John Frill backstory
 

As I dipped my toe back into the T206 waters this summer, I visited an old dealer I have worked with for many years. He has his own eBay store. I didn’t have my check list with me, but the number of Starr’s Shipke’s Unglaub’s were all there. Cards I knew I had. I stumbled upon John Frill. Now he was a name I was unfamiliar with. I see he was pitched playing for the Highlanders. I had never heard of him, so I did a quick baseball reference search and found his very modest career.

He was 39 years old when he passed away in 1918. Sort of sad. I really want to know more about him. A EPDG of his was up for bid last night. I almost bid on it. Now I sort of wish I did, but I digress.

Does anyone here know about John Frill? Any place I could look?

Talk soon...

I wrote an article about Frill a couple years ago. It's not super in-depth but you might enjoy it. I also found him a fascinating figure.

http://www.thatt206life.com/2017/07/...-the-t206-set/

Funny you chose this year to bring up John Frill, as he was a casualty of the 1918 pandemic.

After baseball, he worked as a wine clerk at a saloon in Rhode Island.

There were 389 different players featured in the T206 set. Frill was the 16th one to die. A lot of sad stories -- some known and some unknown -- are contained in this set.

Thank you so much, Luke. I've been on your site before. Thanks you for posting...

I was looking at the 1918 date and was thinking pandemic. Thanks for posting...

Hey Paul! We conversed over twitter a few weeks ago. Good to run into you again...

Back run...UZIT
 

So if I went on a John Frill back run, I'd have to really get into the nitty gritty with some difficult backs. Hmmm

I see TonyO has John Frill up on the B/S/T. I’m considering going on a John Frill “back run”. How difficult is that with Mr Frill? That Uzit is a “one of a kind”, I gather.

Kevin.....you have quite a challenge doing a Frill run.....

AB 460

CYCLE 460

EPDG

LENOX

OLD MILL

PIEDMONT 460 (Factory #25)

POLAR BEAR

SOVEREIGN 460

SWEET CAPORAL (Factory's #25, 30, 42 overprint)

TOLSTOI

UZIT


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Yes, when I read this thought the same thing. My wife’s grandmother died in the 1918 flu epidemic. I think there are many players that died in the 1918 epidemic.

Here is another who died in the 1918 pandemic

Thanks for the list , Ted. How does one attack this? Those are some crazy backs.

Handsome card, as well. I’m at 170 right now (with hopefully 5 arriving today). He is on my short list for 2021 as well.

He is buried about 100 feet from my great grandfather. Every time I'm in San Jose I make it a point to visit.

Kevin

With the exception of the CYCLE 460, LENOX and the UZIT cards, the other 10 backs are not too tough.

The tough Red HINDU and PIEDMONT 460 (Factory #42) backs were not printed.


Good Luck....go for it, it's a fun run.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

I will be emailing Tony now about Mr. Frill. Now here I sit with 170 (+5 in transit). Thanks for the encouragement.

Actually, there weren't too many MLB players who succumbed to the 1918 version of 2020. It's quite surprising that more didn't perish. I was just thinking about it this afternoon. There were a few active players who were lost back then, whereas we can hope that the total of active Major Leaugers lost in this pandemic will stand at zero.

Edited to add a (likely partial) list of players either lost to the Spanish Flu or who died from influenza within a short time of that pandemic:

Frank Arellanes
Ray Boyd
Harry Chapman
Larry Chappell
Gene Curtis
Walt Dickson
John Frill
Fred Gaiser
Harry Glenn
Jack Lapp
George Leclair
Matty McIntyre
Phil Routcliffe

There are a couple of players on here who died post-1918-1919, yet family records I've gathered still attribute their deaths to the 1918 pandemic.

I was reading through your list (too quickly obviously) and read the second and third entries as "Ray Chapman". I had to re-read it. I love the historical rabbit holes that turn up on this site.

Cheers,
Mark

Same thing!

Cycle 460
Lennox
Uzit

I gather as one approaches the 520, these come in to focus? Here is the thing. I am almost 48 years old and am embarking on this journey that I had abandoned for 20 years. Then I’d go to the Hofstra show or the Long Island Marriott show once every two years between 2000-2018 , run into John Goodman (from the Hamptons) and he’d joke with me that I always forget my “list”. Is 520 realistic? Is 520 plus a Magie or the 3 hard Frill’s realistic?

I’m not sure. But I’m diving in. Thanks for the encouragement, folks!

You guys wonder about these players like I do. Is there a thread of family ancestors here on net54? Anyway, getting a bit nostalgic here; a tad romantic. I think the MOST exciting thing here is sharing this with my 6 and 4 year old. I show them the cards and they are sort of interested? Faking interest? But maybe there is a little spark there. Maybe they’ll continue the set if I can’t.

Damn, this is sort of exciting.

1918 pandemic
 

Isn't there a possibility that Germany Schaefer was killed by the Spanish Flu. He was suffering from TB and went to upstate New York, where the air was said to be cleaner, to recover. Schaefer died early in 1919 and who isn't to say that his condition wasn't exacerbated by the pandemic. And yes, I know that the Spanish Flu probably didn't originate in Spain.
lumberjack

Prince Schaefer's obit lists cause of death as a hemorrhage, whereas his death certificate lists tuberculosis with the hemorrhage being a contributing factor.

It's funny you should bring this up, though, as besides Schaefer, two other young players come to mind who also died from TB/pneumonia in 1918: George Kaiserling and Newt Halliday.

Acquired two John Frill’s from a gentleman’s collection over on the BST:

Sovereign 460
Piedmont 460 (Factory 25)
Sweet Caporal 460 (Factory 30)

Uzit
 

$10k ?

I think I’m out of the John Frill back run game for a bit...but, hey, you never know

Don't forget to check out the SABR bio project when looking for info on some of these players. I did a look and the bio is assigned but not written yet.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/john-frill/

There are some great bios already done, you can search here:

https://sabr.org/bioproject

Lastly, I'll link to one of my favorite old time players, Hack Wilson, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hack-wilson/

I love this guy.

I actually have complete back runs of

Boyd
Chapman
Curtis
Dickson
Gaiser
Glenn
Lapp
Leclair
Routcliffe

From collectors.com This photo sold at an auction listed on that site some time ago. I cannot find another photo of him. This looks to be a Highlanders/Yankees uniform, does it not?

Not to detract from the original subject, I thought I would share items of two victims of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic.

Card signed by Martin Sheridan. He competed in the 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games and the 1906 Intercalated Games. He won 3 golds and a bronze in the Olympic games in field events - discus and long jump. He won 3 golds and two silvers in 1906 field events - discus, shot put, high jump, long jump. He died March 27, 1918. The NYPD medal for valor was named for him until 1973.

Attachment 482154

Marc Larimer - graduated from the Naval Academy in 1912. Competed in fencing at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. He was an officer aboard the USS Cummings during WWI. After returning from Europe he was assigned to Cuba and died aboard the USS Montgomery in Guantanamo Bay February 6, 1919.
Two RPPC's sent by him from the 1912 Olympics to his mother and probably brother.
He the 2nd from the left in the group photo. Fourth from the left is Nedo Nadi. One of the greatest Olympic fencers, he is the only person to win gold in all three disciplines in a single Olympics - foil épée and sabre.

Attachment 482155
Attachment 482156

I recognized Sheridan's name...here is his T218 card.

Brian (card not mine)

And so it does. It’s the pose they used for his card. Wow, good find!

Fabulous stuff, gentlemen

Ouch! This run would take some patience.