CHANGE MY LOCATION
Los Angeles Examiners
Los Angeles Sports Examiner
Most Recent Post
UCLA to USC: 'The monopoly in L.A. is over"
Md. native was the real “Home Run” king
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs.
Babe Ruth, a Baltimore native, hit 714.
And Barry Bonds, with perhaps some help from steroids, had 713 in games through Thursday.
But none of those sluggers acquired the nickname “Home Run.” That moniker belonged to Frank “Home Run” Baker, who was born in the small Eastern Shore town of Trappe.
“He was a farmer first and a baseball player second,” said journalist Barry Sparks, whose biography on Baker was published last year.
Leroy Muir, the curator of the Eastern Shore Baseball Museum in Salisbury, noted that Baker hit only 96 home runs in his Major League career, which lasted from 1908 to 1922.
So how did Baker get his nickname? Muir and Sparks noted that Baker hit two key home runs for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1911 World Series, during a time when the long ball was a rarity.
Baker, who also played for the Yankees, led the American League in home runs from 1911-14. He had a career-high 12 homers in 1913, and he also led the league in RBIs that season with 126.
Tommy Young is on the board of the directors of the Eastern Shore Baseball Museum, which is located at the home of the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds (a farm team of the Orioles). Young said that Baker was helpful in getting Jimmy Foxx, another Eastern Shore native, into pro baseball.
Foxx was born in Sudlersville in 1907, hit 534 homers from 1925-45 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.
Baker was born 120 years ago in Trappe. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. Baker died at the age of 77 in 1963, in Trappe.
THE BAKER FILE
Nickname: Home Run Baker
Baseball Hall of Fame: 1955
Career homers: 99, counting 3 in the World Series
Did you know? Young, from the Eastern Shore Baseball Museum, played baseball at Salisbury State (now Salisbury University) from 1945-49. Young is related to Renie Martin, who pitched in the majors for the Royals and Giants from 1979-84 ... Trappe had 1,146 people in the 2000 census ... Frank “Home Run” Baker: Hall of Famer and World Series Hero, a 288-page softcover book, was published late last year. Sparks, the author, said Baker still has relatives in Trappe.
Comments from Examiner Readers
11:39 AM MST on Fri., Jul. 25, 2008 re: "Empty Diamonds: Baseball loses its mythic grip on area youngsters"
Report as inappropriate
4:09 AM MST on Fri., Jul. 25, 2008
re: "Trying to revive Little League in the District"
Report as inappropriate
5:52 PM MST on Thu., Jul. 24, 2008
re: "Trying to revive Little League in the District"
Report as inappropriate
10:43 AM MST on Thu., Jul. 24, 2008
re: "Empty Diamonds: Baseball loses its mythic grip on area youngsters"
Report as inappropriate
5:11 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 13, 2008
re: "Dickey: Contrasts stark in Bay Bridge Series"
Report as inappropriate
12:31 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 13, 2008
re: "Dickey: Contrasts stark in Bay Bridge Series"
Report as inappropriate
1:50 PM MST on Mon., May. 26, 2008
re: "Liotta: Omar’s impending record a testament to character"
Report as inappropriate
1:27 PM MST on Mon., May. 26, 2008
re: "Liotta: Omar’s impending record a testament to character"
Report as inappropriate
9:23 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008
re: "Walcoff: Here’s the deal: Let me play and I’ll reduce posse to one"
Report as inappropriate
2:44 PM MST on Tue., May. 29, 2007
re: "Without a blemish"
Report as inappropriate
7:36 AM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007
re: "Arms key Eastern Tech’s playoff run"
Report as inappropriate
6:15 AM MST on Mon., May. 21, 2007
re: "Simons shows the way for St. Albans"
Report as inappropriate
8:43 PM MST on Mon., May. 14, 2007
re: "Jacob’s ladder leads to Georga Tech"
Report as inappropriate
9:12 AM MST on Mon., May. 14, 2007
re: "Simons shows the way for St. Albans"
Report as inappropriate
10:10 AM MST on Fri., May. 11, 2007
re: "Simons shows the way for St. Albans"
Report as inappropriate
5:45 AM MST on Fri., May. 4, 2007
re: "Brady shows QO his best stuff"
Report as inappropriate
8:11 AM MST on Tue., May. 1, 2007
re: "Panthers back on the prowl"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
JJ said: little league in da district, HA! You couldnt aford the security or the bullet proof vest JJ you're an idiot!
2 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Rudy said:
The press can help with this situation by doing a little research and helpiong to get the word out about the oppurtunities that have long existed in the District. There are organizations out side of Little League and Ward 2, 3 and 4. Babe Ruth Baseball League has, in recent memory, been a much more competitive league than Little League. There are 12 or more clubs that play in this league from almost every ward in the city. Some of these teams play in both Little League and Babe Ruth League. There are several clubs that have a very rich tradition in baseball, Such as, The Woodridge Warriors, Takoma Rangers, #10 B&G Club and others. Most of these organizations are comunity based and don't have the budgets that NWLL may have, but still produce a great product and create a positive program for the kids.
3 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
JJ said:
little league in da district, HA! You couldnt aford the security or the bullet proof vest.
2 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Rob said:
It's simply amazing how the local press and the so-called baseball experts in the District continue to ignore and refuse to acknowledge the level and quality of baseball being played by the Woodridge Warriors Youth Organization (NE DC). For over 40 years, the program under the leadership of Mason Clark, has fielded baseball teams for youth between the ages of 5 through 16. While this season may not have been one representative of past baseball seasons with our younger teams, we still have a great deal of pride in the efforts of our kids and coaches. Although it wasn't mentioned in the recent Washington Post article, Manny Burris of the San Francisco Giants played for 3 years with the Woodridge Warriors. There have been many former Warriors that have or are currently playing at the high school and college level. All we read about is the baseball that is played west of the park. These type of articles seem more intent on dismissing or trivializing the baseball efforts outside of upper NW
8 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Ron W. Alameda said:
If you were to listen to the Korach broadcast, and ever hear the name "Oakland", I would be shocked. They refuse to acknowledge the teams home. They dumped Oakland, so Oakland's dumped them.
3 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I had previously written to you about the insufferable A's TV play-by-play guy, Glen Kuiper. He rarely focuses upon the game itself, with his constant emphasis upon trivia ranging from uniforms to fans' signs. I suspect that is because he knows so little about the game. When fans don't attend, they usually watch the A's on TV and because of the television delay, can no longer silence Kuiper by turning to Korach on the radio. Kuiper alienates fans with his yawning trivialities and monumental ineptitude. I believe Kuiper's manifest boredom with broadcasting the A's leads to fan boredom and thus contributes to the scant attendance. Get this amateur off the air!
5 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I didn't see any "carrying" done by Lebron. I saw someone who choked and struggled AGAIN when facing REAL competition (like last year against the Spurs). Lebron played HORRIBLY in the Celtics series. Everyone thinks Lebron has carried the Cavs through the playoffs the last several years, when the fact is that all Lebron did was beat the Wizards 2 years in a row without Gilbert Arenas or Caron Butler playing, and the first year they met he made 2 game winners while traveling. If he plays in the west, he wouldn't even sniff the second round of the playoffs.
7 agree | 6 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
lebron the best player in the game? what a ridiculously inane conclusion. until he masters even 2 fundamentals of the game, let alone most of the aspects of basketball that kobe has mastered, lebron is nothing but hype. no wonder this statement is relegated to "random thoughts", because there is no cogent analysis that even remotely leads to the conclusion that lebron is the best player.
7 agree | 6 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I don't get it. He didn't really write this letter, but did he actually write a letter to all the GM's looking for a job?? Confusing??
9 agree | 7 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
CHC Alum said:
Congratulations to the Cardinals! Now, if only they could transfer some of that talent to the football team and start winning the Turkey Bowl...
310 agree | 282 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Ryan Rivers is by far one of the best pitchers in the county,his mechanics and smoothness, will fool you.
477 agree | 321 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
how come there are no articles on calvert hall players in the area they are 32-0 they have beat carvel academy, st.johns d.c.,notre dame of virgina,and 5 teams from other states in the disney world classic. can they get some print thanks
353 agree | 330 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Jacobs is no doubt best pitcher in the state
427 agree | 355 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
The score was 9-3 not 7-2 and STA also beat prep for the championship 9-1. Just cuz we didnt play St. Johns doesnt mean you can look past us.
345 agree | 364 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Albans has a good record, but who have they played? Their obvious DC competitors are St. Johns and Gonzaga. Have they played them? The premier private school is Notre Dame. Have they played them? How good is the IAC this year?
799 agree | 403 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Brady dominating on the mound. Best pitcher in state
626 agree | 399 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Good Luck to the Panthers. PVI has a great program!
406 agree | 380 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree