His body of work may not be there.

Until this month, John Baker had never had an at-bat in the big leagues, so there isn't much major-league evidence to prove he can be the complete-package catcher the Marlins have sought.

His body, on the other hand? Well, that has been on display for some time.

It's why Luis Gonzalez, while announcing the batting order before the Marlins-Phillies game on Fox, introduced the rookie on national television as John ''I Want to Be On the Cover of a Fitness Magazine'' Baker. It was an inside joke that couldn't help but get out.

As a minor-leaguer, Baker, a fan of the weight room, was convinced by teammates that he was going to be on the cover of a magazine. They went as far as hiring a Topps photographer to shoot the faux photo session.

'The first thing the guy says to me is, `Can you take your shirt off?' '' Baker said. 'I was like, `Oh, jeez.' ''

He got the shot. And Baker's teammates struck hoax gold.

The shirtless photo turned up on the cover of a phony magazine, and let's just say the subject had nothing to do with fitness, or even baseball.

''I've got it at home in a frame,'' Baker said. ``It's pretty funny.''

So the 27-year-old Cal-Berkeley product may be a tad gullible. This much is no joke: For all the talk of the Marlins needing to trade for a more offensively capable catcher, the team might have found its answer in Baker.

He hit his second home run of the season Saturday against the division-leading Phillies, playing in just his fifth game as a major-leaguer. Matt Treanor, on the disabled list with an abdominal strain, has smacked two home runs in 54 games. And before he was sent down to the minors, Mike Rabelo, the other half of the Marlins' original catching tandem, had just three of his own.

With David Ross and Yorvit Torrealba among the biggest catching names on the trade block, Baker appears to be as good as anything available.

Of course, there will be a natural hesitation in anointing a career minor-leaguer as the answer to the Marlins' assumed catching deficiencies. But it might be easier to accept once you actually get to know the full story of Baker, embarrassing magazine hoax aside.

`MONEYBAL'L PRODUCT

Baker is a career .277 hitter in the minor leagues with a healthy .353 on-base percentage. The left-handed swinger came from the Oakland A's ''Moneyball'' system, which encourages taking pitches and accepting walks.

That in itself is a welcome complement to a Marlins lineup that has trouble even letting one pitch get by without attacking it.

''Bake's ticket to the big leagues has always been his bat,'' said reliever Joe Nelson, who played with Nelson on the Marlins' Triple A team.

Getting that kind of offensive ability from a catcher is normally considered a bonus. Until the past coupleof seasons, however, Baker had been considered all bonus, no base. He could call a decent game from behind the plate, but his defensive skills were what kept him locked in cities such as Sacramento and Albuquerque, N.M.

HELP FROM HOOVER

It wasn't until he was traded to the Marlins and received instruction from fellow backstop Paul Hoover that he elevated himself to big-league status.

''His catching has improved tenfold just from the start of last year,'' Nelson said. ``I thought he was great this year. I loved throwing to him.''

There have been no complaints from anyone else on the Marlins staff, which leaves the team free to revel in Baker's offensive output. Saturday he added an RBI single and two walks to his three-run homer.

''It gives us options,'' Nelson said of Baker's bat. ``He's got a chance to stay.''

He's got a chance to do more than just stick around. Even if he does have issues with throwing out base stealers, it's not as if Marlins pitchers do a particularly good job of holding baserunners anyway, so the pressure should be off this rookie.

Maybe that will help him relax and enjoy his time in South Florida. Or maybe not.

''My wife and I were laughing [Friday] night because we were laying in bed with no TV on, I'm reading a book, and she's doing a puzzle thing,'' Baker said. 'I turned to her and said, `Look how big of dorks we are. We're in Miami, it's 11 o'clock, and I'm reading, and you're doing a puzzle book.' ''

It's a shame, really. John ''The Body'' Baker sounded so perfect for South Beach.

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