Frank Baker (1978) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Frank Baker

Induction:
1978

Ask anyone that has followed Southern Miss baseball, who was the greatest shortstop that the school has ever had, and most likely the answer you would get is Frank Baker. As a three-year letterman for the Golden Eagles from 1965 to 1967 he proved to be just as deadly with his glove as he was with his bat.
   Baker had joined the team after a successful career at Meridian High School, where he was named to just about every all-star team you could be named to. There was all types of attention on Baker, both from the college and professional scouts, but he elected to attend Southern Miss and put the chance of a professional career on hold.
   Although most players probably feel they are ready to play professional baseball the minute they graduate from high school, few really are, and by going the college route, actually grow and mature as a player, and prepare themselves even more.
   There was no doubt right from the start that Baker had the tools to be an outstanding player. As a sophomore in 1965 be began the season backing up Terry Silva, but as the season progressed, Baker was earning more and more playing time and occasionally drew a starting assignment.
   That 1965 team had an outstanding 15-4 record with Baker playing a key role. He would hit just .171 that first season with the team, but when he was in the field he was nearly flawless at shortstop, orchestrating many a double play for the Southern Miss defense.
   By the time the 1966 season rolled around, Baker had claimed the shortstop position and was proving to be a clutch hitter at the plate. Baker, who batted left and threw right, was one of the sparkplugs of that 1966 team, and although they would finish only 9-11 that year, he was the third leading hitter on the squad with a .288 mark and was fifth on the team in runs batted in. Once again his defensive play at shortstop was phenomenal, robbing more than one hitter of what appeared to be a base hit.
   When the 1967 season rolled around, the professional scouts were clamoring to position themselves to obtain Baker's services. At 6-2 and 180-pounds, it was apparent he had the size and the abilities to move on to the next level. He started all 22 games that season, and although he struggled at the plate that year, he still finished third on the team in runs batted in and tied for the team lead in home runs. Time after time that season he was able to deliver a key base hit to win a game or ignite a rally.
   After finishing up at Southern Miss, Baker was taken in the 1967 major league baseball draft by the New York Yankees. After playing a few seasons in the Yankee minor league system, he played in 1970 and 1971 with the big league club and then in 1973 and 1974 with the Baltimore Orioles.
   Although he was a shortstop at Southern Miss, Baker spent most of his major league career playing at second base.
   Baker also played for the Southern Miss basketball team from 1965 through 1967.