Is 2021 the year? Is it finally the year for Dusty Baker?
Dusty Baker is now in his 24th season as a major-league manager. After stops with the Giants, Cubs, Reds and Nationals, he’s now running the Houston Astros.
This all happened after a 19-year playing career that started at age 19 with his 2021 World Series opponent, the Atlanta Braves.
Should the Astros win the World Series, the well-respected and venerable 72-year-old boss might just choose to ride off into the proverbial sunset and retire. His contract is up with the Astros anyway, and if he accomplishes this feat, surely this baseball lifer will note to himself that he’s accomplished everything he can in the game.
As a player, Baker was a two-time All-Star who finished as high as fourth in MVP voting. He was an NLCS MVP, was a member of three pennant-winning teams and was a regular on the 1981 World Series champion Dodgers.
Shortly after playing, he started coaching and rose the ranks to manager by 1993 at age 44.
He has now taken all five of the teams he managed to the playoffs. In fact, he’s won his division with all five. He’s 12th all-time in manager wins. He has a regular-season winning percentage of .534 (a 162-game pace of 87 wins and that’s his average season).
He won the 2002 NL pennant with the Giants and now 2021 AL pennant with the Astros.
The one thing that has eluded him is winning a World Series as a manager. Read more...
