Steve Baker

Steven Byrne Baker

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Oregon, Grossmont College
• High School Monte Vista High School (Spring Valley)
• Debut May 25, 1978
• Final Game September 27, 1983
• Born August 30, 1956 in Eugene, OR USA

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Biographical Information

Steve Baker pitched for three teams in parts of four big league seasons; the Detroit Tigers in 1978 and 1979; the Oakland Athletics in 1982 and for part of 1983; and the St. Louis Cardinals for the rest of the 1983 season. His final season was his best one, as he combined to go 3-4, 3.94 in 43 games, the only time he managed to hold his ERA under 4.00. He had been drafted by the New York Mets in the 18th round of the 1974 amateur draft but did not sign, so the Tigers inked him as an amateur free agent in May of 1976 after he had spent a year at the University of Oregon before transfering to Grossmont College. He was briefly a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization after being purchased from the Tigers in 1980, but never pitched in the majors for them. He was signed as a free agent by Oakland, and went to the Cardinals in a trade for Tom Dozier and Jim Strichek on September 2, 1983.

After being released by the Cardinals following the 1984 season, he signed with the Montreal Expos and pitched in their system for one year then was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Nelson Norman. He had gone 9-12, 3.91 for the AAA Indianapolis Indians in 1985 but failed to make the Orioles' roster the next spring and ended up in the Los Angeles Dodgers' system in 1986, going 6-12, 6.21 for the Albuquerque Dukes. It was his 9th straight season pitching in AAA, but also proved to be his last one.

He became an executive with Major League Baseball after his retirement, working extensively with MLB International. He was later named President of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and led the small-college governing body for eight years until resigning in 2006. Baker then became the commissioner of the NAIA Mid-South Conference.