ST. PETER, MINN. – Brad Baker had interesting roommates that worked in his favor with career decisions. He had basketball player Kevin Harris as his roommate at Gustavus Adolphus and center fielder Jim Eisenreich as his roommate with the Elizabethton Twins in the rookie Appalachian League.
Baker intended to pursue law school after graduating at Gustavus in the spring of 1980. At the same time, the Twins were scouting St. Cloud State — and primarily Eisenreich — in the district NAIA playoff game against MIAC champion Gustavus.
The Twins were set to draft Eisenreich (and did in the 16th round), but they noticed Baker as a Gusties infielder and sent scout Angelo Giuliani to ask: "Young man, will you sign if we draft you?"
Thirty-nine years later, Baker recalled his logic for saying "yes" to Angelo.
"I was waiting around for law school and it was a chance to keep playing baseball," Baker said Sunday.
He went to Elizabethton, Tenn.; batted .252; and watched roommate Eisenreich smoke line drives and earn a promotion to Class A Wisconsin Rapids in the closing days of the season.
Baker knew his future in baseball was iffy. He asked the Twins for quick answer, so he could enroll in law school. They gave him a positive outlook, the date to accept law school admission came and went, and then a letter arrived from the Twins notifying Baker of his release.
Baker coached Gusties baseball on an interim basis in the spring of 1981, but he needed a job, so he called Kevin Harris in Chicago. Harris was working for his father in an investment firm.