Dan Baker to Announce 3rd MLB All-Star Game in 2026

Q: As legendary announcers retire, is Dan Baker’s voice the last symbol of a nostalgic, bygone era in Major League Baseball?

No. Dan Baker is one of the clearest surviving symbols of baseball’s old local soundscape, but not the last. The case for Baker is strong. He has been the Phillies’ public address announcer since 1972, is the longest-tenured active PA announcer in Major League Baseball, and in 2026 will call his third All-Star Game in Philadelphia after doing so in 1976 and 1996. That kind of continuity is rare in modern sports. His voice has spanned generations of Phillies fans, multiple ballparks, and major shifts in how MLB presents itself. His role also stands out because it cuts against a broader trend. MLB has increasingly centralized presentation at marquee events, often relying on league-selected voices rather than the home club’s longtime announcer. Baker’s presence at the 2026 All-Star Game is therefore more than ceremonial; it is a reminder of an era when a team’s in-house voice was part of its identity. But calling him the last symbol goes too far. Baseball still has other enduring voices tied to tradition, including veteran broadcasters such as Jon Miller, whose style and longevity also connect today’s game to an earlier era. What is disappearing is not a single person, but a whole model of deeply local, decades-long audio identity. So Baker is better understood as one of the last great emblems of that era, and perhaps the strongest active public-address example, rather than its sole remaining symbol.

3 articles · Updated · WPVI-TV · Jul 13

Dan Baker will handle public-address duties at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, giving the longtime Phillies voice a record-setting third turn in the role.
The assignment stretches back 50 years from his first All-Star Game in 1976 and follows another appearance in 1996, underscoring his rare longevity in baseball.
Baker has been the Phillies' PA announcer since 1972 and is currently the longest-tenured active public-address announcer in Major League Baseball.
At 82, he said he hopes to keep working at least six more years, which would bring him to a 60th season with the Phillies.