Gene Baker
*Gene Baker was born on this date in 1925. He was a Black MLB baseball player, manager, and coach.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Eugene Walter Baker played basketball and ran track at Davenport High School and sandlot baseball. He joined the United States Navy, stationed at the Iowa Pre-Flight School. After his discharge, he played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League as their regular shortstop during 1948 and 1949. 1950, Baker joined the Cubs' organization, playing briefly at Springfield and Des Moines before joining the Los Angeles Angels of the Triple-A and Open Classification Pacific Coast League.
The Chicago Cubs purchased Baker's contract, and he made his major league debut on September 20, 1953. A few days later, the Cubs acquired another shortstop, future Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, and moved Baker to second base. He primarily played second base for the Cubs and Pirates during eight seasons. He was a reserve infielder for the 1960 World Series champion Pirates and made three pinch-hit appearances during the Series. During eight seasons between 1953 and 1961, and was selected for the National League team in the 1955 All-Star Game. He threw and batted right-handed and was 6 feet 1 inch, 170 pounds.
In 1961, Baker became the first African American manager in Organized Baseball when the Pirates named him skipper of their Batavia Pirates farm club in the New York–Penn League. In 1962, he became the first black coach in Organized Baseball when the Pirates named him player-coach of their Triple-A International League affiliate, Columbus Jets. In 1963, the Pirates promoted him to coach on the Major League team. He was the second Black coach in the big leagues, following Buck O'Neil by a half-season.
He is also credited with being the first Black manager in Major League Baseball when he took over for ejected Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh on September 21, 1963. Baker then spent many years as a scout for the Pirates. Gene Baker died on December 1, 1999, in Davenport at 74. He is buried in Rock Island National Cemetery.
