Frank Philbrick

Frank Philbrick (born May 23, 1978 in Northampton, Massachusetts) is a former professional baseball player turned carpenter and author. Philbrick co-authored his first book, The Backyard Lumberjack, alongside his father, Stephen Philbrick, in 2006. After graduating from Brown University in the spring of 2001, where Philbrick was an English major and a left-handed pitcher, Philbrick signed a professional baseball contract with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs of the independent Northeast League. Later that summer, Philbrick was released, but continued his career with the Berkshire Black Bears, who made their home at historic Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Having grown up in nearby Cummington, Massachusetts, Philbrick was a local favorite. After playing with the Berkshire Black Bears, Philbrick played in the Frontier League. In the spring of 2002, Philbrick retired from pitching and began work as an author and carpenter. Frank's first book, The Backyard Lumberjack is a how-to guide and personal account of managing a woodlot. Drawing on a lifetime of personal experience with forestry, farming, and woodworking, the Philbricks impart both the technical and emotional aspects of the firewood process, detailing each step from tree to stove. The Backyard Lumberjack also shares tales of life in the rural hills of The Berkshires. As part of the publicity for The Backyard Lumberjack, Philbrick appeared on the CBS Early Show, The Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC, The Arnie Arnesen Show, The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, and The Playboy Radio Show also on Sirius Satellite Radio. Philbrick and his father, Stephen, also appeared on The History Channel show, "Modern Marvels: The History of the Axe" where, using only a sharpened axe, the father-son team were filmed cutting down a pine tree measuring six feet in circumference. The show aired on May 30, 2008. Publicity for The Backyard Lumberjack led to an unexpec