Frank Snyder

Frank Elton Snyder (May 27, 1895 – January 5, 1962), was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1912 to 1927 for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. Nicknamed Pancho, Snyder was of Mexican descent on his mother's side.

Major league career Snyder began his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1912 at the age of 18. Snyder was a member of John McGraw's New York Giants teams that won four consecutive National League pennants between and and played on two World Series winners in 1921 and 1922. It was the first home run hit in the seven seasons played at the cavernous ballpark. In 1926, he was selected off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. He also led the league twice in putouts and caught stealing percentage and, once in assists and in baserunners caught stealing. His 1,332 career assists rank him 17th all-time among major league catchers.

Richard Kendall of the Society for American Baseball Research devised a study that ranked Snyder as the ninth-most dominating fielding catcher in major league history. His reputation as a defensive standout is enhanced because of the era in which he played. In the Deadball Era, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number of bunts and stolen base attempts, as well as the difficulty of handling the spitball pitchers who dominated pitching staffs.

Coaching career After his playing career, he served as a coach for the New York Giants, and was a minor league manager.