Former Coon Rapids-Bayard Principal Larry Frakes was honored at the 55th Annual Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Awards Banquet in Des Moines recently by his induction into the Hall of Fame as a player.
Frakes was nominated by CRB Baseball Head Coach John Waddle. Waddle, a Hall of Famer himself as a Coach, serves on the selection committee. “Larry was a big supporter of our baseball program while he was an administrator here. I knew he had an outstanding career as a pitcher at Buena Vista College in the early 1970’s so I enjoyed talking baseball with him. Larry was pretty modest, but I gradually got him to talk about his high school achievements on the diamond. When I started to research it more myself, I was astonished at his statistics, and quickly realized he belonged in the Hall of Fame.”
Frakes graduated from Goldfield High School in 1972 as the most decorated baseball player in the school’s history. A pitcher/shortstop he was 3 time All Conference and then All State his senior year. A career batting average of 418, his real prowess was on the mound, where his statistics there are staggering. Frakes had a 36-10 record and still owns the State High School record of 18 career no-hitters. He also is 5th all time in Iowa in career strikeouts with 732. His high school coach, Mike Brinsko put it best when he said, “Larry was the greatest athlete I ever coached. Beyond his pitching he was good at shortstop with outstanding range. A terrific hitter, he reminds me of Robert Redford in ‘The Natural’. More importantly he was an outstanding student and citizen and a role model in our high school.”
Frakes went on to be a three time All Conference player at Buena Vista. He still owns two school records there for most shutouts (seven) and most career strikeouts (228). Frakes went on to play professionally with the Cincinnati Reds making it to double-A.
Frakes paid tribute to Waddle in his acceptance speech. “I am thankful and honored that I was nominated by John Waddle for this Hall of Fame induction. Most of you at this Awards Banquet know what an incredible high school baseball program he runs. I enjoyed my time at Coon Rapids-Bayard as Principal and can assure you that when it comes to baseball in that town Coach Waddle walks on water.”
