Evening star., 1960-04-27
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s7Aun
The One and Only

JOHN FRANKLIN BAKER whom the Home Plate Club
is honorng tonight at dinner at the Touchdown Club
is the only man in baseball history to gain the nickname
of Home Run" The year it bestowed him-1911
Baker hit nine homerS to lead the American League
The most he ever got in IL. Times do
change
Not even Babe Ruth called Home Run Ruth. He
was the Bambino and of the lurid word
painters referred to him the Sultan of Swat But Home
Run" never. That one always belonged to Baker.
Baker played 13 seasons of major league ball, the
first eight third baseman in the tabled 100000 nhed
OF the Philadelphia Athletics and the rest with the
Yankees His lifetime total of homers 93 Ruth hit
ia in 1928 alone
But the legend of Home Run Baker lives and so does
the man himself who, at a. down from his home
at Trappe Md the Eastern Shore to the Home
Platers' table.
ACTUALLY, BAKER WAS christened Home Run" in
the World Series of 1911 between the Athletics and the
New York Giants In the second game in Philadelphia
he homered off Rube Marquard to win for the AS and tie
up the series.
1t is a matter of historical record that Marquard
criticized for the pitch and that Chrsy Mathew
out in print and disclosed that Manager John
McGraw had ordered Marquard not to throw low to
Baker If it wasn't MathewSon exactly it was his ghost
writer, Frank G. Menke Anyway it proved most embar
raising because Maty pitched the third game in the Polo
Grounds and holding 10 lead with down in the
ninth inning when Baker again homered The AS went
to win in II innings.
This clnched the title of Home Run Baker for the
Philadelphia third baseman, and who is to say that he
didn't merit it? In that Baker indeed the king
of suggerS leading the American League four straight
years with 9, 10, IL and homers.
Everything is relative. So great Stufy Mc1nnlS
at first base Eddie Collins at second Black Jack Barry at
shortstop and Baker at third that fans impressed
not dersVe when Connie MackS quartet was dubbed the
100000 infeld
HOW MUCH THAT INFIELD would bring today on
The open market be conecured but Gabe Paul of
TiYnip
last the would have to be astronomical Baker
and Collins in the Hall of Fame the former lasting
15year span the majors and the latter 25 Barry
who right out of Holy Cross to the AS played II
his career possibly shortened by hitch in the Navy in
1913 McInns who originally fancied himself third
baseman -shortSop became great first baseman who
lasted 10 seasons. That's total of 6S years.
Probably no other infed in history came up so
fast. There Barry, the college grad. Baker was
brought up by the AS to stay in his first real
in the minors McInns made it faster but swiftest
of all Collins, who still attending Columbia land
playing when Mack invited him Western trip during
summer vacation.
When the AS hit Chicago they needed infeld help and
Collins was pressed into service playing under the
of Sullivan His small attempt deceit was uncovered
and when Eddie returned to Columbia for his year
he was invited to sit out the college baseball
NEXT TO HIS PERSONAL achievements in the dead
ball era Home Run Bakers greatest triumph must have
been discovering Jimmy then convincing Mack
his old manager that the would have need of Foxx
who not II when Baker first him the Eastern
Shore in 1924.
Connie wasn't much interested after hearing that Foxx
was catcher The AS already had two of the best in
Mickey Cochrane and Cy Perkins You can plav him
somewhere Baker pleaded This kid has as much power
Is any hitter I've seen including Ruth" The old
suggers instence prevailed later with the hep of
Foxx the AS were to win three pennants in a row
Bakers visit to Washington today calls to his mind
his first trip here with the AS in April of 19O when
William Howard Taft became the President to throw
out the opening game ball. Il close to killing Vice
President Sherman with line drive foul after swinging
late Walter Johnson" Baker remembers Somebody
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW Page D-s