Baker appeared in 24 games for the O’s, batting .172 with five hits over 29 at-bats while mainly playing shortstop with some second and third thrown in.
He played two years for Baltimore, coming over from the New York Yankees, for whom he played in 1970 and 1971, his first two years in the Big Leagues.
With a full season of Minor League ball in 1972, he book-ended that with his four-year MLB career, finishing up with 146 games, hitting .191 with 55 hits in 288 at-bats, driving in 24 runs while scoring 28 himself.
I’ll always remember Baker as one of the first 1971 cards I ever had, or even saw, as a 10-year old when my best friend Shawn (R.I.P.) came over with some cards back in 1979 that he found at his uncle’s house when we were kids in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
It was the very first time I ever even SAW 1971 cards, and I was mesmerized by the all-black design, and luckily my boy was more than happy to give them to me since he wasn’t really a collector.
Man, where does the time go?