Floyd Baker
Encyclopedia
Floyd Wilson Baker was an American
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.
, United States
. He gained early recognition as a left-handed batter and right-handed thrower in amateur clubs and broke into the minor leagues in 1938.
, after hitting .326 for a minor league club at San Antonio, Texas
, in 1942. 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. His best statistical season came in 1949 when he achieved a .251 batting average
, 40 RBI, 101 hits
, 15 doubles
, 4 triples
, and played 125 games—all career-highs. Also in 1949, he tied the major league mark for first baseman, taking part in three double plays in one game.
In 1961, he was hired as the third base coach for the Minnesota Twins
, a position he held until 1964. Baker served as a scout for the Twins until his retirement in 1995.
, 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".
Floyd Baker died in Youngstown at the age of 88. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1943–1944), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1945–1951), Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, (1952–1953), Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1953–1954) and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1954–1955). During a 13-season career, Baker posted a .251 batting average, with one home run and 196 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 874 games played.
Early years
Baker was born in Luray, VirginiaLuray, Virginia
Luray is a town in Page County, Virginia, United States, in the Shenandoah Valley of the northern part of the state. It is also the county seat...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He gained early recognition as a left-handed batter and right-handed thrower in amateur clubs and broke into the minor leagues in 1938.
Major league career
In 1943, Baker earned his first trial in the major leagues with the St. Louis BrownsBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, after hitting .326 for a minor league club at San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, in 1942. Two seasons later, Baker was playing with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, where his first batting mark was .317 in 1950. The previous year, he led the American League for fielding, with .978. His best statistical season came in 1949 when he achieved a .251 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 40 RBI, 101 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 15 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 4 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and played 125 games—all career-highs. Also in 1949, he tied the major league mark for first baseman, taking part in three double plays in one game.
In 1961, he was hired as the third base coach for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, a position he held until 1964. Baker served as a scout for the Twins until his retirement in 1995.
Later years
During his career as a scout, Baker was based in Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, where his feats as a player for the Youngstown Browns were part of local baseball lore. In 1977, The Youngstown Vindicator
The Vindicator
The Vindicator, also known at times as The Youngstown Vindicator, is a daily newspaper serving Youngstown, Ohio and the Mahoning County Region as well as southern Trumbull County and northern Columbiana County. Founded in 1869, the newspaper currently has a circulation of 62,100 daily and 87,000...
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".
Floyd Baker died in Youngstown at the age of 88. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
External links
- The Baseball Page
- Baseball Reference
- Retrosheet
- Floyd Wilson Baker at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...