John Baker is Building a Player Development System Modeled After the Oakland Athletics

BRADENTON, Fla. – In 2006, John Baker got his first trip to Major League Spring Training with the Oakland Athletics. The former catcher and current Pirates farm director went 10-for-20 with a 1.242 OPS in his debut, and it was at that point that Baker said he felt like a Major League player for the first time.

“It took a long time for me to see myself as a Major League player,” said Baker. “It took me five years of minor league baseball for me to think ‘You know what, I think I can actually do this.’”

Baker originally was a walk-on with Cal, where his original plans weren’t to be a professional baseball player, but to go to law school and become an attorney. He was drafted in the fourth round…