Steve Baker

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1983)

Steve Baker was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1983 for the Detroit Tigers, the Athletics, and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 6 seasons. Across 84 career appearances, he went 7-16 with a 5.13 ERA and 131 strikeouts.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

W–L 7–16
ERA 5.13
WHIP 1.64
SO 131
Pitcher PIV -5164.1
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 185 lb
Born
8/30/1956 in Eugene, OR, USA
MLB Debut
1978-05-25
Last Game
1983-09-27

Full name: Steven Byrne Baker

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Career Pitching Statistics

Steve Baker — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
7 16 84 26 0 0 6 237.0 262 135 26 127 131 5.13 -5164.1

Career ERA 5.13 vs. league average 3.86 across their career seasons — 32.9% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Steve Baker — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1978 DET AL 2 4 15 10 0 0 0 63.1 66 32 42 39 4.55 3.69 (-23%) -1405.0
1979 DET AL 1 7 21 12 0 0 1 84.0 97 62 51 54 6.64 4.00 (-66%) -3133.3
1982 OAK AL 1 1 5 3 0 0 0 25.2 30 13 4 14 4.56 3.86 (-18%) 161.4
1983 OAK AL 3 3 35 1 0 0 5 54.0 59 26 26 23 4.33 3.87 (-12%) -741.6
1983 SLN NL 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 10.0 10 2 4 1 1.80 3.87 (+54%) -45.7
Career · 5 seasons 7 16 84 26 0 0 6 237.0 262 135 127 131 5.13 — -5,164

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Steve Baker — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
84 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Steve Baker — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1978 DET AL 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 DET AL 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 OAK AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 OAK AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 SLN NL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 5 seasons 84 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 0

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (168 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Steve Baker — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home4100000—
Away4300000—

Pitching — Home / Away

Steve Baker — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home41125.11085662714.02
Away43111.21547965606.37

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Steve Baker — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1983-09-27 STLWSN — 2.0300100
1983-09-25 STLPHI — 2.0000110
1983-09-24 STLPHI — 0.1100000
1983-09-20 STLWSN — 0.1220000
1983-09-16 STLPHI L 0.2011200
1983-09-12 STLPIT — 1.0100000
1983-09-10 STLCHC — 1.2100000
1983-09-06 STLPIT — 2.0211000
1983-07-11 OAKBAL L 0.1343200
1983-07-08 OAKDET L 1.0322011

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Steve Baker — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 84 26 10 23 2 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Steve Baker — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1978 DET P 15 10 3 5 1 0
1979 DET P 21 12 3 8 0 1
1982 OAK P 5 3 0 3 1 0
1983 OAK P 35 1 3 4 0 0
1983 SLN P 8 0 1 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Steve Baker — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 84

College History

Steve Baker — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Grossmont College El Cajon CA 1976

Steve Baker: the record in brief

According to the bio, Steve Baker debuted on May 25, 1978 and played a final game on September 27, 1983. Club by club, the record runs the Detroit Tigers (1978 to 1979), the Oakland Athletics (1982 through 1983), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1983). Baker played primarily as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on August 30, 1956, in Eugene, OR, USA and a listed size of 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds. On the record, Steve Baker was born Steven Byrne Baker.

Baker pitched in 84 games, starting 26, and finished with a 7-16 record and 5.13 ERA. The totals include 131 strikeouts. The league ERA over Baker's seasons was 3.86, so the 5.13 figure ran 32.9% worse than average. 1979 produced Baker's most strikeouts, 54. 1983 was Baker's sharpest full season, a 4.33 ERA against the league's 3.87.

The college table lists Grossmont College in 1976. Retrosheet box scores cover 168 of Baker's games, and the full game log is linked from the splits section.

The position breakdown shows 84 games, all at pitcher. The fielding table credits Baker with 10 putouts, 23 assists and 2 errors on the mound.

Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Baker

What years did Steve Baker play?
Steve Baker played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1983.
Was Steve Baker a pitcher?
Yes. Steve Baker pitched in the major leagues, recording 7 wins and 131 strikeouts.
What was Steve Baker's career ERA?
Steve Baker finished with a 5.13 career ERA, going 7-16 with 131 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Steve Baker have?
Steve Baker recorded 131 career strikeouts.
Is Steve Baker in the Hall of Fame?
No. Steve Baker has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
What teams did Steve Baker play for?
Steve Baker played for the Detroit Tigers, the Athletics, and the St. Louis Cardinals.