The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-28
=: Sporting Gossip From Many Fields =:
FeWster And Meusel Will Fight For Bakers Old Job At Third Base On Yank's Team
 Manager Huggils Tells Sport Scribes

New York, Jan. 28.---Frank Home Run" Baker will not be seen at his familiar place at third base with the Yankees next season. This was the distressing news which Manager Mil Ter Huggins brought back to, New York fans yesterday after visiting Baker at his home in Trappe, Md While Bakers answer is not definite he told Iuggins that, according to his present plans, he would not play next season. He stated that he knew of nothing which would change his mind, but if he did change his plans, he promised to let Higgins know within a short time.
 The New York manager said that Baker seemed to be more in earnest labout retiring than he ever has been before and there seemed to be little hope that the former home run king could be coaxed back into the game. Baker has large business interests in Maryland. He is an official in the bank at Traippe and operates two or three farm establishments. Mrs. Ba>- ker seems to have played an inpor- 1 tant part in the decision that Baker has made not to play ball any more, and it is believed that it was to meet decided on retiring.
 
 visited Chick Fewster, the Baltimore youngster who will probably get Ba- ker's berth at third. Fewster has not yet signed his contract, but Huggins had a satisfactory talk with the player and he Is fired with the ambition to make good in Bakers place if 1t is of i fered to him.
 Another candidate for Bakers 1 place will be Bob Meuse1, the Pacific
 Coast star, who was the sensation of l the coast organization last season. 1 Meusel can play third base and the 1 outfield, also. Unless the New York | manager is able to land another out
 fielder. it is certain that one of these | players will hold down an outf1eld l position and the other will play at 1 third base.
 1 Baker wanted to retire year ago | but his loyalty to the club, and tho 1 fact that baseball had experienced a l bad season in 1917 caused him to l change his mind and play last season. ! Huggins said that he was impressed 1 with the seriousness of Bakers de- l cision and it was only a, question of l business with him. Baker has al- ways been perfectly satisfied with the l terms of his contract and it is not a l question of money with him. ! 1n0 only ray OI nope IOr BdKer l return is his own boy-like interest in | the game. He loves to play baseball. When spring comes and the players l start South, the lure of the pastime l may be the means of coaxing Baker back into his baseball uniform. He
 seems so determined on retiring at
 the present time, however, there
 seems to be little hope that he will l change his mind.
 Baker is close to 35 years old but
 as baseball players go he would be
 able to play high class baseball for a few seasons more. He has always
 been careful athlete and always in l the best of physical shape. During his baseball career he has been a
 careful base runner and has never
 suffered from torn muscles in his legs
 like so many ball players. In physical
 power Baker is an exceptional player He is one of the few ball players who
 do not have to go through a strenuous session at the training camps in the spring to get into shape