Major League Baseball Player. Born Frank Strong Lary, he was a pitcher for Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Milwaukee Braves, and Chicago White Sox during a twelve year career (1954-1965). He attended Tuscaloosa County High School and pitched for the University of Alabama baseball team, helping the Crimson Tide to the 1950 College World Series. He dropped out of the university after the 1950 College World Series and pursued a career in professional baseball. He played in the minor leagues during the 1950 season, but missed the next two years due to service in the United States Army. He went back to the minors for the 1953 and 1954 seasons before being called up to the Detroit Tigers late in the 1954 season. He would go on to pitch for the Tigers for the next eleven years before being purchased by the New York Mets in May of 1964. During his tenure with the Tigers, he became known as a "Yankee killer" because of his 27-10 pitching record against "the Bronx Bombers" during the years of 1956 to 1961 when they won six American League pennants. While with the Tigers, he was a three-time All-Star, a Gold Glove Award winner (1961), and the American League leader in wins with 21 in 1956. His best year with the Tigers was in 1961 when he won 23 games and threw a career-high and league-leading 22 complete games. During his stay in Detroit, he was known as "the workhorse" of the Tigers' pitching staff. He was 2-3 with the Mets before being traded to the Milwaukee Braves in August of 1964. He was re-acquired by the Mets in early 1965 and pitched several games for them before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in July of that year. He would go on to pitch for the White Sox for the rest of the season before retiring after the 1965 season. His career statistics were 128 wins and 116 losses with a 3.49 ERA and 1,099 strikeouts. After retiring, he spent a couple of years as a coach and scout for various teams. He later went into a construction business in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In the 1980s he worked for a road-paving business. He was later inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.