GLADE, Frederick

GLADE, Frederick. (Dubuque, IA, Jan. 25, 1876 - Grand Island, NB, November 21, 1934) Fred Glade was a wealthy man before playing major league baseball. His family owned milling businesses which became a piece of the modern conglomerate ConAgra. He appeared at spring training on his own schedule, if at all. He often jumped clubs with frequency and filled winter newspaper columns with claims of quitting the game. After years of hearing this, sportswriters started to refer to him as the “Millionaire Ballplayer.” (1) He batted and threw right-handed. Nicknamed "Lucky," Glade debuted on May 27, 1902. (2)

He was among the fastest pitchers of his time and was equally deceptive. He appeared to study the outfield wall before he delivered to the plate. He would face the second baseman and then twirl around to pitch. (3) Despite the fact that he only pitched one game in the National League in 1902, one umpire claimed he was the fastest pitcher he’d seen all year. In his rookie season, he went 18-15 with a 2.27 ERA. (4) Glade had a decent curveball as well. On July 15, 1904 he set a major league game-record, since then broken, with 15 strikeouts in a 1–0 victory over the New York Highlanders. Glade led the league with 25 losses in 1905, winning only six games with a solid 2.81 ERA. (5) He rebounded with two winning seasons in 1906 (15-14, 2.36) and 1907 (13-9, 2.67). (6) He was traded to the Highlanders before 1908, his last major league season. He played his last game on June 21, 1908. The only thing keeping Glade from becoming an elite pitcher, besides devotion to baseball, was a changeup; he absolutely refused to throw one. (7)

In a six-season career, Glade posted a 52-68 record with a 2.62 ERA in 1072-2/3 innings pitched, including 14 shutouts and 107 complete games. He recorded a 1.96 strikeout-to-walk ratio (464-to-237).

Although Glade signed a contract with the Highlanders in February 1909, he sent new manager George Stallings a letter stating that he would be unable to join the club at the start of spring training. He promised over and over to rejoin the club but never showed. Glade even promised a comeback in 1910. The Highlanders reportedly continued to offer Glade a roster spot for years to come, despite the fact that he was in his late thirties. (8)

His father died in 1910 and his milling company was reorganized and incorporated as the Henry Glade Milling Company in August 1911. Fred became the company’s new president. Within two years the mill was operating eighteen hours a day and producing nearly 400 barrels a day. Annual revenue topped $650,000. (9) Fred was given a great deal of credit for the company’s increased fortunes. When the mill business ran into difficulties during WORLD WAR I, the Glades merged with three other mills to form the Nebraska Consolidated Mills in September 1919. Fred Glade retired but maintained a financial interest in the new venture. In 1922 Nebraska Consolidated doubled its capacity with the purchase of the Updike Mill in Omaha. It now produced enough in one week to feed the entire state for a year. (10) In 1971 the Grand Island operation was renamed ConAgra. The company thrived with such popular brands as Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Hunt’s and Libby’s.

Fred Glade held a financial interest in and sat on the board of the Grand Island ball club of the Nebraska State League. He was also involved in local Republican politics and owned a Goodrich franchise. (11)

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Source:

1. McKenna, Brian. "Fred Glade," Society of American Baseball Research, http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/cb1f3e7b

2. "Fred (Frederick Monroe) Glade," http://www.faqs.org/baseball/player/G/gladefr01/Fred-Glade.html

3. McKenna

4. Ibid.

5. "Fred (Frederick Monroe Glade)," prorumors.com/baseball/Glade/Fred/gladefr01

5. "Fred Glade-MLB Baseball Player," SportsPool.com, http://www.sportspool.com/baseball/players/G/gladefr01.php

6. McKenna

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.