Frank Oakley's real name was Francis Anderson, and he was born in Sweden to a show business family in 1871. He quickly picked up a number of skills and was an accomplished contortionist.

After moving to the United States in the 1890s, he became a clown, performing with Forepaugh-Sells, Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Bros.

Slivers Oakley was known for his "one man baseball game" At the start of the routine, Oakley emerged as a catcher, with his "bird cage" mask and heavily padded mitt. According to an account of the act, "He popped his fist in the glove a few times and set up, crouching behind the plate. He feigned receiving a pitch, and then in the midst of the motion of tossing the horsehide back to his battery-mate he suddenly wheeled to argue the call with the imaginary ump, throwing off the mask, gesticulating wildly and jawing with his adversary. Later he took a turn at bat, and, after working the count full, "hit" one in the gap, but was thrown out trying "to stretch a three-bagger into a home run." Another rhubarb with the umpire ensued. By all accounts, at this point the crowd watching Slivers was delirious."

One circus memoir of the period references the need for extra medical personnel because so many in the audience were passing out from laughter. "The entire act was in pantomime," the writer states. "No one but Oakley was on the stage. But so realistic was every move and gesture, so convincing, that he never failed to carry the house."

He left Barnum and Bailey in 1907 when he was at the top of his "game." Following his departure from the circus, Slivers transitioned to the theatrical stage and experienced initial success at the New York Hippodrome.

In a 1960 interview, Buster Keaton called Slivers one of the top three clowns he ever saw. He paid tribute to the legendary baseball entree in his classic film, “The Cameraman”.

Around the time Slivers passed, a young Charlie Chaplin was making a name for himself in movies, and was referred to as “the Slivers Oakley of film”.