Lee Baker is the longest serving sports anchor in Amarillo and has been in the market for nearly 35 years.
Born and raised in Indiana, Baker joined the U.S. Navy after graduating high school and served in the Vietnam war in the Naval intelligence and communications fields. He continues working with veterans through the Texas Panhandle chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.
After his enlistment was up, Baker graduated from Indiana University. He started working in TV in Farmington, New Mexico – in a market that doesn’t exist anymore.
For more than fifteen years running, Baker has been voted “Favorite Sportscaster” by the community in a survey the local paper puts out, including a spot in that Hall of Fame. This is because of his dedication to the kids in the area – not just to tell their stories in their respective sports, but to tell what they do in the classroom and their communities.
In addition to working every day, Baker quietly volunteers in the community. He’s worked with Kids Inc., a local sports organization for children and the Lions Club to serve the viewers in a different way.
Among his many awards, one of his favorites was being named “Sports Dude” of the year by the Amarillo Gorillas hockey team. He’s also spoken numerous times to GED graduates at the Amarillo prison through their education program.
His wife, Velma, has put up with him for 22 years. He has two daughters and two beautiful granddaughters who are the light of his life.