Welcome back, Dan Baker, everyone in Philly missed you and is glad to have you back.
An icon of the Philadelphia sports community, Baker had never missed a game as Phillies PA announcer at Citizens Bank Park. That's at least 81 games per season, every year for 15 years.
This past weekend, however, Baker was missing from his booth in the ballpark and fans were concerned when they didn’t hear his voice over the speaker.
This was even hard for Baker, who said his absence was due to health concerns that can easily be taken care of in the near future.
“I felt badly to miss. I look forward to these games,” Baker said. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
And even when Baker couldn't be at the park, he made sure to not miss the game despite his extenuating circumstances.
“I watched [the game] from my hospital bed," he said. "My wife and daughter convinced me that I shouldn’t be careless so I went to the emergency room."
MLB
Baker was back at the ballpark in no time. He was greeted by coworkers throughout the stadium as he made his return appearance Tuesday against the Tigers.
“I have a pretty good track record of not missing,” Baker said, reflecting on his 47 years as an announcer. He’s covered nearly 4,000 games and missed only 17 total.
That's 0.425% of games in his entire career.
“I was surprised it was as big of news as it was. I heard from Dick Allen, one of the greatest Phillies of all time, a bunch of front office people, and Gabe Kapler wished me well during his press conference,” Baker said.
Philly’s beloved Baker is back in action, bringing his familiar voice and high spirits to Citizens Bank Park.
“Hopefully," he said, "I’ll never have to miss another game again.”