An outstanding athlete in the 1940s, Frank Wilders made his claim to fame in baseball as a left-handed pitcher for Thurmont High School and played for three different leagues during his senior year. Drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had the opportunity to work with professional players like Jackie Robinson in camp. Wilders was observed to have the best curve ball within the Brooklyn camp that season. During this two-year period on the Dodger’s Class C Team, he averaged 10 strike-outs per game with an ERA of 3.2 and a batting average over .300. In 1950, Wilders was contracted to the Yankees and remained with them until 1954. During the Korean War, he played with the Air Force team that competed throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. Returning home, Wilders continued to play locally and managed the Thurmont American Legion Team.