| Show v STARS WHO WILL SHINE NEXT MONTH 1 I I II I i JOHN FRANKLIN HOME RUN BAKER I t MATS A Eo i CE Of THE I ICKS I 1 r ir t I 1 r BAKER BACat TS IS c ore or op ormE L 44 TiE THE BALL ALL y h ill THE HI W WORLD LO LOOM OM AeL HE Ea 5 SPENDS DOWN ON His RiLAND t j WW I M HUNTING HUNTING- SL OR o- DuCt 9 f AJ f w I 1111 4 s Ut J 45 e. fA 7 V Q na ut OR I i i BY SLOANE GORDON Copyright 1913 b by Wheeler Syndicate Inc Ino If It you dont don't know wh why they call him Homo Run Baker Balcer ask ak either Mr Ir Mathewson or Mr Marquard both of ot whom write New ew York after their names when the they register at a n. hotel now John Franklin Baker Balcer Is tho the lull full name and ho first camo into national prominence In 1911 when Vohen he practically I won a a. worlds world's series for tho the Athletics So Important did John Johh Franklin Baker become at this time that the baseball writers began to ring the tho changes on his cognomen and call him J Franklin Frank Frank- Un lin Baker or J F. F Baker which is practically tho the last word in baseball prominence Bakers Baker's hobby as may have have- been al already already al- al read ready guessed b by the astute reader Is 13 home runs and he has developed this so far tor It has become an obsession with him He Is Ia also particular about he hits these homo home runs picking picking- out the most fragile situations in a ball game to smash the sphere into the bleachers or over o the fence It fence it matters not to him N Now Isow w there aro are a lot of ball ballplayers ballplayers players who confine their home run hitting to harmless situations such as at times when the bases are arc empty and their club is 15 five or six counts behind Not John Franklin Ho ruined what promised to be a 0 very enjoyable afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon for tor Richard W W. r Marquard In the early tall fall of or 1911 by popping the ball over the fence of park at a time when Vohen it won the game ame Not ol content with this he ho tied up the game some in the tho ninth inning with one out in the next battle of at that series b by the simple process of driving the ball into the tho right field grand stand at the Polo ground Mr Mathewson Ia was tho the victim I of at this second assault Made Winter Inter U ort I Baker Daker is 18 a a. product of ot Trappe Trapp Md Id which place was never hoard heard of ot until about the time its Ita prominent citizen hit those two home runs in 1911 Since that occasion it has become popular as asa asa asa a winter resort bec because use Mr lr Baker Indorses in indorses indorses In- In and uses it for tor this purpose John Franklin was waR born in that spot in 1886 but as ns is tho the case with so many doming oming stars nobody paid much attention attention attention atten atten- tion to the event at tho the time the tho tact fact being merel merely mentioned in the SaturIn Saturday Satur Satur- lay day In night Breezes of tho the local pap paper r. r Att After r growing up which was a necessary necessary sary preliminary Mr Ir Baker went to work with the Reading team of at the Trl- Trl State league until Connie Connia Mack be began an to wonder onder who was disturbing the acoustics of the State of or Pennsylvania by hitting the ball so hard out In that neighborhood and sent ent a 1 scout to find out Tho scout reported that the tho man doing the volleying was John Franklin Baker Baler and Mack forwarded him a contract contract con con- tract which J. J F. F signed Ho He joined out with the Big Timo boys bOR in 1909 and made mado good with tho the stick from tram the start although he ho displayed a certain clumsiness In covering the bag A As s a result of ot this thile awkwardness a trace of ot which still remains in his fielding leIding a a. slight irritation was caused during the worlds world's series aeries of ot 1911 when Fred Snodgrass made mado a laudable effort to undress Mr Baker on the field by running his spikes up and down tho the Baker person lerson erson This caused some cries of protest from the Athletics who re resented resented re- re the act which necessitated certain certain tam tain rebuttals from tram the Giants and ono thing led to another until a 3 rebellion was threatened Baker is 18 one of the quietest ball ballplayers ballplayers players in the world off ort the field devoting do- do voting most of ot his time in the winter to mana managing managing- Ing his Maryland l farm tarm and hunting black or brunette ducks Ho lie was married in 1909 and has since bought an automobile and ft a lot of or diamonds dia dla- monde monds which his wife wears not the automobile |
