Born in Fresno, California, on September 9, 1876, Frank Leroy Chance did not play any true form of organized baseball until his college years at the University of California, where he was pursuing an education in dentistry. It was while playing in an independent league in summer 1897, after transferring to Washington College in Irvington, California, that the right-hander caught the attention of Cubs outfielder Bill Lange. Lange convinced the Cubs management to sign Chance, sight unseen, as a backup catcher and outfielder, and he joined the team in the early spring of 1898. He made an immediate impact his rookie season, batting .279 with 32 runs scored and 14 runs batted in while playing in just 53 games in the majors (he also hit his first of only 20 career home runs, off Washington Senators pitcher Cy Swaim).
Chance continued his stint as a reserve catcher through the 1902 season, always batting slightly below .300 and never playing in over 76 games. This was due primarily to his numerous broken fingers and frequent hand injuries suffered while attempting to corral foul tipped balls. In 1903, when Johnny Kling, one of the best catchers of the era, took over the full responsibilities behind the plate, and regular first baseman Bill Hanlon unexpectedly abandoned the team, manager Frank Selee moved Chance to first base as a temporary replacement until a more suitable fielder could be found. Chance, incensed by being assigned yet another position, threatened retirement but a pay raise helped to mollify any hard feelings. Regardless, the change suited Chance as he played in over 100 games (125) and batted over .300 (.327) for the first time in his career. In addition, it was in 1903 that Chance first made his presence known on the base paths while stealing a National League leading 67 bases. When Selee fell seriously ill in midseason 1905, Frank "Husk" Chance, so named because of his husky physical stature (6'0", 190 lbs.), was named manager and led a strong, yet unmotivated Cubs team from National League mediocrity to a third-place finish much to the surprise of the Cubs' faithful. Meanwhile, Chance hit .316 with 92 runs and 70 runs batted in.
The Cubs, now owned by Charles Webb Murphy, retained Chance as both manager and player for the 1906 season. It turned out to be an easy yet brilliant decision on Murphy's part, as Chance led the Cubs to 116 wins en route to an appearance in the World Series, setting a single season win record that was unmatched until the American League's Seattle Mariners tied it in 2001 (while playing ten additional games). Individually, Chance had a career season, batting .319 and leading the National League in both runs (103) and stolen bases (57). It is said that Frank Chance stole "baseball's most expensive base" that season when he stole home from second base--which he had also stolen on the previous pitch--against the Cincinnati Reds to break a late-inning tie, and owner Murphy granted him ten-percent ownership in the club to show his gratitude. Chance later sold his share of the franchise for approximately $150,000.
Using hardnosed tactics and downright stubbornness, Chance bowled over his opponents, and displayed an infamous lack of good sportsmanship that would make the notorious Ty Cobb blush. Chance once incited a riot at the Polo Grounds after physically assaulting opposing pitcher Joe McGinnity, and on more than one occasion tossed beer bottles at fans in Brooklyn when he felt they were being too unruly, or perhaps not unruly enough. For his fighting prowess (he spent several off-seasons working as a prizefighter), old-school boxing legends Jim Corbett and John L. Sullivan both called Chance "the greatest amateur brawler of all time." He made outfielder Solly Hofman postpone his own wedding until the off-season lest marital bliss affect Hofman's playing ability. It was reported that Chance would fine his own players for shaking hands with opposing players, win or lose, and had no qualms about releasing players for failing to meet his demands to the letter. Chance once remarked, "You do things my way or you meet me after the game." Generally, his players complied, and it is no small wonder that he earned yet another nickname, "The Peerless Leader," as he was simultaneously respected and disliked by those who played for him, with him, and against him.
Source:
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/21604876
More notes:
“The campaign in the National League will be just as easy as it was last year” —Chance on the 1908 season.
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