Frank Oceak

Baseball player

Frank Oceak

Coach
Born: (1912-09-08)September 8, 1912
Pocahontas, Virginia
Died: March 19, 1983(1983-03-19) (aged 70)
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

Teams

* Pittsburgh Pirates (1958–1964; 1970–1972)
* Cincinnati Reds (1965)

Not to be confused with Frank Ocean.

Frank John Oceak (September 8, 1912 – March 19, 1983) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He was an infielder and manager in minor league baseball and served as a coach in Major League Baseball for 11 seasons between 1958 and 1972. A trusted confidant of four-time Pittsburgh Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh, Oceak was coaching at third base on October 13, 1960, during Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, when Pirate second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit his dramatic walk-off home run to clinch the Series against the New York Yankees. Oceak, wearing uniform #44, can be seen in many of the films and still photos of the historic event, celebrating with Mazeroski as he rounds third base and following him to home plate.

Frank Oceak was born in Pocahontas, Virginia. He batted and threw right-handed, and stood 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 172 pounds (78 kg). Primarily a second baseman and shortstop, Oceak spent his entire playing career (1932–40; 1942–43; 1946–47) in the lower minor leagues, briefly as a member of the Yankees' farm system. He became a player-manager at age 25 in 1938 with the Lafayette White Sox of the Class D Evangeline League—which was, despite its nickname, an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. Two years later, as manager of the Beaver Falls Browns of the Class D Pennsylvania State Association, Oceak was suspended by Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis for the entire 1941 season for an assault on an umpire.[1] However, Oceak resumed his playing and managing careers in 1942 with the Oil City Oilers of the PSA, his first assignment in the Pirates' organization, where he would spend most of the rest of his baseball life.

The bulk of his managing career, as in his playing days, took place in the lower minors, until 1957 when he was named skipper of the Columbus Jets of the Triple-A International League, one of the Pirates' two top-tier farm clubs. The following season, he was named to Murtaugh's coaching staff, serving for seven seasons as the Bucs' third base coach before Murtaugh resigned because of ill health at the close of the 1964 campaign. Oceak then spent one season, 1965, with the Cincinnati Reds as a coach under Dick Sisler before returning to Pittsburgh as a minor league manager at the Class A and Double-A levels from 1966–69.

In 1970, Murtaugh returned to the dugout as manager of the Pirates, and Oceak rejoined him as third-base coach. He served through another world championship with the 1971 Pirates. When Murtaugh retired in the days after the 1971 World Series, Oceak stayed on for one more season as a coach under Bill Virdon before leaving baseball. He died in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, at the age of 70.[2]

His career record as a minor league manager was 1,285 victories, and 1,386 defeats (.481).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Marcin, Joe, ed., The Baseball Register, St. Louis: The Sporting News: 1970
2. ^ "Frank Oceak, 70, Dies, Retired Coach of Pirates". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 21, 1983. p. 5. Retrieved April 19, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.

* Marcin Joe, ed., The Baseball Register, 1970 edition. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1970.
* Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, third edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007.

## External links

[edit]

* Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Coach's page from Retrosheet

Preceded by

Danny Murtaugh
Alex Grammas

|  Pittsburgh Pirates third-base coach
1958–1964
1970–1972  | Succeeded by

Alex Grammas
Bill Mazeroski

|
|

Preceded by

Reggie Otero

|  Cincinnati Reds third-base coach
1965  | Succeeded by

Dave Bristol

* v
* t
* e

Pittsburgh Pirates 1960 World Series champions

2 Bob Oldis
4 Bob Skinner
5 Hal Smith
6 Smoky Burgess
7 Dick Stuart
9 Bill Mazeroski
11 Dick Schofield
12 Don Hoak
14 Rocky Nelson
16 Gene Baker
18 Bill Virdon
19 Bob Friend
20 Gino Cimoli
21 Roberto Clemente
22 Joe Gibbon
23 Joe Christopher
24 Dick Groat (NL MVP)
26 Roy Face
29 Clem Labine
30 Wilmer Mizell
31 Harvey Haddix
32 Vern Law (CYA)
35 Fred Green
37 Tom Cheney
39 George Witt

Manager
40 Danny Murtaugh

Coaches
41 Bill Burwell
42 Mickey Vernon
43 Sam Narron
44 Frank Oceak
45 Lenny Levy
Virgil Trucks

Regular season

* v
* t
* e

Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 World Series champions

2 Jackie Hernández
4 Charlie Sands
7 Bob Robertson
8 Willie Stargell
9 Bill Mazeroski
11 José Pagán
14 Gene Alley
15 Gene Clines
16 Al Oliver
17 Dock Ellis
18 Vic Davalillo
20 Richie Hebner
21 Roberto Clemente (World Series MVP)
23 Luke Walker
25 Bruce Kison
27 Bob Johnson
28 Steve Blass
29 Milt May
30 Dave Cash
31 Dave Giusti
32 Bob Miller
34 Nelson Briles
35 Manny Sanguillén
38 Bob Moose
39 Bob Veale

Manager
40 Danny Murtaugh

Coaches
5 Dave Ricketts
41 Bill Virdon
42 Don Osborn
43 Don Leppert
44 Frank Oceak

Regular season
National League Championship Series
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