Phillies legend Dan Baker humbly reacts to possible Wall of Fame induction

Phillies PA announcer Dan Baker says he’d be grateful if he joins Wall of Fame.

Longtime Philadelphia Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker will be behind the microphone for his 50th season come the home opener on April 8, 2022, against the Oakland Athletics.

This past season was supposed to be the beloved Baker’s milestone year, however, he missed all of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign due to health concerns.

Fans on social media are hopeful that Baker is honored in some way in 2022. After all, only two other public address announcers in the majors have announced a team’s games for 50 years or more — Sheppard (1951-2007, 57 years) and Pat Pieper of the Chicago Cubs (1916-1974, 59 years).

What better way to mark 50 seasons for Baker than induct him into the team’s prestigious Wall of Fame? Having begun in 1978 at Veterans Stadium in a 200-level display originally called the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame, the Wall of Fame is now located at Citizens Bank Park’s Left Field Plaza. The area honors alumni of both the Phillies and Philadelphia Athletics.

Fittingly, both organizations will square off at Citizens Bank Park as Baker begins his 50th year as public address announcer.

Manny Trillo (2021), Bobby Abreu (2019), Roy Halladay (2018), Pat Gillick (2018), and Jim Thome (2017) are among the most recent inductees. Of note, Harry Kalas was posthumously inducted in 2009 as a broadcaster.

Tuesday evening, Baker joined The Bern with Mitch and was asked his thoughts if he joined some of the all-time Philadelphia baseball greats with a similar Wall of Fame induction. His response, to no surprise, was humble.

“There’s a lot of highly qualified people like our 2008 team who will be eligible for [the Wall of Fame] soon,” said Baker. “I don’t think they can put too many people in any one year.”

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Baker went on to say that it is just an “honor” for him to be at the ballpark day in and day out. He added that if some kind of recognition like a Wall of Fame induction were to come along, he would be very grateful — but there is nothing that he excepts or anticipates.

“Just having had the opportunity and good fortune to announce the games all these years is recognition enough for me,” Baker continued. “It has provided so much enjoyment.”

The Phillies usually announce who will be their Wall of Fame inductee for the current year sometime during spring training. The 2022 ceremony is set for Saturday, August 6, before a home game against the division-rival Washington Nationals.

“The Phillies have been so good to me,” Baker added. “They’ve given me way above and beyond anything that I could ever have hoped for and expected.”

Fifty years with the same employer is a long time for any profession. For the 2022 season, I could not think of someone more deserving of a Phillies Wall of Fame induction than him.