Cieradkowski: Jesse Baker, the kid who got Cobbed
From SABR member Gary Cieradkowski at Studio Gary C on January 28, 2019:
Every baseball fan knows the story of Archibald “Moonlight” Graham. Fictionalized in the book Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella and the movie Field of Dreams, Moonlight Graham has become the quintessential “one and done” ballplayer, that rare category of guys who appeared in only a single Major League game. Graham’s story is all the more unique in that while he appeared in just a single game, he never got a turn at bat, something he always regretted. The old ballplayer went on to live a good life, becoming a beloved doctor and husband in Chisholm, Minnesota. But as great a story the short career of Moonlight Graham makes, there’s another “one and done” guy whose tale I think you’ll appreciate even more.
Introducing Jesse “Tiny” Baker.
It was September 14, 1919. The Detroit Tigers were in Washington for a Sunday game in Griffith Stadium. Tom Zachary was on the mound for the Senators, and mixed in among the hulking veterans on the field was a miniscule shortstop being given a tryout by manager Clark Griffith.
Read the full article here: https://studiogaryc.com/2019/01/27/jesse-baker/
Originally published: January 29, 2019. Last Updated: January 29, 2019.