"When It Hit Me, I Fully Blacked Out,” Andrew Baker’s Fight Through Adversity

(Reading, PA) - When Andrew Baker was hit in the head with a line drive while pitching as an 11-year-old, he did not think he would step foot on a mound, yet a baseball diamond, ever again.

Baker suffered a traumatic brain injury, which required multiple surgeries and caused him to become completely deaf in his right ear. With thoughts of quitting surfaced in his mind, Baker knew facing adversity was part of the game.

“When it hit me, I fully blacked out,” Baker said. “When I woke up and there were like 50 people around me and my dad had his hands around my neck. I felt woozy and nauseous. I blacked out.”

Since the incident, Baker was in-and-out of the hospital for a month and was told he had nerve damage, becoming deaf in his right ear.

Four months after surgery, Baker opted to make the switch to catcher, playing the position all the way through his senior year of high school at Macon-East Academy, a small Christian school in Cecil, Alabama.

While attending a prospect camp at Chipola College, a powerhouse JUCO in Florida, Baker was trying to gain an offer from a small junior college to play catcher. However, Baker’s baseball career took a turn when he was offered to pitch again by Chipola head coach Jeff Johnson. Baker took Johnson’s once in a lifetime offer and never looked back.

After one season at Chipola, Baker transferred to Auburn University to pitch on a scholarship. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, NCAA athletes were given the opportunity to transfer without being ruled ineligible for a season. Baker opted to return to Chipola for one more season to improve as a pitcher.

In 2021, Baker was selected in the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies organization with the 325th pick. Since then, Baker has matured by learning to keep a strong mentality.

“I used to get really mad at stuff,” Baker said. “Especially with how long our season is and just having to come to the field every day regardless of what happened the day before. You learn to flush stuff. Being in pro ball you have to flush whatever happened the day before whether it’s good or bad.”

Along with having a strong mentality, Baker has also learned how to keep his body healthy during the long season. Current Philadelphia Phillies players such as Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner and fellow Alabama native Craig Kimbrel mentored Baker during Spring Training this season.

“One thing Craig [Kimbrel] told me that stuck with me was just to make sure that your body is ready every single day,” Baker said. “It’s the reason why he’s been so successful. He’s able to put up great numbers because he is available every single day.”

Now, the current R-Phil has a fastball that tops out over three digits and has been contributing for Reading, one of the better bullpens in the Eastern League as of late.

In 32.1 innings this season, Baker has struck out 48 batters, which is equivalent to 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. The reliever is holding opposing hitters to a .238 batting average, thanks to his nearly-triple-digit fastball and wicked off-speed pitch. These numbers come as of August 23.

Although Baker thrives with swings and misses, he has struggled with command. Baker is still very raw as a pitcher, now only pitching for the last five years. Manager Al Pedrique knows that the command will continue to improve for Baker as he puts the work in.

“He needs to keep up being consistent with his routine and preparation,” Pedrique said. “I feel the organization will feel he’s heading in the right direction. He’s trying to understand himself better and needs to not try to do too much and put a lot of pressure on himself.”

While Baker keeps fighting his way to the big leagues, he knows with the right mentality he can overcome any obstacle in his path.

“There’s definitely times where baseball is tough,” Baker said. “It just bites you and you feel like you’ve been through enough. I feel like I have tough skin, and with everything I’ve been through, it’s just hard for me to quit.”

Baker and the Fightin Phils return home from Tuesday August 29 through Sunday, September 10 for a 12-game homestand to conclude the 2023 home schedule. Tickets to all games are available and can be purchased at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or in person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.

The 2023 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.