Bill Baker (baseball)

William Presley Baker (February 22, 1911 – April 13, 2006) was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds (1940–41), Pittsburgh Pirates (1941–43, 1946) and St. Louis Cardinals (1948–49). Baker batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Paw Creek, North Carolina.

Bill Baker
Catcher
Born: (1911-02-22)February 22, 1911
Paw Creek, North Carolina
Died: April 13, 2006(2006-04-13) (aged 95)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 4, 1940, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
August 1, 1949, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average.247
Home runs2
Runs batted in68
Teams

Baker played baseball and football at Boyden High School in Salisbury, North Carolina.[1]

Baker was a .247 hitter with two home runs and 68 RBI in 263 games played. He served as a backup catcher for three National League clubs in parts of seven seasons as he was a member of the 1940 World Champion Cincinnati Reds. His most productive year was 1943, with Pittsburgh, when he appeared in a career-high 63 games and hit .273 with 26 RBI. Traded to St. Louis, he batted .294 in 45 games in 1948.

Following his playing career, Baker umpired in the NL during the 1957 season and coached for the Chicago Cubs in 1950.

Baker died in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the age of 95.

References
  1. London, Mike (April 17, 2006). "Mike London column: Local legend played in World Series". Salisbury Post. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved September 12, 2012.


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