Frank Baker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Two other men named Frank Baker played Major League Baseball:
- Frank Watts Baker (b. October 29, 1946 in Meridian, Mississippi) was an infielder for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in the early 1970s.
- Frank Baker (b. January 11, 1944 in Bartow, Florida) was an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians in 1969 and 1971.
| Philadelphia Athletics — No. N/A | |
| Third baseman | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
|---|---|
| September 21, 1908 for the Philadelphia A's | |
| Batting average | .307 |
| Runs batted in | 987 |
| Home runs | 96 |
John Franklin "Home Run" Baker (March 13, 1886 - June 28, 1963) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922. Baker helped the Philadelphia Athletics win three World Series (1910, 1911 and 1913). His legacy has grown over the years and he is regarded by many as the best third baseman of the pre-war era.
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 two and a ninth-inning game-tying home run off Christy Mathewson in game three. His home run crown would be the first of four consecutive seasons leading the American League in home runs. He hit 11 HR in 1911, 10 HR in 1912, 12 HR in 1913, and 9 HR in 1914. Two of those seasons, he also led the American League in runs batted in.
 |
| Frank Baker is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
He was born in Trappe, Maryland, was a butcher by trade, and broke into the major leagues in 1908 with the Athletics. Baker played third base for the Athletics until 1915, when he sat out the entire season in a contract dispute. His contract was sold in 1916 to the New York Yankees, with whom he finished his career.
Following his retirement, Baker managed for two seasons (1924-25) in the Eastern Shore Baseball League and was credited with discovering Jimmie Foxx and recommending him to Connie Mack.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
[edit] External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
- The Deadball Era
| Preceded by Jake Stahl |
American League Home Run Champion 1911-1914 (1912 with Tris Speaker) |
Succeeded by Braggo Roth |
| Preceded by Ty Cobb |
American League RBI Champion 1912-1913 |
Succeeded by Sam Crawford |
Categories: 1886 births | 1963 deaths | Baseball Hall of Fame | Major league third basemen | Philadelphia Athletics players | New York Yankees players | Major league players from Maryland | Baseball players who have hit for the cycle | American League home run champions | American League RBI champions | Maryland Eastern Shore natives
