Along the way he was a member of the 1914 Marlborough Old Boys team which won the Liverpool I Zingari Challenge Cup. Although not winning any medals at the Olympics, shortly after the 1920 Games in Antwerp he beat the Olympic champion Dick Landon from the USA in a British Empire v USA match. Baker is acknowledged as the greatest British high jumper of the pre-World War II era, he improved the UK record three times and his 1921 record of 6ft-5inches (1.95meters) stood for 26 years. He also threw discus, javelin and hammer, was a title winning tennis player, water polo goalkeeper, and played cricket for Liverpool CC and Lancashire.

In November 1917 he married Christina Fraser, both age 25, and together they had two sons.

In 1921 he withdrew from athletics to concentrated on soccer, probably as a result of an injury to his ankle received while serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy on mine sweepers in the first world war, which probably also explains his move into goal from his previous position as centre-half.

Baker’s career as a player with first rank amateur, professional and English national soccer teams stretched over 20 years throughout which he remained strictly an amateur, a position no doubt made easier as he worked for his father’s firm and presumably received his financial support.

A summary of his soccer clubs.        

He played twelve times for England in international matches, ten for the amateur team and twice for the full national team, 1921 against Belgium and 1925 against Northern Ireland. In all his appearances as England keeper he was only once on the losing side. Between 1919 and 1929 England played 49 full international matches and only three of the 23 different goalkeepers selected were amateurs, Baker twice the others once each. He also played in the 1925 FA Charity Shield match.

Although signed to Liverpool in 1919-20 he did not make a first team appearance mainly because the team already had Elisha Scott widely regarded as the best keeper in the clubs history. He later played 11 times for the Everton first team but was best known to the public for his 302 appearances for Chelsea and Corinthian.

The Corinthians were founded in September 1882 and quickly became recognised as a prime example of sportsmanship while provided entertaining and open play. Their attitude towards sportsmanship is illustrated by a comment made by C.B.Fry, a famous Corinthian, when the penalties rule was first introduced in 1891, he said it was “a standing insult to sportsmen to have to play under a rule which assumes that players intend to trip, hack and push opponents and to behave like cads of the first kidney”. For some years after if a penalty was awarded against the Corinthians their keeper would simply lean against a goalpost when the kick was taken and if they were awarded one their captain would deliberately miss. In later years they took a more practical approach.

The Corinthians often toured abroad and are credited with having popularised football around the world while championed the ideals of amateurism. Spanish side Real Madrid adopted the Corinthian’s white kit and following a Corinthians tour of South America a group of Brazilian Sao Paulo railway workers were inspired to found what became one of Brazil's largest and most successful teams Sport Club Corinthians Paulistan, winners of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2000 and 2012.

In 1921 Baker signed for Chelsea, playing 92 times for them often before 60,000+ at Stamford Bridge. He was a great favourite with the fans who much admired his acrobatic ability in goal. He was   known and liked however well beyond Chelsea, The Times often reporting on his goalkeeping antics.

The Players cigarette card shown on the left illustrates the style of caricature often used by the press.