Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-15
BAKER JOINED
BIG LEAGUES TO
MAKE MONEY
Noted Breaker-up of World Series
Games Got SIS a Week for
the First Job.
WAS BIG Lacquer
FROM BEGINNING
Charlie Herzog Given Credit for
Discovering" Him-Always
Liked the Game.

FRANK BAKER, tnlfQ DaseIldl l At0
New York Yankees and n of the
commanding figures of the diamond,
became q ball player because he
thought it was the best way he could
make money.
Frank Baker wasn't born with a
golden spoon in his mouth. When a
youngster in Trappe. Md, where he
was born on March 10. 1885, he ran
brands for the town butcher. He
was n powerfully built. %big-boned lad
and every inch an athlete. After a
short time in the service of the meat
much better II he took up baseball.
SO he got a Job with a sem%i-profes-
sional club at Ridgeley. Md. which
was managed by Charlie Herzog, at
present captain and second baseman
of the New York Giants.
It was really Charlie Herzog who
discovered the far famed slugger Of
Trappe. His discerning eye saw in
the powerful arms OF the youngster
unusual driving force. so he set about
to teach to the lad the rudiments Of
the pastime. Baker gives Herzog full
credit for developing him In those
days.
Gives Herzog Credit.
ut was Charlie Herzog who vir:
tually discovered me,'' he declared. II
W my early training to him. Prob
ably I never would have become a
professional ball player If 1t had not
been for Herzog and a man named
Preston Day. I was playing ball on
ar amateur team in Trappe, with lit
tie idea of adopting baseball as a pro-
fession. I liked the game. however,
and played 1t continually through the
season.
"At Ridgeley they had a semi-pro-
fessional club. This Mr.. Day to
whom I referred happened to see me
play In two or three games and rec
commended me to Herzog. who was
then managing the Ridgeley team.
Herzog sent for me. He offered me
IS a week and my board. That IS
sounded like a million to mo and I
snatched 1t up. That was in 1906,
when I was 10 years old.
When I Joined Ridgeley I was an
outfelder, but after watching me play
in a number Of games Herzog decid-
ed l would max a better inf1elder, so
position I have stuck ever SINCE"
In 1907 Baker was given a try-out
by the Baltimore club Of the then
Eastern league. but, singularly, was
let go because he couldn't hit. I'm
discouraged, he went back to his
home, in Trappe and practiced dill
gently with the bat until he became
SO proficient his stick work began to
attract attention. In 1908 he received
an offer from the Reading club, of the
Iri-state league. n it was with that
club that he made his first bid for
fame. After playing with Reading
Dug the months Of May and June,
Baker was purchased by the Ath-
letics. but was permitted to finish the
;eason with the Reading club.
1t was on September 1. 1908, that
re first Joined the club Of which in
later years he was to become such a
valued member.
Big Lacquer from Start.
R~ecounting his debut in major
league baseball. the famous player de-
clared: Il arrived at Chicago and
Joined the Athletics OF the morning Of
that day. Up to hat time I had never
met Connie Mack. but l. considered
myself a big Lacquer and breezed into
the hotel without tie least ten1erity.
j presented myself to the
and that afternoon played at third
base. ~
When I first Joined the Athletics I
was OF course, possessed OF a GER
tain amount Of natural ability. My
experience with Herzog, and later
WV plolCoSloIldl CLUBS
that I played with stood me in good
stead. but when I bumped into the
American league / discovered that I
dld not know nearly as much baseball
as 1 thought ! did.
There Is a great deal more to base
ball than fielding and batting. Those
are essentials, but it is just like any
other business that a fellow must
master before he can hope to COM
pete successfully against tho .o,.,,.s
players of the majors"
Frank Baker will rank in the an
nails of the pastime as one Of the
q batters in baseball history.
quiet and unobstrusive and lacking
the swashbuckler qualities that have
made Cobb and Speaker famous on
the diamond, Frank Baker is essen
TALLY a team player. He believes in
co-operatlon first, last and all the
time. lust nov his batting has halned
20 keep the Yankees up among the
front unner in the American league