Opinion: Remembering Jeff Baker and his love of sports
The podcast host died this past Saturday at age 58
It’s never easy when someone close to you dies. While coping with loss and grief is not new in my life, it often feels like the first time whenever it happens.
That feeling was renewed this past weekend with the death of podcaster and sports enthusiast Jeff Baker. More importantly, Baker, who died on Dec. 2 at the age of 58 following medical complications, was more than those things. He was a husband, a dad and my friend.
I first contacted Jeff in June 2022 asking if he’d have me on his show TTMCast to talk about my book, “The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event.”
“Hope all is well. Love your show,” I wrote. “Been listening for the past few months and really look forward to it each week.”
I then asked him if I could be a guest.
His response: “I’d love to have you on. I know almost nothing about soccer and soccer cards so you can certainly teach me a few things. Please send me a copy of your book and I'll read it before our interview.”
Jeff had me on the show, then invited me to talk about soccer throughout the fall and into December. We even recorded an interview where I called him from Qatar to talk about the World Cup final.
In the process, we became fast friends. He then made me a monthly contributor to the show. It was a great place to promote my writing and give my opinion on a variety of topics related to sports. More importantly, it gave me the chance to talk to Jeff at least once a month.
I had the pleasure to spend a few days with him this past July at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago. We talked about sports for hours and enjoyed many laughs. Jeff and his wife Paula even took me out to a steak dinner on my first night there. It was one of the highlights of that trip for me.
I was looking forward to seeing Jeff next year. He wanted to watch Lionel Messi play in person and was already starting to arrange for a way to get tickets when the Argentine great would be in the Boston area next season to take on the New England Revolution.
To know Jeff was to love him. He always had a smile on his face. He didn’t let adversity stop him. Anyone who spent just a few hours with him could figure that out.
Jeff was also very generous. He would send me occasional letters and packages. I did the same in return. He championed my book and subsequent writing. He even made sure to promote Planet Soccer each time I was on.
Jeff’s friendship should serve as a reminder that we need to surround ourselves with people who provide us with love and support.
I didn’t know anything about Jeff’s politics or religious beliefs. I didn’t care. He was my friend because he was a good man and we shared common interests. He didn’t want anything from me other than my company.
TTMCast became regular listening for me on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He was, however, more than just a voice emanating from my iPhone. He was my friend.
Farewell, Jeff. I’ll miss you.