Background
Brill was born in 1864 in Astoria, New New York
Brill was born in 1864 in Astoria, New New York
He appeared in one season in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Wolverines during the 1884 season. He played 12 games as a pitcher and one game as an outfielder. He later played several seasons of minor league baseball.
He was inducted into the American Congress Hall of Fame in 1996.
Brill made his major league debut for the Detroit Wolverines on June 23, 1884 at age 20. He appeared in his last major league game on August 8, 1884.
Although his major league playing career ended in 1884, Brill also played five seasons of minor league baseball as a first baseman (55 games), pitcher (26 games), third baseman (24 games) and outfielder (36 games). His minor league career included stints with the Scranton Indians (34 games, 1886), Buffalo Bisons (18 games, 1886), New Haven Blues (31 games, 1887), Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons (1887-1888), Elmira Hottentots (40 games, 1889) and with the Easton, Pennsylvania club (12 games, 1890).
While playing for Wilkes-Barre in 1888, he became a first baseman, and The Sporting Life reported that the change in position had revived his career: "As a first baseman Frank Brill has shown himself as among the first in the League.
The change from being a pitcher has been beneficial both in his playing and batting."
Brill also played at the shortstop position for the Staten Island Athletic Club baseball team in 1891 and was presented with a gold watch and chain at the end of the season for his contributions to the team After retiring from baseball, Brill became a professional bowler, competing for the Hoffman Club of Chicago. The event was sponsored by the American Congress and was held on specially built lanes in the Wellsbach building on Wabash Avenue in Chicago.
In 1903 he was working as the manager of a Chicago bowling establishment.
Brill was inducted into the American Congress Hall of Fame in 1996. Brill lived in Long Island City in 1897.
He lived in Chicago for at least 20 years in the early 1900s. He was employed in 1900 as the manager of a bowling establishment, in 1910 as a saloon keeper and bowling alley employee and in 1920 as a billiard hall manager.
He died in 1944 in Flushing, New York at age 80.
He was buried at the Flushing Cemetery in that city.
Brill was also a member of the Lincoln Groves, the first bowling team to tour the United States.