Frank "Home Run" Baker (1955)


Date of Birth: 3/13/1886
Date of Death: 6/28/1963
Birthplace: Trappe, Maryland

Frank Baker, nicknamed Home Run Baker, started playing baseball as a child. In high school, he was a pitcher for the school's team. He signed with a semi-professional team in 1905. He wasn't a successful pitcher so he became a position player with that team. In 1907, he signed with an independent team in Maryland. He played in the Eastern League that year but he was released. The following year, he signed with a team in the Tri-State League.

Philadelphia Athletics

Baker was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics from the Tri-State League in September, 1908. He played in nine games with the Athletics that season. The following year, his first full season in the major leagues, Baker batted .305 with 165 hits, 27 doubles, 19 triples, 85 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 148 games. He led the AL in triples in 1909. He also led all AL third basemen in assists with 277, in putouts with 209, and in errors with 42.

From 1911 through 1914, Baker led the American League in home runs each year. He also led the league in RBIs in 1912 and 1913. His best season was probably 1912, when he batted .347 with 200 hits, 40 doubles, 21 triples, 10 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases in 149 games. In 1913, he led all AL third basemen in putouts with 233.

Baker played in a career high 150 games in 1914. He finished the season with 182 hits, 23 doubles, 10 triples, and a .319 batting average. He stole 19 bases, but he was caught stealing 20 times.

New York Yankees

Baker didn't play in the major leagues in 1915 due to a contract dispute with Connie Mack of the Athletics. Instead, he spent the season playing semi-pro baseball. In 1916, Mack sold Baker's contract to the New York Yankees. He played in 100 games in 1916, and he had 97 hits, 23 doubles, and a .269 batting average.

In 1917, Baker batted .282 with 156 hits and 24 doubles in 146 games. Defensively, he led all AL third basemen in assists with 317 and in putouts with 202.

Baker played well with the Yankees in 1918 and 1919. He had a .306 batting average in 126 games in 1918, and a .293 batting average with 166 hits the following year.

Baker decided to retire after the 1919 season. However, his retirement only lasted one season and he returned to the Yankees in 1921 to play for two more seasons in the major leagues. He had a .294 batting average with 97 hits, 16 doubles, and 71 RBIs in 94 games in 1921. He played in just 69 games in 1922 and he had a .278 batting average and 65 hits.

MLB Records

  • Led the AL in home runs (4 times)
  • Led the AL in RBIs (2 times)

Career Statistics

Baker played in over 100 games in each of 10 seasons (1909-1914, 1916-1919). His statistics during that time include:

  • 9 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 200 in 1912
  • 3 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 42 in 1911
  • 5 seasons with 10 or more triples, with a high of 21 in 1912
  • 3 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 130 in 1912
  • 5 seasons with 20 or more stolen bases, with a high of 40 in 1912
  • 6 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .347 in 1912

Career batting statistics for Baker include:

  • 1,575 games played
  • 1,838 hits
  • 315 doubles
  • 103 triples
  • 987 RBIs
  • 235 stolen bases
  • .307 batting average
  • .363 on-base percentage
  • .805 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Baker at third base include:

  • 1,548 games played
  • 3,155 assists
  • 260 double plays
  • 2,154 putouts
  • 322 errors
  • .943 fielding percentage

Postseason statistics for Baker include:

  • 6 postseasons
  • 25 games played
  • 91 at-bats
  • 33 hits
  • 7 doubles
  • 3 home runs
  • 11 strikeouts to 5 walks
  • .363 batting average

Post Playing Career

After his second and final retirement as a player in 1922, Baker managed in the minor leagues for two seasons (1924-1925).

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Frank Baker
ESPN - Frank Baker
Baseball Reference - Frank Baker

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