Jake Freeze

Carl Alexander "Jake" Freeze (April 25, 1900 – April 9, 1983) was a professional baseball pitcher who appeared in two games for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1925. Listed at 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he threw and batted right-handed.

Jake Freeze
Freeze, c. 1925
Pitcher
Born: (1900-04-25)April 25, 1900
Huntington, Arkansas
Died: April 9, 1983(1983-04-09) (aged 82)
San Angelo, Texas
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 1, 1925, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
July 2, 1925, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Games played2
Earned run average2.45
Strikeouts1
Teams

Career

From 1923 through 1925, Freeze played college baseball for the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas.[1] In May 1923, with future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ted Lyons as a teammate, Freeze was the winning pitcher in a 5–3 victory over the Texas Longhorns that gave Baylor the Southwest Conference championship.[2] In 1925, Freeze reportedly received offers from four major league teams;[3] he joined the Chicago White Sox in June that year.[4]

Both of Freeze's major league appearances were for the White Sox in road games against the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park. On July 1, 1925, he pitched one inning, retiring all three batters he faced. The next day, he pitched 2+2⁄3 innings, allowing five hits and seven runs (one earned) while striking out one and walking three. During that game, he struck out in his only major league at bat as a hitter. Notable members of the White Sox at that time included Ted Lyons, Freeze's former teammate at Baylor, and other future Hall of Famers Red Faber, Harry Hooper, Ray Schalk, and player-manager Eddie Collins.

The White Sox released Freeze in mid-July 1925 to the minor league Little Rock Travelers of the Southern Association.[5] While there are contemporary news accounts of him pitching for the Travelers—he had a losing record,[6] but did pitch a two-hitter[7]—Freeze's 1925 minor league statistics are absent from Baseball-Reference.com.

The Chicago Cubs organization acquired Freeze in May 1926.[8] He played for the minor league Waco Cubs in the Texas League through the 1928 season, recording an overall record of 24–30 with 6.18 ERA. In 1929, Freeze's final year in professional baseball, he initially spent time with the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League, who returned him to Waco,[9] who then released him.[10] Freeze went on to pitch in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (also known as the Three–I League) for the Terre Haute Tots, where he had a 12–15 record with 4.38 ERA. Freeze had a .263 batting average in the minor leagues from 1926 to 1929.

Contemporary news reports mention Freeze pitching for the Abilene Oilers, a semi-pro team based in Abilene, Texas, in 1933.[11] He later became an income tax specialist in San Angelo, Texas.[12] Freeze was inducted to the Baylor Bears Hall of Fame in December 1979.[1][13] He died on April 9, 1983, after a lengthy illness.[14]

References
  1. "Hall of Fame - Alphabetical List". baylorbears.com. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  2. Tucker, Jinx (May 23, 1923). "Baylor Victory Brings Baseball Championship to Waco". Waco News-Tribune. Waco, Texas. p. 6. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Freeze gets four major league offers". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. February 10, 1925. p. 7. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "Baseball Briefs". The Dispatch. Moline, Illinois. AP. June 25, 1925. p. 12. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. Smith, Bill (July 14, 1925). "Looking Thru The Sport Spy Glass (column)". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. p. 7. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. Smith, Bill (January 7, 1926). "Looking Through the Sport Spyglass (column)". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. p. 9. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "Barons Fall in Old Rut". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. July 21, 1925. p. 6. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "Freeze to Join Cubs". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. AP. May 28, 1926. p. 9. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Sports Forum (column)". The Brownsville Herald. Brownsville, Texas. May 2, 1929. p. 11. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Jake Freeze Given Release by Waco Cubs". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. AP. May 7, 1929. p. 12. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  11. "Abilene Oilers Going After Sheep Herder Nine Sunday". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. April 4, 1933. p. 2. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  12. Holt, Harry (June 15, 1949). "Chousin' Around (column)". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 33. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  13. Fadal, Edward (December 7, 1979). "Thinkin' Out Loud (column)". The Waco Citizen. Waco, Texas. p. 8. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "Freeze dies". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. April 10, 1983. p. 11. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
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