One of the greatest two-way careers in Major League Baseball history ended last week.
Dusty Baker’s retirement concluded the second chapter of a true lifetime spent in the sport.
Baker broke in as a 19-year-old outfielder with the Atlanta Braves, though he didn’t become a regular until 1972. One of his outfield mates and mentors was the great Hank Aaron.
Baker would play 19 years in the big leagues. Among his achievements were two all-star selections, two Silver Slugger awards and one Golden Glove selection.
He was even the first MVP winner when the championship series began honoring those choices, winning it in 1977 as a member of the Dodgers. He also played on the 1981 World Series champion Dodgers as well.
But as impressive as those statistics are, they pale next to his 26-year track record as a manager. Baker took five different teams to the postseason, the only manager in baseball history to achieve that.
Unfortunately, until last season that feat proved a double edged sword. Because none of his teams ever won the title, Baker was labeled “the best manager whose team never won a World Series.”That was a polite way of saying he couldn’t win the big one.
But last season the Astros did win the World Series, giving Baker that elusive title.
Though they lost in seven games this season to the Texas Rangers and failed to repeat as World Series winners, no one would or should diminish the managerial job Baker did.
He will certainly be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame once eligible. At 74 he said during his retirement announcement he wanted to remain active in baseball as either a team consultant or with the league office.
“I have a lifetime of knowledge which is more than those who have never played the gane,” Baker said.
That was a slam against the ever increasing domination of the sport by analytics, much of it driven by non playing and/or non athletic types. Baker made peace with the trend as a manager, but wants to make certain that the advice and counsel, as well as wisdom of people who’ve spent long careers playing, scouting or managing the game, is discounted.
He also remains concerned about the disappearing presence of Black Americans in baseball. His retirement leaves just one Black American manager in MLB, Dave Roberts of the Dodgers.
Surely either a team or the MLB office will find a role for Dusty Baker. He has too much insight and experience for his perspective on the game to be ignored.
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