Jake Kafora

Frank Jacob Kafora
(Tomatoes)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

• Debut October 5, 1913
• Final Game September 7, 1914
• Born October 16, 1888 in Chicago, IL USA
• Died March 23, 1928 in Chicago, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jake "Tomatoes" Kafora played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1913-14. In the minors he played for Butte and Omaha.

According to the book Baseball's Most Wanted II, Kafora ate tomatoes at every meal, claiming they helped his strength and speed. The book, however, points out that he never hit a major league home run nor stole a major league base (which is a bit unfair since he only had the opportunity to have 24 major league at-bats).

One web site puts him on a list of ballplayers of Italian heritage.

He died before he was 40.