Relief pitcher Bryan Baker keeps the Baltimore Orioles smiling
BALTIMORE -- Three summers ago, Bryan Baker was working at a Target store in Florida. The pandemic canceled the minor league baseball season, and he needed a job.
The retail job gave him a new-found appreciation for his current work: relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.
Baker came to Baltimore as a cast-off, unwanted by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles gave him a chance and he seized it.
Baker throws a fastball that has reached 100 miles per hour, and he shows raw emotion that matches the blazing velocity of his pitches: reactions to big moments burst out when gets a key strikeout.
The most memorable moment was a moonwalk after finishing off an inning against the nationals.
"Those are always kind of spur-of-the-moment things," Baker said. "You never know what's going through my head at any given time out there. So, it's just kinda—I'm a pretty reactive person. If I do something that either surprises me or somehow helps out the team in some way, it just kind of depends on my reaction in that forum. Usually, if I do something good and I kind of want to pump the team up a little bit, doing something random just kind of comes out."
Baker brings the fire, and on at least one occasion the opposing team didn't appreciate it. There was some chatter with the Blue Jays last season that nearly led to a brawl after both teams rushed onto the field in an emotional confrontation.
That happens in the heat of confrontation, but Baker is more about fun than fury, more revelry than rage. It's a hard game, and Bryan Baker endorses enjoyment.
"I think, especially showing these young kids, you go out there, even if we're professionals who do this for a living, it's fun," Baker said. "So, I think It's a good message to kinda spread to everybody honestly. You can go about your business and work really hard, and be really dedicated to it, and at the same time you can have fun and let loose a little bit."
Baker gives his all and appreciates every moment. It's a good lesson for everybody.