Frank Baker
Encyclopedia
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.
He was born in Trappe, Maryland
, was a butcher
by trade, and broke into the major leagues in with the Athletics.
Baker, who led the American League
in home run
s in , 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 , 10 home runs in , 12 home runs in , and nine home runs in . 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 , 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.
, with whom he finished his career. He led the league in games played with 141 games in
Initially, Baker retired in , 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, 46 home runs and 375 RBIs in 676 games.
, and was credited with discovering Jimmie Foxx
and recommending him to Athletics manager Connie Mack
.
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
.
There is a statue of Home Run Baker in the southwest area of UMass-Amherst. It was erected by a University of Massachusetts student.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from 1908 to 1922, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. As a member of the famed $100,000 infield
$100,000 infield
The $100,000 infield was the name given to the famous infield of the Philadelphia Athletics in the early 1910s. The $100,000 infield consisted of first baseman Stuffy McInnis, second baseman Eddie Collins, shortstop Jack Barry and third baseman Frank Baker.Baseball historian Bill James rated the...
, Baker helped the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
win the 1910
1910 World Series
The 1910 World Series featured the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs, with the Athletics winning in five games to earn their first championship.Jack Coombs of Philadelphia won three games and Eddie Collins supplied timely hitting...
, 1911
1911 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 2:Monday, October 16, 1911 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-Game 3:Tuesday, October 17, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 4:...
and 1913
1913 World Series
In the 1913 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the New York Giants four games to one.The A's pitching gave the edge to a closer-than-it-looked Series in 1913...
World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. His legacy has grown over the years, and he is regarded by many as the best third baseman of the pre-war era.
Philadelphia Athletics
Trappe, Maryland
Trappe is a town in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2000 census. The local telephone exchange is 476 and the area code is 410. The zipcode is 21673....
, was a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
by trade, and broke into the major leagues in with the Athletics.
Baker, who led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in , earned the nickname "Home Run" during the 1911 World Series
1911 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 2:Monday, October 16, 1911 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-Game 3:Tuesday, October 17, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 4:...
in which he hit a go-ahead home run off Rube Marquard
Rube Marquard
Richard William "Rube" Marquard was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s and early 1920s...
in Game 2, and a ninth-inning game-tying home run off Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
in Game 3. His home run crown would be the first of four consecutive seasons leading the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in home runs. He hit 11 home runs in , 10 home runs in , 12 home runs in , and nine home runs in . In two of those seasons he also led the American League in runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
In seven seasons with the A's he hit .321 with 48 home runs, 612 RBIs and 88 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in 866 games played.
Baker played third base for the Athletics until , when he sat out the entire season in a contract dispute with Connie Mack. He remained in baseball, playing for Upland, Pennsylvania
Upland, Pennsylvania
Upland is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Upland is governed by an elected seven member borough council. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Upland is located at ....
in the semiprofessional Delaware County League.
New York Yankees
Mack sold Baker's contract in to the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, with whom he finished his career. He led the league in games played with 141 games in
Initially, Baker retired in , 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, 46 home runs and 375 RBIs in 676 games.
Managerial career
Following his retirement, Baker managed for two seasons (-) in the Eastern Shore Baseball LeagueEastern Shore Baseball League
The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a Class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not consecutive, and featured teams from Maryland,...
, and was credited with discovering Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
and recommending him to Athletics manager Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
.
Legacy
In addition to his 1955 election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1981 Lawrence RitterLawrence Ritter
Lawrence S. Ritter was an American writer whose specialties were economics and baseball.Ritter was a professor of economics and finance, and chairman of the Department of Finance at the Graduate School of Business Administration of New York University. He also edited the academic periodical...
and Donald Honig
Donald Honig
Donald Martin Honig is a novelist, historian and editor who mostly writes about baseball.While a member of the Bobo Newsom Memorial Society, an informal group of writers, Honig attempted to get Lawrence Ritter to write a sequel to The Glory of their Times. Ritter declined but gave Honig his blessing...
included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
Home Run Baker was laid to rest in Easton, Maryland
Easton, Maryland
Easton, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
.
There is a statue of Home Run Baker in the southwest area of UMass-Amherst. It was erected by a University of Massachusetts student.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- Major League Baseball titles leadersMajor League Baseball titles leadersAt the end of each Major League Baseball season, the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced. Leading the league in a particular category is referred to as a title....