Charles “Chick” Fraser, now 28, began his career in 1896 with the National League’s Louisville Colonels. The Chicago native married the sister of Fred Clarke while they were teammates in Louisville. The righthander suffered a 12-27 season that year, mainly by lack of control, issuing 166 walks in over 349 innings. The next few years he did not fare much better, his control still eluding him, which resulted in his trade to Cleveland. By 1899 he was with the Philadelphia Phillies and enjoyed his most successful year to date with a 21-12 record, allowing only 85 walks in 270 innings with a 3.36 ERA. He kept pace in 1901 only to engage into a contract dispute which forced him to jump to the nascent American League, across town to the rival Athletics. His control induced a lot of ground balls which unfortunately found their way past his defenders, leading to 338 hits in just 273.1 innings. As a result, he went 16-17 in the new league with a disappointing 4.38 ERA. Dissatisfied, he came back to the Phillies for the 1902 campaign.
Thrift’s Training Matrix - It is possible that Fraser was using a spitball in the 19th century but it is evident he was wetting his fingers by the turn of the century. As a result, the Matrix was kind to Fraser and he will see
great improvement, not only in control, but gaining almost a legendary ability to keep the ball down and induce more worm-burners to give the Baker Bowl's groundskeeper fits.