January 4, 1927
MOON BAKER APPEARS AS CAGE PRO, LOSES 37-19
ROCKFORD, Jan. 3--(AP)--Ralph (Moon) Baker, Northwestern all-American halfback, made his debut in professional basketball here tonight playing with the Burr Athletic Wear team which was defeated by the Chicago Bruins, 37-19.
Baker proved to have his old skill on the basketball court by caging two field goals and a free throw but the newly organized Rockford quintet was unable to solve the fast passing game played by the Bruins. Rex Enright, former Notre Dame football star, played along with Baker on his home town five but lack of practice left the local team helpless.
Tierney and Maloney led the fast passing attack of the Bruins which proved too much for the Burr outfit.
A week later, an AP story announced that Baker "signed a contract with the Chicago Bruins of the American basketball league."
His success in basketball was not a complete surprise, though. A January 1925 story in the Chicago Tribune noted that "[s]ome accurate basket shooting in the second half on the part of Harold White and Ralph (Moon) Baker brought the Northwestern university quintet a 30 to 21 victory" over Mercer.
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