Longtime Phillies PA announcer and former Big 5 Executive Secretary Dan Baker said of A Soaring Season: "You can't put it down once you pick it up." (Photo: @DanBakerPhils/X)
By AARON BRACY
November 15, 2024
As a highly respected voice in Philadelphia sports for more than 50 years, Dan Baker was one of the first people I thought about when considering whom to ask to review A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks.
The book is being published by Brookline Books and slated to be available wherever books are sold on March 1, 2025. You can preorder the book now by clicking HERE.
Why Baker? Well, of course, everyone knows his voice as the longtime Phillies PA announcer, a position he’s held since 1972. But some might not know his long history with the Big 5. Not only was Baker a Big 5 radio play-by-play announcer between 1977–1998, but he also was the Big 5’s Executive Secretary from 1981–1996. A lifelong Philadelphian, Baker knows the city’s sports scene and the Big 5 intimately. In addition to his knowledge, I felt that whatever Baker said about the book would resonate with Philadelphia sports fans because he is a trusted voice on the local sports scene.
So, I was elated—actually, I was moved to tears—to hear and read Baker’s words about the book. In a phone conversation on Monday night a day before sending his formal review, which you can read below, Baker was complimentary of A Soaring Season.
“Your book is wonderful, Aaron,” he told me over the phone as I choked back tears. “It’s a great, great story that needs to be told. It’s so well done. It brings back so many wonderful memories. The book is fantastic. You can’t put it down once you pick it up.”
Baker lauded the time and research devoted to telling the story, saying of it, “I’ve seldom seen that in a book.”
Here is Baker’s formal review, which I have submitted to the publisher for consideration on the back cover.
“In the quickly changing world of college basketball, take a moment to enjoy this Philadelphia treasure masterfully detailed by sportswriter/author Aaron Bracy. A Soaring Season tells the magnificent story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks, led by All-American guard Jameer Nelson. The team was coached brilliantly by Phil Martelli, whose close working relationship with athletic director Don DiJulia accomplished so much! The Hawks were undefeated in the regular season and ranked #1 in the country! What else did it take for all of this to come to pass? What place does it hold in Saint Joseph’s basketball history? Aaron tells you all about it. You won’t put the book down!”
—
Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.