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Corey A. Baker (born November 23, 1989) is a professional baseball pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
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While in high school, Baker played three seasons for the Bayside Yankees traveling baseball team, and had a 20-1 record. He pitched in college for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, was named in 2010 to the All-Big East First Team, and to the ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region First Team, and ended his college career as the university's all-time career wins leader, with 24.
Baker was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 49th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. In 2013 he was a Midwest League All Star with the Peoria Chiefs. In May 2016, he was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week while pitching for the AA Springfield Cardinals. In September 2016 Baker pitched for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier, winning his only start. He is on the Israel national team for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, and will play in March 2017 in South Korea.
Early and personal life
Baker was born in New York, New York, to Mark (who grew up in Brooklyn) and Leah Baker, and was raised in New City, New York. He is Jewish, and grew up attending a Reform congregation in New City, where he attended Hebrew school twice a week and had his bar mitzvah. Baker played in the Maccabi Games in the 11-to-12 age group. He has an older brother, Halley, who played high school baseball.
High school
He went to Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, New York, where for three years Baker pitched and played second base. He was a two-time all-league selection as a junior and senior, and named all-county, all-section, and runner-up Section Player of the Year as a senior, and threw a no-hitter in his final season. He graduated in 2007. He also played three seasons of summer baseball for the Bayside Yankees traveling baseball team, for whom he had a 20-1 record.
College
Baker then pitched for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, attending the school on a partial baseball scholarship, while majoring in history and minoring in political science. As a sophomore, in March 2009 he was named Big East Pitcher of the Week. As a junior, in 2010 he was 11-3 (with his 11 wins the third-most in the country) and was named to the All-Big East First Team, and to the ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region First Team. He ended his career with the school as the Pittsburgh Panthers' all-time career wins leader, with 24, and fourth all-time in school history with 221 strikeouts.
He plans to eventually return to school to study for a master’s degree in Sports Management.
Minor leagues
Baker was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 49th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft (a round that no longer exists, as the following year the MLB draft was limited to 40 rounds), and signed for a small bonus. He made his professional debut in 2011 with the Batavia Muckdogs of the Class A- New York-Pennsylvania League. He started the 2013 season playing for the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League where he was an All Star, and then pitched for the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A+ Florida State League, before joining the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League at the end of the season. In 2014 he pitched for Palm Beach and Springfield, and in a combined 37 games (5 starts) he was 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 2 saves.
On August 31, 2015, Baker pitched his first career shutout for Springfield. That year, after leading all Springfield pitchers with 88 strikeouts as he split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen, he led Springfield to the Texas League playoffs. Springfield pitching coach Jason Simontacchi said of Baker that he:
can pitch as a closer ... middle relief, and as a starter. Baker throws strikes. ... He’s got a super sinker, when it is right, it is very good, and I think that pitch could play at the big-league level. His changeup is a swing and miss pitch, can throw it in any count, and he mixes in a slider towards righties.
Pitching for Springfield again the following season, he was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for April 25-May 1, 2016. Baker then ended the season pitching as a starter for the Memphis Redbirds of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.
Team Israel; World Baseball Classic
Baker pitched for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier. As part of demonstrating that Baker was Jewish and therefore eligible to pitch for Team Israel, his family sent the team a bar mitzvah photo of Baker at age 13, wearing a yarmulke and dark suit, and holding a torah. Baker's only appearance in the tournament was a start in the second game against Brazil. Israel won the game 1-0, advancing to the finals, and Baker was credited with the win. Baker threw 83 pitches over 5 shutout innings, while giving up a hit, three walks, and striking out six.
In January 2017 Baker was confirmed to be on the roster for the main tournament in March 2017.