Penny Baker [#4] at 2004 National SCRABBLE® Championship

[ Congratulations to the new National Champion, Trey Wright, who defeated David Gibson in three straight games, 365-328, 355-344 and 429-328. Please tune in to ESPN to watch the final games at 1 P.M. ET on Sunday, October 3rd, 2004. We welcome your e-mailed corrections to our web site. ]

On this page, you will find information about Penny Baker, who is a contestant in Division 5 at the 2004 National SCRABBLE® Championship, held July 31st - August 5th in New Orleans, LA. This page is updated at least hourly between 09:00 A.M. and midnight CDT. Baker currently has a record of 13.5-16.5, -59, and is ranked #64 in Division 5.

Lower on this page, you can find brief self-reported biographical details of the player, statistics on the player's past several years of rated tournament play in North America, a graphic showing the player's ups and downs at this tournament, and a round-by-round report on the player's opponents and games.

Background Information
	Given name(s): Penny Surname(s): Baker Home: Laguna Woods, CA, United States Age: 82 Hobbies: Swimming, table tennis, travel Occupation: Retired

Career History

5-year record against other players at this event	15-8 (0.652)
Past 1-12 months	2-0 (1.000)	WW
Past 13-24 months	5-5 (0.500)	WWWW LLL W LL
Past 25-36 months	6-2 (0.750)	W L W L WWWW
Past 37-48 months	no games
Past 49-60 months	2-1 (0.667)	W L W

Rank Diagram

[rank diagram]
See legend

Round-by-Round
High score: 483 Average for: 360 Average against: 364
Round 1		Baker played #76 Phillip L. Spry (Colorado Springs, CO) and lost 313 to 477 (a spread of -164) . Before this event, Baker had not played Spry in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #86. Current record: 0-1, -164.
Round 2		Baker played #20 Beulah Cooper (Austin, TX) and won 370 to 338 (a spread of 32) . Before this event, Baker had not played Cooper in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #63. Current record: 1-1, -132.
Round 3		Baker played #41 Tobin Lathrop (Seattle, WA) and lost 369 to 406 (a spread of -37) . Before this event, Baker had not played Lathrop in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #70. Current record: 1-2, -169.
Round 4		Baker played #94 Justine Zollinger (Memphis, TN) and won 406 to 347 (a spread of 59) . Before this event, Baker had not played Zollinger in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #56. Current record: 2-2, -110.
Round 5		Baker played #7 Frances Bauer (London ON) and lost 292 to 436 (a spread of -144) . Before this event, Baker had not played Bauer in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #67. Current record: 2-3, -254.
Round 6		Baker played #30 Bruce Gram (Los Angeles, CA) and lost 337 to 421 (a spread of -84) . The last time these two played was 2004-05 at: WEST LOS ANGELES, CA Baker's record vs. Gram in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: W. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #75. Current record: 2-4, -338.
Round 7		Baker played #82 Laura Thomley (Gainesville, FL) and tied at 373 . Before this event, Baker had not played Thomley in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #70. Current record: 2.5-4.5, -338.
Round 8		Baker played #43 Barbara Major (Alexandria, VA) and won 380 to 370 (a spread of 10) . Before this event, Baker had not played Major in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #52. Current record: 3.5-4.5, -328.
Round 9		Baker played #5 Ron Barker (Portland, OR) and lost 377 to 405 (a spread of -28) . The last time these two played was 2003-02 at: PHOENIX, AZ Baker's record vs. Barker in the 5 years leading up to this event: 2-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: WW. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #64. Current record: 3.5-5.5, -356.
Round 10		Baker played #42 Gail Linn (Potomac, MD) and won 483 to 304 (a spread of 179) . The last time these two played was 2003-04 at: PANAMA CANAL CRUISE Baker's record vs. Linn in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-3 (0.250). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: LLLW. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #54. Current record: 4.5-5.5, -177.
Round 11		Baker played #86 Marina A. Villena (San Pablo, CA) and won 395 to 262 (a spread of 133) . Before this event, Baker had not played Villena in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #41. Current record: 5.5-5.5, -44.
Round 12		Baker played #75 Rea Spidel (Memphis, TN) and won 378 to 262 (a spread of 116) . Before this event, Baker had not played Spidel in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #31. Current record: 6.5-5.5, +72.
Round 13		Baker played #93 Jeanne Yori (Culver City, CA) and lost 316 to 319 (a spread of -3) . The last time these two played was 2002-05 at: WEST LOS ANGELES, CA Baker's record vs. Yori in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: W. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #41. Current record: 6.5-6.5, +69.
Round 14		Baker played #8 Margaret Bee (Houston, TX) and lost 274 to 431 (a spread of -157) . Before this event, Baker had not played Bee in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #51. Current record: 6.5-7.5, -88.
Round 15		Baker played #10 Harriett Berkelhammer (Pompano Beach, FL) and lost 330 to 362 (a spread of -32) . Before this event, Baker had not played Berkelhammer in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #62. Current record: 6.5-8.5, -120.
Round 16		Baker played #50 Joy Nees (Dallas, TX) and won 385 to 357 (a spread of 28) . The last time these two played was 2002-08 at: NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP Baker's record vs. Nees in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: W. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #53. Current record: 7.5-8.5, -92.
Round 17		Baker played #48 Sandy Nang (Los Angeles, CA) and lost 380 to 414 (a spread of -34) . Before this event, Baker had not played Nang in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #64. Current record: 7.5-9.5, -126.
Round 18		Baker played #11 Barbara Besadny (Madison, WI) and lost 313 to 343 (a spread of -30) . The last time these two played was 2000-02 at: PHOENIX, AZ Baker's record vs. Besadny in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-1 (0.500). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: LW. Current ranking: #66. Current record: 7.5-10.5, -156.
Round 19		Baker played #54 Lorraine Pariser (Santa Monica, CA) and won 416 to 385 (a spread of 31) . The last time these two played was 2004-05 at: WEST LOS ANGELES, CA Baker's record vs. Pariser in the 5 years leading up to this event: 3-2 (0.600). Past 1-12 months: W. Past 13-24 months: WL. Past 25-36 months: L. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: W. Current ranking: #58. Current record: 8.5-10.5, -125.
Round 20		Baker played #16 Tacy Callies (Orlando, FL) and won 420 to 348 (a spread of 72) . Before this event, Baker had not played Callies in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #53. Current record: 9.5-10.5, -53.
Round 21		Baker played #27 Jeanne Gannon (Holmdel, NJ) and lost 311 to 337 (a spread of -26) . Before this event, Baker had not played Gannon in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #60. Current record: 9.5-11.5, -79.
Round 22		Baker played #15 Andrew Callies (Orlando, FL) and lost 380 to 398 (a spread of -18) . Before this event, Baker had not played Callies in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #66. Current record: 9.5-12.5, -97.
Round 23		Baker played #9 Mike Benjamin (Knoxville, TN) and lost 336 to 384 (a spread of -48) . Before this event, Baker had not played Benjamin in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #74. Current record: 9.5-13.5, -145.
Round 24		Baker played #50 Joy Nees (Dallas, TX) and won 361 to 326 (a spread of 35) . The last time these two played was 2002-08 at: NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP Baker's record vs. Nees in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: W. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #65. Current record: 10.5-13.5, -110.
Round 25		Baker played #12 Tracy Bowman (Chicago, IL) and lost 319 to 371 (a spread of -52) . Before this event, Baker had not played Bowman in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #71. Current record: 10.5-14.5, -162.
Round 26		Baker played #54 Lorraine Pariser (Santa Monica, CA) and lost 376 to 382 (a spread of -6) . The last time these two played was 2004-05 at: WEST LOS ANGELES, CA Baker's record vs. Pariser in the 5 years leading up to this event: 3-2 (0.600). Past 1-12 months: W. Past 13-24 months: WL. Past 25-36 months: L. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: W. Current ranking: #78. Current record: 10.5-15.5, -168.
Round 27		Baker played #48 Sandy Nang (Los Angeles, CA) and lost 296 to 330 (a spread of -34) . Before this event, Baker had not played Nang in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #79. Current record: 10.5-16.5, -202.
Round 28		Baker played #93 Jeanne Yori (Culver City, CA) and won 392 to 328 (a spread of 64) . The last time these two played was 2002-05 at: WEST LOS ANGELES, CA Baker's record vs. Yori in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: W. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #76. Current record: 11.5-16.5, -138.
Round 29		Baker recorded a bye with a spread of 50 points. Current ranking: #70. Current record: 12.5-16.5, -88.
Round 30		Baker played #37 Bill Kinsella (Yale BC) and won 356 to 327 (a spread of 29) . The last time these two played was 2002-10 at: WESTERN CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP Baker's record vs. Kinsella in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: W. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #64. Current record: 13.5-16.5, -59.

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