Frank Baldwin (baseball)

Frank DeWitt Baldwin (December 25, 1928 – November 18, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, a catcher who played one full season in Major League Baseball with the 1953 Cincinnati Redlegs. The native of High Bridge, New Jersey, threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg).

Baldwin's full pro career lasted for a dozen seasons (1947–1956; 1958–1959). He originally signed with the Boston Braves, then played briefly in the Brooklyn Dodger organization before being selected by Cincinnati in the 1952 Rule 5 draft. As a member of the 1953 Redlegs, he played in only 16 games and batted 20 times, collecting two singles. The first was a pinch hit off Pittsburgh Pirates' lefthander Paul LaPalme on May 2;[1] the second came three weeks later, during one of his three 1953 starting catcher assignments, against Eddie Erautt of the St. Louis Cardinals.[2] Baldwin was Cincinnati's third-string receiver that year, playing behind Andy Seminick and Hobie Landrith. Ed Bailey and Hank Foiles, also rookies, also caught a handful of games for the Redlegs that season.[3] They would go on to long MLB careers.

Baldwin returned to minor league baseball in 1954, and played five more seasons, mostly at the Double-A level.[4]

Baldwin lived in both Hartwell and West Chester, Ohio, retiring in 1988 and moving to Beaver.[5]