Gene Baker

Born: 6/15/1925 in Davenport, IA, USA

Died: 12/1/1999 in Davenport, IA, USA

MLB Debut: 1953-09-20 | Final Game: 1961-06-10

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Eugene Walter Baker

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Biography

Gene Baker was a notable American professional baseball player who played as a position player from 1953 to 1961. Born in 1925, Baker made his mark in Major League Baseball during a competitive era that bridged the transition from the post-war years to the emerging excitement of the 1960s game. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 630 games, showcasing his skills primarily as an infielder. He accumulated 590 hits, 39 home runs, and 227 RBIs, achieving a batting average of .265. His speed on the base paths was evident, as he successfully stole 21 bases during his time in the league. Baker's contributions to the game were recognized with an All-Star selection, highlighting his brief yet impactful presence in the majors. As a player who navigated through a pivotal period in baseball history, he stood out not only for his offensive capabilities but also for his ability to adapt to the evolving landscape of the sport. His career, while not one of the longest, left a mark on the teams he played for, and he remains a respected figure among baseball historians and enthusiasts.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
528.0	474.0	84.0	123.0	22.0	12.0	8.0	48.0	47.0	2.0	14.0	0.259	0.327	0.407	0.734

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1947	5.0	4.0	0	2.0	0	0	0	0	1.0	0	0	0.500	0.600	0.500	1.100
1948	239.0	215.0	46.0	56.0	7.0	8.0	6.0	34.0	20.0	2.0	7.0	0.260	0.325	0.451	0.776
1949	284.0	255.0	38.0	65.0	15.0	4.0	2.0	14.0	26.0	0	7.0	0.255	0.324	0.369	0.693

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
676	2411	304	635	118	28	42	255	26	199	219	0.263	0.320	0.388	0.707	-1077.4

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .320 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .388 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.707 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1948	KCM	NAL	46	181	39	45	9	7	3	28	5	15	0	0.249	.263 (-6%)	.340 (-10%)	.379 (+12%)	.719 (+2%)	-46.9
1953	CHC	NL	7	22	1	5	1	0	0	0	1	1	4	0.227	—	—	—	—	0.0
1954	CHC	NL	135	541	68	149	32	5	13	61	4	47	55	0.275	.261 (+6%)	.333 (avg)	.390 (+9%)	.723 (+5%)	427.3
1955	CHC	NL	154	609	82	163	29	7	11	52	9	49	57	0.268	.258 (+4%)	.332 (-3%)	.393 (avg)	.726 (-1%)	-287.5
1956	CHC	NL	140	546	65	141	23	3	12	57	4	39	54	0.258	.258 (avg)	.331 (-7%)	.397 (-5%)	.728 (-6%)	-750.1
1957	CHC	NL	12	44	4	11	3	1	1	10	0	6	3	0.250	—	—	—	—	77.0
1957	PIT	NL	111	365	36	97	19	4	2	36	3	29	29	0.266	.257 (+3%)	.323 (-2%)	.391 (-9%)	.715 (-6%)	77.0
1958	PIT	NL	29	56	3	14	2	1	0	7	0	8	6	0.250	.257 (-3%)	.324 (+4%)	.394 (-18%)	.719 (-8%)	-66.1
1960	PIT	NL	33	37	5	9	0	0	0	4	0	2	9	0.243	—	—	—	—	0.0
1961	PIT	NL	9	10	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	2	0.100	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
10	26	4	4	0	0	1	1	3	1	0.154

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1960	WS	PIT	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000
1948	ALC	KCM	7	23	4	4	0	0	1	1	3	0	0.174

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	452	439	1200	1304	84	326
3B	93	83	89	155	12	15
SS	74	70	128	203	30	34

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1948	KCM	2B	1	0	1	1	0	0
1948	KCM	SS	46	46	90	118	20	17
1953	CHN	2B	6	0	11	11	2	3
1954	CHN	2B	134	134	355	385	25	102
1955	CHN	2B	154	154	432	444	30	114
1956	CHN	2B	140	139	362	426	25	99
1957	CHN	3B	12	12	11	15	4	1
1957	PIT	2B	13	10	30	26	2	6
1957	PIT	3B	60	57	61	108	8	12
1957	PIT	SS	28	24	38	85	10	17
1958	PIT	2B	3	2	8	11	0	2
1958	PIT	3B	11	9	11	17	0	0
1960	PIT	2B	1	0	1	0	0	0
1960	PIT	3B	7	3	6	9	0	2
1961	PIT	3B	3	2	0	6	0	0