Evening star., 1960-09-28
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s7Aun
A Guy Swell to Have Known

THE TWIN RETIREMENTS of Ted williams as an
active player and of Delmer David Baker as Red sox
coachthe latter presumably quitting baseball keeps
calls up the time John Carmichael the gifted Chicago
sports columnist bumped into Bob Feller at airport
Feler at the time the greatest name in baseball
1t was turbulent night, holding ominouS promise of
exciting rides and Mr. Carmichael in mood for the
out-ofthe ordinary John" exclaimed Feer at the ter
minal, Il hope we're on the flight"
If we were" Carmichael replied, casting an appre-
hensve glance at the moody Skies I'D cancel Do you
think for minute that go down in the same
plane with Bob Feler? obituary of my own owe
it to my family"
On the day-and with Boston dateines-Wil-
iams retirement and that of Baker were announced
Countless words written Ted Baker got two para
graphs from the wire services There the difference
between guy who hit 345 lifetime and one who in an
other day lasted only three when sparngy
uSed) and batted .209
DEL BAKER DESERVES far more than kss-of This
one slight oncehandsomey delicate fellow from sher
wood Oregr credit to baseball Williams Del who
was catcher for the Detroit Tigers in 19l416
dreamed of the day when he'd hit 406 Williams did in
Al. But he made contributions of his own.
Williams never has managed. Baker managed a cham
plonshp team but he was quiet and SofSpoken that
people remember Hank Greenberg, Charley Gehringer
Schooboy Rowe and other heroes of the we-emembered
1910 campaign and forget Baker
1t wasn't DeS idea to be manager in the first place
Prior to his elevation late in the S he content
to be coach under Mickey Cochrane, husky,
hunk of energy who had flags 19345 and then fell
from the good graces of the late Walter Briggs
of the Tigers
Cochrane, after doing we'll catcher manager of
the Tigers ran into succession of tough luck He became
ILL., later he skulled by Bump Hadey, a blow that
nearly ended his life Baker whether he liked not
named manager of the Tigers
BAKER DID ALL RIGHT by the Tigers On January a.
194O Judge Land then commissioner of baseball handed
down the stest penalty in history when he made free
agents OF 81 Tigers Of whom Del might have used to
advantage NonetheeSs Baker quietly directed the Tigers
to pennant in 40
The tip-off on this man came on September o. when
the Tigers two games ahead of the Cleveland Indians
and big series coming Indeed the pennant hinged
this threegame set. Detroit two games up needed
victory to wrap it up
Feer ready and waiting for the Tigers Baker, for
a mild-mannered man, sometimes lived dangerously. A
rookie pitcher up from Buffalo, Floyd Giebe had just
reported. Steve ONeill who managing Buffalo and
who later to succeed Del at Detroit said This kids
hot He just might beat Cleveland"
Baker talked it over with his old pros Greenberg and
Gehrnger They agreed that worth gamble Feller
held the Tigers to three hits but homer Rudy
York with Gehrnger on base and it was Detroit q Cleve
land, o.
Giebell, who to only three games in his life
time, hero and later legendary figure People forgot
that Baker who had the quiet audacty to risk such
Gieoel against Feller best pitcher of his time.
1T WAS BAKER, too, who managing the Tigers
when York the big Indian with the big bat had place
to play Rudy catcher no third baSeman and no
outieder He could play first base Baker deduced, but
there Greenberg the bag.
Jack zeer general manager of the Tigers in those
days. zeler and Baker talked it over they'd make an
outfeder of Greenberg Hank objected at first do you
want killed." he asked.
zeler proposed $4,000 raise Greenberg would try
the outfeld Hank, peon, liked the idea of
becoming $5O,00O-a-year peon. He agreed.
In 1943 Baker replaced by ONei Contrary to the
view held by many managers, especially those who had
managed championship clubs Del didn't feel that coaching
beneath him and so he became aide under sue
cesSion of Red SoX managers
Until the other day. when at 6S his broken connection
at Boston announced-So overShadowed by the Will
Nams story-Del Baker remained of the best Strate
giStS in the business guy it swell to have known.