Evening star., 1940-06-04
Phil Baker, Captain
Of First Penndnt
Winner Here, Dies
Played With Old Eastern
League Nine in 1883;
Caught Borehonded

Phil Baker, who captained the
first pennant winning Washington
baseball team in 1888, died today at
the age of 80.
Death came at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Helena Stevens, 14l9
S street Sc, closins a career that
reached back to the grand old days
OF the sport when Phil caught
oarehanded and helped Washington
win the championship OF, the old
Eastern League.
He had been an invalid the past
six years.
Phil Baker started his baseball
career in Altoona. Pa, and made his
professional debut with a Hornells-
vile, N. Y, club He played in
his first game in 1875, the day the
Centennial Exposition opened.
Came to Washington in 1878.
He came to Washington to play
baseball in 1878 and was elected
captain of the team soon afterward.
When Washington withdrew from
the league in 1880, nc resigned and
went to play for a Baltimore team.
He returned to the Capital three
years later to captain the winning
team.
Phil" continued to play baseball
professionally until 1889. Never once
during his years in the game did he
wear a glove. He was left-handed
and when he quit the sport every
bone in his catching hand had been
broken.
During his playing years in WASH
lngton he worked about three days a
week in the Government Printing
Office. Even the highest paid play
ers couldn't support themselves then
on their baseball earnings. Later he
worked for time as the machinist
in charge of the electric generators
at the old Center Market.
In 1917 Phil went to Akron
Ohio, to work for drilling machine
company. He retired II years ago
because of failing health.
His spirit and love for the game
never died. Akron adopted him.
With the passing years he became
hard of hearing. He would sit close
to his radio, following every play of
some baseball game coming over
the air. People living near him
heard those games too, whether they
liked it or not, because Phil" had
to turn the dial up to loud" in order
to hear anything.
Game Home" in 1924.
But the Akronites didn't complain
They liked Phil and his stories of
the good old days. Then came 1924
and the Washington Senators were
to play the New York Giants in the
World Series. Phil announced that
he was coming home" to watch the
battle. When it developed that he
hadn't enough money to make the
trip, his Akron friends took up a
collection and to Washington he
came to watch enthralled through
the 7-game series that resulted in
the first championship for Washing
ton since he had captained the team.
1t was a great moment in "Phil's"
life. He shook hands with Presi-
dent Coolidge and even had his
pocket picked in the excitement.
When it was all over he went back
to Akron predicting that WASH
lngton would win again next year"
Phil had been living here with
his daughter the past three and a
half years. Besides Mrs. Stevens,
he leaves two other daughters, Mrs.
Bessie Smith of Akron and Mrs.
Pauline Peck of Washington; two
sons, Joe M. Baker of this city and
Charles H. Baker of Akron: nine
grandchildren and two great-grand-
children.
Funeral services will be held at
pm. Thursday at the Stevens
nome, with burial in Glenwood
/ Cemetery.