Delmer David Baker (May 3, 1892 – September 11, 1973) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a manager, he led the 1940 Detroit Tigers to the American League pennant. Baker was known as one of the premier sign stealers of his era.\n', '

Baker was born in Sherwood, Oregon, and raised in neighboring Wilsonville. After graduating from a Portland business college, he took a job in 1909 as a bookkeeper in Wasco, Oregon, where he caught for the town team. In 1911, a scout signed him to a contract with the Spokane Indians of the Class A (equivalent to today\'s Triple A) Pacific National League, predecessor to the Pacific Coast League (PCL). In 1914 he was promoted to the Detroit Tigers, and played in 172 games over three seasons as a back-up for Oscar Stanage, batting .209. In 1917, the Tigers farmed him out to the PCL\'s San Francisco Seals. In 1918 he joined the war effort, serving in the US Navy, then returned to the PCL in 1920, this time with the Portland Beavers. After three seasons there, Baker spent a season with the Mobile Bears of the Class A Southern Association, then returned to the PCL for three more seasons with the Oakland Oaks.\n', '

After spending most of the 1928 season as player-manager of the Ogden Gunners in the Class C Utah-Idaho League, Baker moved to the Class A Texas League and caught for the Fort Worth Panthers in 1929. In 1930 he was appointed player-manager of the Beaumont Exporters, a premier Texas League team with some of Detroit\'s top prospects, including Schoolboy Rowe, Pete Fox, and Hank Greenberg. The Exporters won 100 games in 1932, then swept the Dallas Steers for the Texas League championship. When Detroit manager Bucky Harris promoted Rowe, Fox, and Greenberg to the major league level in 1933, he hired Baker to coach third base for the Tigers.\n', '

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