Does Florida Marlin John Baker really does the USA Today Crossword Puzzle every day?”
The daily grind of Major League Baseball can create mind games for players, which is one reason Marlins catcher John Baker challenges his mind off the field by figuring out crossword puzzles. A graduate of the University of California, Baker uses the daily puzzles as a mental breather. “I think it’s important to stay grounded in baseball,” Baker said. “But I also think it’s important to have an escape, especially when you’re going through a streak like we’re going through. “When you lose a few games in a row, when you have something that gets you out of the baseball world and into the fantasy world, some guys do different things.” The left-handed-hitting catcher tests his brain each day by working through the USA Today crossword puzzle. Since USA Today is a national paper, he can find it in every market, so he’s stuck with it. “USA Today is the paper you can get throughout the United States,” said Baker, who makes his offseason home in northern California. “I can get it at home. I can
