Bill Baker

Who was Bill Baker?

William Presley Baker was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. Baker batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Paw Creek, North Carolina.

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

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.