▁League . ▁In ▁his ▁final ▁season , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Baker ▁managed ▁one ▁last ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁big ▁le agues ▁as ▁Boston ' s ▁inter im ▁pilot ▁from ▁June ▁ 8 – 1 2 ▁between ▁Billy ▁J urg es ' ▁firing ▁and ▁P ink y ▁H igg ins ' ▁re h iring . ▁Under ▁Baker , ▁the ▁last - place ▁Red ▁So x ▁won ▁two ▁games ▁and ▁lost ▁five . ▁He ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁game ▁after ▁his ▁ 5 0 th ▁season ▁in ▁baseball , ▁his ▁last ▁day ▁over shadow ed ▁by ▁Ted ▁Williams ' ▁last ▁game ▁as ▁a ▁player . ▁ ▁Baker ▁died ▁at ▁age ▁ 8 1 ▁in ▁Ol mos ▁Park , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Sign ▁ste aling ▁As ▁a ▁coach ▁and ▁manager , ▁Baker ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁prof ic iency ▁at ▁detect ing ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁pitch ▁an ▁oppos ing ▁pitch er ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁deliver ▁and ▁t ipping ▁off ▁his ▁team ' s ▁batter ▁with ▁ver bal ▁signals . ▁ ▁He ▁carefully ▁observed ▁each ▁pitch er ' s ▁id ios ync ras ies , ▁looking , ▁he ▁said , ▁" for ▁all ▁the ▁little ▁qu irks , ▁details ▁and ▁tell ‐ t ales ." ▁ ▁He ▁found ▁that ▁many ▁pitch ers ▁conce aled ▁the ▁ball ▁poor ly ▁before ▁delivery , ▁allowing ▁him ▁to ▁see ▁their ▁g rip . ▁ ▁O thers ▁te legraph ed ▁their ▁curve ▁balls ▁by ▁b ending ▁their ▁w rist s , ▁or ▁subt ly ▁alter ing ▁their ▁wind ‐ ups .