1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #109 Benny Frey

Sunday, January 24, 2021

#109 Benny Frey - Cincinnati Reds

Benjamin Rudolph Frey

Cincinnati Reds

Pitcher

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'10" Weight: 165

Born: April 6, 1906, Dexter, MI

Major League Teams: Cincinnati Reds 1929-1932; St. Louis Cardinals 1932; Cincinnati Reds 1933-1936

Died: November 1, 1937, Spring Arbor Township, MI (31)

In eight major league seasons, mostly with the Reds, side-arming Benny Frey appeared in 256 games and earned a record of 57-82 with a 4.50 ERA. His best season came in 1934 when he went 11-16 in 39 games, with a 3.52 ERA and a pair of shutouts. As arguably the best player on the last-place 1934 Reds team, Frey's efforts earned him MVP votes in that year's tally. Frey's continuous service with the Reds was interrupted by a month with the Cardinals. On April 11, 1932, the Reds traded Frey and Harvey Hendrick (#41) with cash to the Cardinals for Chick Hafey (#18). Less that a month later, on May 9th, the Cardinals sold Frey back to Cincinnati.

Before the start of the 1937 season, Frey suffered an arm injury and refusing a demotion to the minor leagues he announced his retirement at the age of 31. Tragically, despondent over his arm injury and his dismissal from the Reds, Frey took his own life later that year.

Both Frey and the player he was traded to the Cardinals with, Hendrick, ended up committing suicide. I'm only a few cards into this blog's life and I'm hoping there are more upbeat life stories on the way!

Building the Set

December 11, 2020 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards)

On the night I impulsively decided to collect the original Diamond Stars set, and I subsequently purchased the Harvey Hendrick card from Kit Young Cards, I also added the complete, and first, extended set to my cart for the very reasonable price of $7.50. The 12 cards in this first extended set were originally issued in 1981.

In the early 1980s, a family member of a former National Chicle employee discovered an uncut sheet of 12 unused cards presumably meant as a 1937 continuation of the Diamond Stars set. As originally advertised, and as mentioned on the back of every card issued, the company had intended for the set to contain 240 subjects. They only produced 108 cards before production was halted, and the theory is this newly found sheet represented a "lost" continuation of the set. Fortunately, the images of the cards made their way into the collecting world and a 12-card "what if" set was created. (More on the uncut sheet can be found here from SABR's Baseball Cards Research Committee and from this Ryan Cracknell article for Beckett.)

The Beckett online database lists the set as "1981 Diamond Stars Continuation Den's" and the set's description notes "This set was created and produced by Denny Eckes. Hobbyist Mike Galella was involved in bringing this sheet to the the public. These cards were originally available from the producer for $3." The back of the cards have a 1981 copyright attributed to Den's Collectors Den, the company belonging to the aforementioned Eckes.

The 12 cards include more ambitious geometric designs than the original Diamond Stars cards, although the overall color template remains the same as their 1934 to 1936 counterparts.

Variations Available

1 - 1981 / blue back / 1936 statistics / 1981 copyright

The Card / Reds Team Set

I wouldn't have guessed by the picture used here that Frey was a pitcher, as he looks more like a middle infielder snagging a line drive. The source for the picture originates from the 1934 Butterfinger (R310) issue, shown below.

The back of the card, written in the style of the original Diamond Stars cards, gives great advice of trying to be a good-hitting pitcher. Frey owned a lifetime average of .255 and he hit a lofty .344 in 1935 with the Reds, going 11 for 32 with a double.

1937 Season

As mentioned above, Frey never pitched in 1937. Had this card been issued contemporaneously, collectors would have wondered, "What ever happened to Benny Frey?" while chewing their National Chicle gum.