-03-08)March 8, 1888 Coffeyville, Kansas
Died: November 2, 1967(1967-11-02) (aged 79) Schenectady, New York
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
1909, for the Dallas Giants
Last appearance
1925, for the New York Lincoln Giants
Teams
Dallas Giants (1909) Leland Giants (1909–1910) Chicago American Giants (1911–1912) Brooklyn Royal Giants (1912–1914) Mohawk Giants (1913–1914) Louisville White Sox (1914) Chicago American Giants (1914–1918) Lincoln Stars (1915) Indianapolis ABCs (1916) Jewell's ABCs (1917) Chicago Giants (1917) Detroit Stars (1919) Norfolk Stars (1920) Chicago American Giants (1920–1921) New York Lincoln Giants (1920) Canadian League (1921) St. Louis Giants Philadelphia Giants New York Lincoln Giants (1925)

Frank Wickware (March 8, 1888 in Coffeyville, Kansas – November 2, 1967 in Schenectady, New York) was a baseball pitcher in the Negro Leagues from 1910 to 1925.

In a nationally syndicated article written in 1915, it was said that Wickware "is another negro pitcher who would rank with the Walter Johnsons, Joe Woods or Grover Alexanders if he were a white man." In the previous year, another article announced Wickware was striking out an average of 11 players per game, and in two games in a row struck out 34 batters.

Wickware's signature pitch seems to be a curveball that appeared to be a beanball, but "his control is so perfect" that it was said he never "hit a batter in the head." But batters would jump away from the plate, only to have his curveball arch into place over the plate.

Wickware served in the military during World War I. He played for the Mohawk Giants of Schenectady, New York.

At age 64, Wickware received votes listing him on the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro Leagues' best players ever.

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Wikipedia