Frank Home Run Baker
| Birthdate | 3/13/1886 |
| Death Date | 6/28/1963 |
| Debut Year | 1908 |
| Year of Induction | 1955 |
| Teams | Athletics, Yankees |
| Position | Third Base |
The American League homer leader for four consecutive years from 1911-1914, Frank Baker was a three-time World Champion with the Athletics.
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Frank "Home Run" Baker was a star for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees
Frank "Home Run" Baker was a star for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees
Though he never hit more than 12 homers in a season, third baseman Frank Baker led the American League in round-trippers in four straight years during the Deadball Era.
Acquired by Connie Mack in 1908, Baker was the starting third baseman the following season. In 1909, Mack put together the Athletics’ famed $100,000 infield — with Stuffy McInnis at first, Eddie Collins at second, and Jack Berry at shortstop.
On May 29th that season, Baker hit the first home run ever knocked over the fence at Shibe Park. He finished 6th in the AL home run race in 1909, the first of his nine top-10 finishes.
Baker helped Mack’s Athletics reach the World Series in 1910, ’11, ’13, and ’14, coming away with the title in each of the first three tries. The 1914 version of the Athletics’ infield was hailed by Bill James as the greatest infield of all time.
Baker remained with the Athletics until the Yankees purchased his services before the start of the 1916 season. Though he failed to maintain the production of his time in Philadelphia, he finished in the top-ten in homers each of his first four seasons in New York.
During his six years with the Yankees, he returned to the Fall Classic twice, losing to John McGraw‘s New York Giants in 1921 and ’22.
Interestingly third base was the only defensive position of Baker’s 1,575-game big league career. A modest, clean-living man, Baker never drank, smoked, or swore. Voted into Cooperstown in 1955, Baker enjoyed eight years as a Hall of Famer before passing away in 1963.
Shown here is his ornate signature, Frank “Home Run” Baker.
Stuffy McInnis played across the diamond from Baker in Connie Mack's famed $100,000 infield
Stuffy McInnis played across the diamond from Baker in Connie Mack's famed $100,000 infield
From 1910-1914 Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics won four American League pennants and three World Series championships. Hall of Famers Frank “Home Run” Baker, Eddie Collins, Eddie Plank, and Charles “Chief” Bender all made major contributions during the dynastic run.
The Athletics of the era also boasted baseball’s famous$100,000 infield. Stuffy McInnis played first base with Collins at second, Baker at third, and Jack Barry at short.
McInnis played just 38 games in 1910. That year Mack and the Athletics captured their first World Series title. The next season McInnis took over first base duties. With that move, the infield blossomed.
From 1911 through 1914 the four Philadelphia infielders combined to average 24.3 WAR per season. In The New Bill James Historical Abstract the statistical guru tabs the 1914 Athletics infield as the best in baseball history.
Baker led the American League in homers every season from 1911 through 1914. His performance earned MVP consideration each of the four seasons, twice finishing in the top-5. In the heart of the Deadball Era Baker slashed .334/.394/.496 and averaged 113 runs batted in per season. During the four-year run he put up a 160 OPS+.
Though Baker played in 13 seasons – a low total by Cooperstown standards – he earned his plaque. His 7-year peak WAR was 46.8, well above the 43.1 of the average Hall of Fame third baseman. Baker’s 6.5 WAR/162 games played likewise outpaces the 5.1 figure of the average Cooperstown man at the hot corner.
In the collection is this government postcard from 1948 signed by Stuffy McInnis. Click here to read more about the Athletics first baseman.
Baker led the AL in homers three times and was among the AL's top 3 in home runs 7 times
Baker led the AL in homers three times and was among the AL's top 3 in home runs 7 times
Frank Baker was one of the game’s great run-producers during the Deadball Era. He led the American League in homers four straight years starting in 1911. In the 11-year period from 1909-1919 he finished in the top six in the league 9 times, and in the top three seven times.
During the same time frame Baker also finished in the top-eight among AL RBI men 8 times, leading the Junior Circuit in both 1912 and ’13. Despite the great production during the depressed offensive era, Baker’s counting numbers pale in comparison to the all-time greats. He finished his career with 96 home runs and 991 RBI.
Measured against his contemporaries, third baseman Baker is viewed as one of the best ever at his position. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955.
Since Baker’s retirement, many men have surpassed his home run and RBI totals. Shown here is a game-used lineup card from the game that Brewers great Cecil Cooper passed Baker on the RBI career list.
On August 26, 1985 manager George Bamberger penciled Cooper into the three-hole of the Milwaukee lineup. During the day’s doubleheader Cooper collected four hits and four runs batted in. With the four ribbies, Cooper also passed Hall of Famers Deacon White and Ernie Lombardi.
