Benny Frey grew up in rural Missouri, where baseball culture was just as common as farming and the hard work that accompanies it.

He had great upper body strength from a young age and was already pitching on regional semipro teams come his late teens – a favorite among scouts who were impressed by his ability to throw a fastball.

In fact, in 1920, this would be the exact strength that would help Benny go from the minors to the majors.

Frey was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1929 to 1930 during a time when the expectation was for pitchers to go deep in games even if it meant risking serious injury (which Frey would later face firsthand – more on that later).

That said, Frey was far from weak.

Though he wasn’t always the most dominant player, he was known for his long innings and vigor, qualities that would lead to him becoming something of a force to be reckoned with on the mound.

Thanks to him, the Reds were a powerhouse leading up to the 1930s, although Frey usually got very little in the way of recognition for his knockout performances – especially in losing seasons.

Frey made the switchover from the Reds to the Detroit Tigers in 1932.

His time in Detroit was brief, and though he never became a key member of their rotation, he helped build a team that would become championship finalists come the mid-1930s.

Sadly, Frey never made it very far into his career.

Injury and arm fatigue began to hinder his performance due to his workload, a common problem for many pitchers of the era without modern medical care or rehabilitation techniques.

Frey’s life and career were tragically cut short when he broke his leg at first base in 1928, which would later lead to his subsequent suicide in 1932 at the young age of 31 – stark a reminder of both the promise and the insurmountable pressures faced by early 20th-century ballplayers.

Frey may not have been a superstar like his peers Dizzy Dean or Lefty Grove, but his tale resonates all the same.

He serves as a perfect example of a journeyman pitcher: Reliable, robust, and always ready to step up to the plate and pitch even when his teams were struggling.

His life reminds us just how fragile early baseball careers were, with players giving their best with virtually no medical or financial help in return.

For the city of Detroit, it’s a brief but touching chapter that shows the history of the game was just as built on ordinary players as it was its legends.

For that, Benny will always have a special place in Detroit’s early 20th-century baseball hall of fame.

Victoria Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends. With her finger firmly on the pulse of both the city’s vibrant past and its rapidly unfolding future, she brings a deeply personal, historically grounded lens to every piece she writes.

Published on: August 22, 2025