"Frank Baker" redirects here. For the outfielder, see Frank Baker (outfielder).
Home Run Baker
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.
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.
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.
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.
See also
List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
Hitting for the cycle
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 leaders
External links
Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
Baseball Hall of Fame – Member biography
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
v • d • e
Philadelphia Athletics 1910 World Series roster
Frank Baker | Jack Barry | Chief Bender | Eddie Collins | Jack Coombs | Harry Davis | Topsy Hartsel | Jack Lapp | Bris Lord | Danny Murphy | Amos Strunk | Ira Thomas
Manager Connie Mack
v • d • e
Philadelphia Athletics 1911 World Series roster
Frank Baker | Jack Barry | Chief Bender | Eddie Collins | Jack Coombs | Harry Davis | Jack Lapp | Bris Lord | Stuffy McInnis | Danny Murphy | Rube Oldring | Eddie Plank | Amos Strunk | Ira Thomas
Manager Connie Mack
v • d • e
Philadelphia Athletics 1913 World Series roster
Frank Baker | Jack Barry | Chief Bender | Joe Bush | Eddie Collins | Jack Lapp | Stuffy McInnis | Eddie Murphy | Rube Oldring | Eddie Plank | Wally Schang | Amos Strunk
Manager Connie Mack
v • d • e
Oakland Athletics
Formerly the Philadelphia Athletics and the Kansas City Athletics • Based in Oakland, California (Bay Area)
The Franchise
History • Seasons • Records • Players • Managers and Owners • Broadcasters
Ballparks
Columbia Park • Shibe Park • Municipal Stadium • McAfee Coliseum • Cashman Field • Cisco Field (future)
Culture
Athletics Nation • Charlie-O • 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake • Stomper
Rivalries
City Series • Bay Bridge Series
Important Figures
Reggie Jackson • Catfish Hunter • Mark McGwire • Connie Mack • Al Simmons • Rickey Henderson • Jimmie Foxx • Rollie Fingers • Charlie O. Finley • Tony LaRussa • Nap Lajoie • Home Run Baker • Dennis Eckersley • Lefty Grove • Bert Campaneris • Carney Lansford • Walter A. Haas Jr. • José Canseco • Jason Giambi • Dave Stewart • Miguel Tejada • Bob Welch • Barry Zito • Eric Chavez • Billy Beane • Justin Duchscherer
Retired Numbers
9 • 27 • 34 • 42 • 43
World Series
Champions (9)
1910 • 1911 • 1913 • 1929 • 1930 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1989
American League
Championships (15)
1902 • 1905 • 1910 • 1911 • 1913 • 1914 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990
Seasons (108)
1901 • 1902 • 1903 • 1904 • 1905 • 1906 • 1907 • 1908 • 1909 • 1910 • 1911 • 1912 • 1913 • 1914 • 1915 • 1916 • 1917 • 1918 • 1919 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008
v • d • e
Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1955
BBWAA Vote
Joe DiMaggio (88.84%) • Gabby Hartnett (77.69%) • Ted Lyons (86.45%) • Dazzy Vance (81.67%)
Veterans Committee
Frank Baker • Ray Schalk
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Run_Baker"
Categories: 1886 births | 1963 deaths | National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees | 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 | People from Talbot County, Maryland
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