John Franklin "Home Run" Baker (March 13, 1886 – June 28, 1963) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. As a member of the famed $100,000 infield, Baker helped the Philadelphia Athletics win the 1910, 1911 and 1913 World Series. His legacy has grown over the years, and he is regarded by many as the best third baseman of the pre-war era. During his 13 years as a Major League player, Baker never played a single inning at any position other than third base.
Professional career [edit]
Philadelphia Athletics [edit]
Baker was born in Trappe, Maryland,[1] was a butcher by trade, and broke into the major leagues in 1908 with the Athletics.
Baker, who led the American League in home runs in 1911, earned the nickname "Home Run" during the 1911 World Series in which he hit a go-ahead home run off Rube Marquard in Game 2, and a ninth-inning game-tying home run off Christy Mathewson in Game 3. His home run crown would be the first of four consecutive seasons leading the American League in home runs. He hit 11 home runs in 1911, 10 home runs in 1912, 12 home runs in 1913, and nine home runs in 1914. In two of those seasons he also led the American League in runs batted in.
In seven seasons with the A's he hit .321 with 48 home runs, 612 RBIs and 88 triples in 866 games played.
Baker played third base for the Athletics until 1915, when he sat out the entire season in a contract dispute with Connie Mack. He remained in baseball, playing for Upland, Pennsylvania in the semiprofessional Delaware County League.[2]
New York Yankees [edit]
Mack sold Baker's contract in 1916 to the New York Yankees, with whom he finished his career. He led the league in games played with 141 games in 1919
Initially, Baker retired in 1920, but came back to play two more seasons with the Yankees, seasons that took him to two more World Series. He finished his tenure with the Yankees with a .288 batting average, 48 home runs and 375 RBIs in 676 games.
Managerial career [edit]
Following his retirement, Baker managed for two seasons (1924–1925) in the Eastern Shore Baseball League, and was credited with discovering Jimmie Foxx and recommending him to Athletics manager Connie Mack.
Legacy [edit]
In addition to his 1955 election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1981 Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
Home Run Baker was laid to rest in Easton, Maryland.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Baker, Frank". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ Lanctot, Neil (1994). Fair Dealing and Clean Playing: the Hilldale Club and the development of black professional baseball, 1910-1932. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 11. ISBN 0-89950-988-6.
"Semiprofessional" may be a euphemism. Upland employed other major leaguers between 1915 and 1919 (including Baker's longtime teammate Chief Bender), and by 1919 the Delaware County League was declared an outlaw league by organized baseball.
External links [edit]
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| Name |
Baker, Frank |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
American baseball player |
| Date of birth |
March 13, 1886 |
| Place of birth |
Trappe, Maryland |
| Date of death |
June 28, 1963 |
| Place of death |
Trappe, Maryland |
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