Frank Home Run Baker Quotes

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present an unprecedented collection of baseball related quotations spoken by Frank "Home Run" Baker — a man of few words — and about Frank "Home Run" Baker.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"If you desire one truth that is self-evident and beyond all rebuttal you can stand by this: John Franklin Baker can hit." - Sportswriter Grantland Rice

Frank Home Run Baker Quotes

Quotes From & About Frank Home Run Baker

"I'd say fifty (when asked how many home runs he would have hit during the lively era) anyway. The year I hit twelve, I also hit the right-field fence at Shibe Park thirty-eight times."

"I heard a fella say once he'd rather have a rose bud when he was alive than to have a whole rose garden thrown his way after he is gone. It looks like they've (the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1935) thrown the roses my way while I'm still here."

"I hope he (Babe Ruth) lives to hit one-hundred homers in a season. I wish him all the luck in the world. He has everybody else, including myself, hopelessly outclassed." - (November 1921)

"Mr. (Connie) Mack, I'm here. (to complete the $100,000 infield)."

"(Frank) Baker is a dangerous man at all times, and I don't care what they pitch him." - New York Yankees manager Hal Chase

"(Frank) Baker is one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball today and is the type of cleanup batter all pitchers respect." - Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack

"(Frank) Baker is the greatest climax player of baseball." - New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson

"(Frank) Baker used a bat antiquated even in his time. The handle was almost the size of the barrel. It was short, but almost like a piece of lead because it weighed over fifty ounces. There was no flex. It really was a wagon tongue." - Hillerich & Bradsby in the 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame Yearbook

"I believe (Frank) Baker is one of the greatest hitters I ever saw." - Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan

"...if you desire one truth that is self-evident and beyond all rebuttal you can stand by this: John Franklin Baker can hit." - Sportswriter Grantland Rice

"I only recall intentionally spiking one man in twenty-four years. He was Frank Baker, who was squarely in the path in a Philadelphia game. There was no other way to reach the base. From the start, I concentrated on a new form of sliding. This was to send my toe for the bag. I only gave them my toe to tag! It was exactly the opposite of crashing in, hurling spikes or body at the baseman. I don't know how many hours I worked on that type of sliding-a slide that avoided the tagger. Why, I couldn't have been a rough base runner under my system even if I'd wanted to. - Ty Cobb in The Tumult and the Shouting

National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque Inscription

JOHN FRANKLIN BAKER
PHILADELPHIA A.L. 1908-1914
NEW YORK A.L. 1916-1922
MEMBER OF CONNIE MACK'S FAMOUS
$100,000 INFIELD. LED AMERICAN LEAGUE
IN HOME-RUNS 1911-12-13, TIED IN 1914.
WON TWO WORLD SERIES GAMES FROM
GIANTS IN 1911 WITH HOME-RUNS THUS
GETTING NAME "HOME RUN" BAKER. PLAYED
IN SIX WORLD SERIES 1910-11-13-14-21-22.

Quotes From & About Frank Home Run Baker
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The editors of Total Baseball writing in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Baseball (2000) wrote this about Frank "Home Run" Baker, "Frank 'Home Run' Baker never hit more than 12 round-trippers in any one season, and his lifetime total was but 96. Nevertheless, his nickname was well deserved. His peak seasons came during baseball's Dead Ball Era, when no one could knock the ball over the fence without any regularity. As home run hitters went at the time, Baker was the best in the American League, using a monstrous 52-ounce bat."

Did you know that Frank Baker hit his first Major League home run off of Frank Arellanes on April 24, 1909? Here is a chart we hope you find informative:

Year Total Home Away 0-on 1-on 2-on 3-on
1909 4 2 2 0 2 1 1
1910 2 1 1 2 0 0 0
1911 11 9 2 6 4 1 0
1912 10 6 4 6 2 2 0
1913 12 7 5 8 3 1 0
1914 9 5 4 4 5 0 0
1916 10 6 4 4 3 3 0
1917 6 5 1 2 4 0 0
1918 6 5 1 5 0 1 0
1919 10 8 2 5 5 0 0
1921 9 9 0 2 5 2 0
1922 7 7 0 4 2 1 0
Totals 96 70 26 48 35 12 1
Source: The Home Run Encyclopedia (1996)

Many of the quotes on this page were provided by author / historian Barry Sparks who is currently writing a book about the life of Frank "Home Run" Baker.