Floyd Baker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Floyd Baker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | October 10, 1916 Luray, Virginia |
| Died | Nov. 17, 2004 Youngstown, Ohio |
Floyd Wilson Baker (October 10, 1916 - November 17, 2004) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Browns (1943-1944), Chicago White Sox (1945-1951), Washington Senators, (1952-1953), Boston Red Sox (1953-1954) and Philadelphia Phillies (1954-1955). During a 13-season career, Baker posted a .251 batting average, with one home run and 196 RBI in 874 games played.
Baker was born in Luray, Virginia. He gained early recognition as a left-handed batter and right-handed thrower in amateur clubs and broke into the minor leagues in 1938.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Major league career
In 1943, Baker earned his first trial in the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns, after hitting .326 for a minor league club at San Antonio, Texas, in 1942.[2] Two seasons later, Baker was playing with the Chicago White Sox, where his first batting mark was .317 in 1950. The previous year, he led the American League for fielding, with .978.[3] Also in 1949, he tied the major league mark for first baseman, taking part in three double plays in one game.[4]
In 1951, Baker was purchased by the Washington Senators, where he would conclude his career as a major league player. In 1961, he was hired as a third base coach for the Minnesota Twins, a position he held until 1963. Baker served as a scout for the Twins until his retirement in 1995.
[edit] Later years
During his career as a scout, Baker was based in Youngstown, Ohio, where his feats as a player for the Youngstown Browns were part of local baseball lore. In 1977, the Youngstown Vindicator reported: "Floyd Baker, who thrilled local Middle-Atlantic League fans with his classy fielding, still has his hand in the game. A local resident, Baker scouts for Minnesota. Baker, incidentally, started a triple play in the first game he played here".[5]
Floyd Baker died in Youngstown at the age of 88.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Best season
[edit] Post-season appearance
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, Nov. 17, 2004.
- ^ The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, Nov. 17, 2004.
- ^ The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, Nov. 17, 2004.
- ^ The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, Nov. 17, 2004.
- ^ Youngstown Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, April 1, 1977.
[edit] External links
