Charles Freine
1884-1971 (86 yo)
High School: San Jose High School (1904-1905)
College: Santa Clara College (Class of 1910)
Minor League Teams: San Jose Prune Pickers, Philadelphia Athletics, Watsonville Pippins, Scranton Miners, Los Angeles Angels, Victoria Bees, Boise Irrigators, Tacoma Tigers, Nampa, Hollister Alpines, San Jose Elks, San Leandro Tractors, San Jose Bears
Postions: P, 1B, 3B, OF
Bats: Both
Throws: Both - ambidextrous
Charley Freine was a skilled ambidextrous baseball player in the early 1900's who could switch hit and throw well with both arms. He was called "A Pitching Freak" and "Marvelous Freak" in the news.
Freine pitched and played first base for Santa Clara College where he graduated in 1910. For many years, he played in the minor leagues – as a pitcher, infielder, and outfielder.
News articles from the 1900s.
Friene Goes to Philadelphia
July 19, 1909
Charley Friene has come to terms with Connie Mack and mailed back his contract. The Philadelphia Club will have in Friene a young pitcher of unusual ability. He is an ambidextrous thrower. There are very few pitchers who can shoot the ball over the plate with either hand, but Friene has done it. He has pitched part of a game with his right hand and finished up with his left. Friene usually pitches with his right.
"He has pitched part of a game with his right hand and finished up with his left."
It is only when he is tiring or has some dangerous southpaw hitter that he smokes them over with his left. John Reilly discovered the youngster, who is a graduate of Santa Clara College, and recommended him to Connie Mack.
Friene was the star pitcher for the Watsonville team last season, being largely responsible for the winning of the pennant by the Pippin town.
Altoona Tribune from Altoona, Pennsylvania · March 17, 1910, Page 10
CONNIE MACK'S GREAT FIND
Trying Out a Man Who is a Physical Wonder in the Pitcher's Box.
Tosses the Horsehide With Equal Strength With Right or Left Hand.
Charles Freine, the boy from the Pacific coast whom Connie Mack is trying 'out down here for a regular position in his flock of pennant-chasing pitchers is a physical freak. Not that Freine possesses any physical peculiarities.
Freine isn't, that kind of a freak. To the casual observer he is nothing more or less than an ordinary human being, but, just the same, nature must have got mixed in her signals when she turned out Freine.
I dont' know why it is, but nature seems to have contracted the habit of turning out specimens of humanity with only one useful upper limb, the other one merely being hung on the off side of the human frame for the purpose of symmetry and as a sort of accessory to the useful arm in such emergencies as hugging a girl on the parlor sofa, et cetera.
(source: Altoona Tribune 1910)
Sporting Life, March 26, 1910
“Connie Mack’s California recruit, Charles Freine, the southpaw pitcher, is a real base ball freak. He can pitch equally well with either hand. He can also bat finely from either the right or left side and is a corking good outfielder.”
San Jose Prune Pickers Baseball Team
Luna Park "once was home to a merry-go-round, a roller coaster, rodeo grounds and - most important - a baseball diamond for the fledgling San Jose Prune Pickers minor league team which debuted in 1907, the San Jose Mercury News reported in December 1999. The major league Chicago White Sox also held spring training games there against Santa Clara College.
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Learn more about Charley Freine ..
Charles Freine - Baseball-Reference.com
Pitcher Freine is Marvelous Freak Can Pitch Equally Well witch Either Hand
Philadelphia Inquirer, March 15, 1910
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1884-1971 (86 yo)
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| A Pitching Freak NY Daily Tribune - March 20, 1910 |
High School: San Jose High School (1904-1905)
College: Santa Clara College (Class of 1910)
Minor League Teams: San Jose Prune Pickers, Philadelphia Athletics, Watsonville Pippins, Scranton Miners, Los Angeles Angels, Victoria Bees, Boise Irrigators, Tacoma Tigers, Nampa, Hollister Alpines, San Jose Elks, San Leandro Tractors, San Jose Bears
Postions: P, 1B, 3B, OF
Bats: Both
Throws: Both - ambidextrous
Charley Freine was a skilled ambidextrous baseball player in the early 1900's who could switch hit and throw well with both arms. He was called "A Pitching Freak" and "Marvelous Freak" in the news.
Freine pitched and played first base for Santa Clara College where he graduated in 1910. For many years, he played in the minor leagues – as a pitcher, infielder, and outfielder.
News articles from the 1900s.
The Redwood - Santa Clara
Charley Freine, A. B., '10, the star first baseman of the 1905 and 1906 Baseball Varsity team, has developed into a theatrical magnate of the first water. Latest advices from him inform us that he is now the manager of the Orpheum Theatre in Nampa, Idaho. Charley has developed unsuspected talents. (source: The Redwood Oct 1913)
Howedege, the southpaw of the club, will pitch in Sunday's game and Charley Freine will take the mound in Monday's matinee. Freine has alway been considered a very clever twirler and not many years ago he wore a uniform of the Philadelphia Americans (Athletics). (source: The Evening News )
Charley Freine gave Jerry a demonstration of pitching with two arms last Sunday and it took the catcher by storm as he never saw a player before who could do it and do it the way Freine can. Charley has speed galore with both arms and has even pitched games in the east against major league clubs in which he used both his arms to do it with. (source: The Evening News )
Mission Dope
The Mission league is an organization in which a groove ball pitcher will not get by and a few of them had to step out and acknowledge that the league was a bit too fast for them. The only pitchers that will get by are those that have good enough control to enable them to keep the ball away from the batters and cut the corners.
Charley Freine may go into the box and pitch for San Jose on Decoration Day and if Charley is right he will show that fans some real pitching. Freine was a fox in the box and if he can get the proper control he will make the batters in this league hustle to get by him. He has lots of smoke and a good break. (source: The Evening News )
Friene Goes to Philadelphia
July 19, 1909
Charley Friene has come to terms with Connie Mack and mailed back his contract. The Philadelphia Club will have in Friene a young pitcher of unusual ability. He is an ambidextrous thrower. There are very few pitchers who can shoot the ball over the plate with either hand, but Friene has done it. He has pitched part of a game with his right hand and finished up with his left. Friene usually pitches with his right.
"He has pitched part of a game with his right hand and finished up with his left."
It is only when he is tiring or has some dangerous southpaw hitter that he smokes them over with his left. John Reilly discovered the youngster, who is a graduate of Santa Clara College, and recommended him to Connie Mack.
Friene was the star pitcher for the Watsonville team last season, being largely responsible for the winning of the pennant by the Pippin town.
THREE C LEAGUE LEADERS ARE TIED
Errors Behind Charles Freine Give San Jose Victory Over Watsonville
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
WATSONVILLE, Oct 16, 1910.— San Jose tied Watsonville today for the first place, in the three C league when the Watsonville Pippins practically threw, the game-away. Charles Freine of the Philadelphia Athletics pitched for Watsonville and would have had San Jose at his mercy had not his teammates booted the ball all over the lot.
(source: San Francisco Call, 17 October 1910)
Altoona Tribune from Altoona, Pennsylvania · March 17, 1910, Page 10
CONNIE MACK'S GREAT FIND
Trying Out a Man Who is a Physical Wonder in the Pitcher's Box.
Tosses the Horsehide With Equal Strength With Right or Left Hand.
Charles Freine, the boy from the Pacific coast whom Connie Mack is trying 'out down here for a regular position in his flock of pennant-chasing pitchers is a physical freak. Not that Freine possesses any physical peculiarities.
Freine isn't, that kind of a freak. To the casual observer he is nothing more or less than an ordinary human being, but, just the same, nature must have got mixed in her signals when she turned out Freine.
I dont' know why it is, but nature seems to have contracted the habit of turning out specimens of humanity with only one useful upper limb, the other one merely being hung on the off side of the human frame for the purpose of symmetry and as a sort of accessory to the useful arm in such emergencies as hugging a girl on the parlor sofa, et cetera.
(source: Altoona Tribune 1910)
Sporting Life, March 26, 1910
“Connie Mack’s California recruit, Charles Freine, the southpaw pitcher, is a real base ball freak. He can pitch equally well with either hand. He can also bat finely from either the right or left side and is a corking good outfielder.”
New York Daily Tribune, March 20, 1910, page 10
A Pitching Freak. Freine Can Burn Ball Over with Either Arm.
“Connie Mack, manager of the Philadelphia club of the American League, has a real true ambidextrous pitcher on his staff. Charles Freine is the youngster’s name and he comes from the Pacific Coast in an effort to fight his way into big league company. The story goes that Freine can pitch equally well with either arm and change from one delivery to the other on the stand, to the complete mystification of the batter. Many ball players can use either arm for throwing or bat left or right handed, but not with the equal effectiveness. Freine will be a novelty if the wondrous tale is not exaggerated.”
(source: NY Daily Tribune - pdf)
March 20, 1905
September 19, 1905
Charley Freine, the Williams' star slabster then took the rubber, but was unable to improve matters as the locals had their bludgeons tuned up to the handle and used them with murderous effect on the floaters he offered on the altar of sacrifice. His support, however, was as holy as Swiss cheese and when the curtain rang down he took to the tall timber. The combined result of the bombardment gave Santa Cruz a total of ten runs and to the man up in the tree it looked as though the visitors were sadly up against it.
(source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 1905)
SANTA CLARA BOYS PLAY WHITE SOX ON TUESDAY
College Team Is in Great Form and Has High Hopes of a Victory
[Special Dispatch to The San Francisco Call]
SANTA CLARA, March 6, 1909.— Charley Comiskey and his famous White Sox will, be the guests of the Santa Clara college nine at Luna park, San Jose, on Tuesday afternoon. All the preparations have been completed for the big game and the collegians have high hopes of either trimming the American leaguers or at least holding them down to a tight. score.
The college nine is In great form and Coach Tom Kelly is confident that his charges will make a better showing against the big fellows than the San Francisco Seals did last Friday afternoon. Thus far, Santa Clara has played ten games. Nine of these were victories.. The only defeat registered against the team is credited to Stanford University.
The college team'is said to be faster this year' than ever before. The boys have been hitting the ball, right on the nose, and they promise to make the big league pitchers sweat when they line up on Tuesday afternoon. With Charley Freine, their crack twirler in grand form, they hope to spring a big surprise on Comiskey and his gang.
(source: San Francisco Call, March 7, 1909)
March 20, 1905
SANTA CLARA TAKES SERIES FROM STANFORD
Clever Collegians Outplay Cardinal Nine in the Fifth and Decisive Game
[Special Dispatch to The San Francisco Call]
SANTA CLARA, March 20, 1909.— The fifth and deciding game of the Stanford - Santa Clara series was played on the college diamond this afternoon before an enthusiastic bunch of rooters from both colleges. The Santa Claras out classed the Stanford team at every stage, the boys from the Jesuit college putting xip an exhibition that would do credit to a big league aggregation. Charley Freine pitched his usual heady game and was most effective at the critical moments, while Theile was unsteady throughout.
(source: San Francisco Call, March 21, 1909)
September 19, 1905
Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California · Page 7
Freine Pitched Good Ball.Charley Freine, the Williams' star slabster then took the rubber, but was unable to improve matters as the locals had their bludgeons tuned up to the handle and used them with murderous effect on the floaters he offered on the altar of sacrifice. His support, however, was as holy as Swiss cheese and when the curtain rang down he took to the tall timber. The combined result of the bombardment gave Santa Cruz a total of ten runs and to the man up in the tree it looked as though the visitors were sadly up against it.
(source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 1905)
San Jose Prune Pickers Baseball Team
Luna Park "once was home to a merry-go-round, a roller coaster, rodeo grounds and - most important - a baseball diamond for the fledgling San Jose Prune Pickers minor league team which debuted in 1907, the San Jose Mercury News reported in December 1999. The major league Chicago White Sox also held spring training games there against Santa Clara College.
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Learn more about Charley Freine ..
Here's an interesting feature on Charley Freine from Diamondsinthedusk.com - that I found while searching for historical information about ambidextrous pitchers.
The toast of the Philadelphia Athletics spring training camp in 1910, Charles Freine is referred to as a “Marvelous Freak” by the media because he is an ambidextrous pitcher ... despite his sudden national fame, Freine will never pitch an inning in a major league regular season game.Read More (pdf)
Charles Freine - Baseball-Reference.com
Pitcher Freine is Marvelous Freak Can Pitch Equally Well witch Either Hand
Philadelphia Inquirer, March 15, 1910
..
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