Scholarship dinner to honor Phillies and Eagles announcer Dan Baker '68

From former WWF heavyweight champion Bruno Sammartino to Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Dan Baker is accustomed to introducing famous athletes.

But on Friday, Feb. 10, it will be Baker's turn to take the spotlight as Rowan University honors him in his 40^th year of professional broadcasting.

Baker, whose voice is synonymous with professional and collegiate sports in the City of Philadelphia, will be the guest of honor for a celebration of his broadcasting accomplishments beginning at 6 p.m. in the Eynon Ballroom of Rowan's Chamberlain Student Center.

A venerable "who's who" of Philadelphia sports--Eagles radio play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese, Phillies President Dave Montgomery, Phillies great Greg Luzinski, and a host of media celebrities, among others--will be on hand at the dinner to pay tribute to Baker.

Tickets for the event, which will include a silent auction of sports memorabilia, are $65 per person. Proceeds will benefit the newly established Daniel E. Baker '68 College of Communication Broadcasting Scholarship for students pursuing careers in professional broadcasting.

Baker, who earned his bachelor's degree in junior high school education from Rowan (then Glassboro State College) in 1968, currently is the longest tenured public address announcer in Major League Baseball (MLB). He joined the Phillies organization in 1972 and has served as the on-field announcer for five World Series and two MLB all-star games.

In 1985, he became the public address announcer for the Eagles and announced back-to-back-to-back NFC championship games in 2002, '03 and '04.

Baker was the play-by-play announcer and color analyst for Big 5 basketball for 21 years and served as executive director of the Big 5 for 15 years. In 1997, he was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame. Currently, he's completing his 15^th and final year as coordinator of broadcast operations for Drexel University basketball.

The tribute from Rowan is nice, Baker says, but the real goal of the dinner is to raise scholarship funds for talented-and deserving-future broadcasters. The radio/television/film program in Rowan's College of Communication has won scores of national awards. And while Baker studied education at the University, his collegiate experience helped shape his broadcasting career, he says.

A contributor on the men's junior varsity basketball team for two years during his collegiate career--"I suited up for three varsity games, but didn't get off the bench," he quips--Baker had fun announcing the on-court exploits of his teammates. He hopes the dinner will give him a chance to reconnect with his former teammates and classmates--and with the greater Rowan community.

"Studying in Glassboro was a wonderful experience for me," says Baker, a West Deptford resident. "Those were the days before communication majors and sports management majors. Certainly, my communication skills were enhanced here.

"I'm extremely proud of Rowan University," he continues. "At the dinner, I'm looking forward to rekindling some fond memories of Rowan. This is going to be a celebration of Rowan as much as it is a celebration for me."

In addition to professional and collegiate sports, Baker's resume includes serving as an announcer for professional wrestling events and even auto daredevil shows.

The chance to honor Baker's stellar career is a no-brainer for Rowan, says R.J. Tallarida, the University's assistant vice president for development.

"Though he's a treasure in the Philadelphia sports world, Dan Baker is a proud Rowan Prof in the truest sense of the word. We're thrilled to be able to honor his amazing career and to work with him to raise funds to benefit our most talented Communication students," Tallarida says.

To order tickets for the dinner or for more information, visit rowan.edu/alumni or call 856-256-5400.