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Frank Baker (outfielder)

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Frank Baker
Frank Baker, Topps 1971
Outfielder
Born: (1944-01-11)January 11, 1944
Bartow, Florida, U.S.
Died: January 28, 2010(2010-01-28) (aged 66)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 27, 1969, for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1971, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Batting average.232
Home runs4
Runs batted in38
Teams

Frank Baker Jr. (January 11, 1944 – January 28, 2010) was an American professional baseball player. He was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians in the 1969 and 1971 seasons. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m), 180 pounds (82 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.[1]

A native of Bartow, Florida, Baker played high school baseball for Franklin High School in Somerset, New Jersey, where he was inducted into their Football Hall of Fame. He signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1964 and played for them in their Minor league system for three years before joining the United States Army.[citation needed] In the Army, he served in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968, and attained the rank of private first class.[2] After discharging from the Army in 1969, he spent most of the season with the Waterbury Indians, hitting .312 in 84 games before being promoted. He made his major league debut on July 27, and hit .256 in 52 games for Cleveland. The following season, he spent the year with the Wichita Aeros. In 1971, he divided his playing time between the Indians and the Aeros. He also played for Triple-A California affiliate Salt Lake City Angels in 1972, his last season in baseball.

In part of two season for the Indians, Baker was a .286 hitter (82-for-353) with four home runs and 38 runs batted in in 125 games.[3] In a seven-season minors career, he hit .284 with 51 homers and 235 RBI in 703 games.[4]

Baker died in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the age of 66, following complications from a heart failure.[5] He is buried at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Retrosheet.org.
  2. ^ a b "Nationwide Gravesite Locator, United States Department of Veterans Affairs website". Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Baseball Reference major league statistics
  4. ^ Baseball Reference minor league statistics
  5. ^ Legacy.com
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