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frank zupo, 1958 topps #229, orioles

Player: Zupo, Frank

Card: 1958 Topps #229

Position: C

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"The White Sox were playing the Orioles at Memorial Stadium. On the field, before the game began, 17 year-old rookie catcher Frank “Noodles” Zupo was warming up the O’s starter when he was thrown out of the game... because he was literally a 17 year-old teenager, Frank Zupo acted accordingly. Naturally a playful sort – his nickname was “Noodles” for gosh sakes – the rookie thought it funny to fake a hard throw directly at the umpires when the arbiters walked between him and the pitcher during pre-game warmups. With a flick of (Umpire) Hurley’s thumb, Frank Zupo became the youngest player to be tossed out of a major league game." (StudioGaryC Blog)

Frank Joseph Zupo (born August 29, 1939 in Palo Alto, California, south of San Francisco), nicknamed "Noodles", was a catcher who appeared in 16 games over parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles in 1957–58 and 1961.

In 1957, Frank entered the American League as a 17-year-old "bonus baby" without having played in the minor leagues; the bonus rule of the day mandated that MLB teams keep bonus players on their big-league rosters for two full years. That season, together with George Zuverink, Zupo twice formed the only "Z" battery in Major League history, the first time coming on July 1, 1957, when Zupo made his big-league debut with a 10th-inning catching appearance against the New York Yankees. He batted only 12 times in ten games in 1957, with one hit (.083).

In 1957, he and George Zuverink became the first battery in major league history of pitcher and catcher both with the last name starting with "Z". Overall, Frank only had one extra base hit in the Major Leagues. After being sent down in 1961, Zupo's career continued in the minor leagues through 1964 before he left the game.

Long before basketball star Anthony Davis was known for his "Unibrow", Frank styled these.

(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen, and Wikipedia)

morecards

1991 Orioles Crown #494

tourstops


Frank Zupo is part of the Born in San Fran/Oakland/Sacramento Tour – Go to the Next Stop


Frank is part of the Topps Card Tour – 1958 Topps – Go to the Next Stop


“Noodles” is part of the Great Italian American Player Nicknames Tour – Go to the Next Stop


See all Frank’s baseball cards at TCDB


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