PHILADELPHIA – Dan Baker grew up a Phillies fan in the 1950s.
Starting in 1954, his father would take him and his brother to see games at Connie Mack Stadium, which induced a wide range of sights, smells and sounds – green grass, light standards, hot dogs, sausage sandwiches, cigars and the attending fans themselves.
Little did eight-year-old Baker know at the time, he would later in life land a job with the organization that he would remain passionate for and go on to hold for nearly a half of a century – the team’s public address announcer for all home games.
“I just love the job so much. It’s so much fun. When I got this, I knew I loved it. I knew I found a home,” said Baker, who has held the position with the Phillies since 1972.
Baker is currently the longest tenured PA announcer throughout all of Major League Baseball, and 2016 will be the 45th milestone season for the Philadelphia native.
“Since the retirement of the late, great Bob Sheppard of the New York Yankees following the 2007 season, I have been the senior PA announcer in all of Major League Baseball,” said Baker. "That’s a distinction I have enjoyed.”
While Baker is honored to have lasted for 45 years with the organization, he has his eyes set on a greater distinction, season No. 50 in 2021.
“If the Phillies will have me, and my health holds out – and I’m in pretty good health – I’m hoping to do it for at least another six years so that I would do it for 50.”
According to Baker, he would be just the third PA announcer in Major League Baseball history to announce a team’s games for 50 years or more – the other two being Sheppard (1951-2007, 57 years) and Pat Pieper of the Chicago Cubs, the PA voice at Wrigley Field starting from the time it opened (1916-1974, 59).
“Six years will give me 50 years, and I will be able to join those two in that achievement,” said Baker. “That’s certainly a goal of mine, and I hope that works out.”
Tom McCarthy, who has been the Phillies’ television play-by-play announcer for Comcast SportsNet since November 2007, views highly of his colleague.
“I think Dan’s work ethic is off the charts. Talent and a great voice – which Dan has both of – will get you only so far but his work ethic sets him aside from others in his position,” said McCarthy. “You can see it in his energy level and the way he researches the names and the pronunciations that he has to deal with on a daily basis.”
While Baker is a lifelong fan of the Phillies, he recognizes his main duties as the voice of Citizens Bank Park, which has been the team’s home since 2004.
“I understand that my primary responsibility is to provide information,” said Baker. “The way to do that is to talk clearly and concisely without too much emotion so that people can understand what I am saying. … I know the importance of talking loud enough that people can hear, as opposed to mumbling or talking too low of a voice where people can’t understand what you are saying.
The Phillies are the home team and the team that we love. I try to announce them with a little more enthusiasm to help get the crowd behind them.”
When Baker is not at the stadium on Monday nights during the season, he can be heard alongside former Phillies outfielder Greg Luzinski as a co-host for WBCB 1490 AM’s “The Bull Session”.
“Merrill Reese – the great play-by-play voice of the Eagles who is a great friend of mine – besides being the best football play-by-play guy on the planet, he also is the vice president and general manager of a radio station,” said Baker.
Baker has had the distinction of announcing five Phillies’ World Series – 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008 and 2009. He hopes to announce a couple more, along with another All-Star Game.
“I had the privilege of doing the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1976 and 1996,” said Baker. “It’s sure been a lot of fun, but I remain a big fan and always will be.”
The next All-Star Game likely to take place in Philadelphia will be 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the nation’s Declaration of Independence. 2026 would be Baker’s 55th season as the Phillies’ PA announcer.
“It’s not inconceivable,” said Baker. “The All-Star Game would be when I’m still in my 70s. … Bob Sheppard announced until he was 97 years old. So, if he can go until 97, I can go until 80. I turned 69 this past September and I have a lot of energy. I’m enjoying this so much.”
San Diego will hold the event in 2016, followed by Miami in 2017 and Washington D.C. in 2018.
While the baseball offseason is not as time-consuming for Baker, he still finds ways to keep active. This past Sunday, he traveled to Rowan University to meet with Director of Athletic Communications Sheila Stevenson.
According to Baker, the university has hired him to announce its men’s basketball game against LaSalle University, which is scheduled to take place Saturday, Nov. 28, at 3 p.m.
“That’s the 20th anniversary of Glassboro State/Rowan’s Division III Men’s Basketball National Championship,” said Baker, who is a 1968 alumnus of the university. “I was down there to learn the names, numbers and correct pronunciations of this year’s Rowan team so that I will be familiar with them when I see them.”
While Baker picks up other job opportunities along the way, he will never let anything get in the way of his role with the Phillies.
“If other opportunities came my way and I would have to leave the Phillies job, I wouldn’t do that. Anything else had to be compatible with the Phillies,” said Baker. “That’s been my philosophy since I was hired at the age of 25. I hope to keep it going.”
"As you walk into the park for the first time and hear [Dan's] voice, you know you are in Philadelphia and definitively in Citizens Bank Park," said McCarthy.
"He is part of the enjoyable experience that makes Citizens Bank Park such a special place to watch a game."
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
