Dusty Baker will officially retire as a manager on Thursday putting to an end and incredible baseball legacy that spanned more than 40 years as a player and manager. It was with the Astros that he finally won his first championship and solidified his position as a Hall of Fame manager.
Some fans will dwell on the questionable decisions over his final year with the team as the Astros struggled and ultimately fell in the ALCS to the Rangers. But, that would be a mistake given just what Baker did for not only the team, but the entire franchise in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. Let’s look at his biggest successes.
Holding It Together
It is hard to imagine someone in baseball who carries as much credibility and is as beloved as Dusty Baker, which is why hiring him as a manager after the Astros were caught and punished for their sign-stealing scheme in 2017 was the absolute perfect move. His steadying hand both as a manager to players who loved him, but also as a strong voice of character in baseball helped to bail water from what felt like a sinking ship.
Fans outside Houston will never get over the Astros cheating scandal, but even most of those will admit that bringing in Baker was a great move for both the organization and the team. It was, quite honestly, the perfect hire at a very difficult moment for the team and the city.
Navigating the Pandemic
It’s strange how we now all discuss the pandemic in almost foggy terms, like we remember it, but not very clearly. For sports, we are still unpacking the impact. Yes, the pro leagues played…sort of. But, many younger players lost an entire year of development, often rudderless without coaching or training staff.
For the Astros, the eerie empty stadiums full of nothing but cardboard cutouts of fans, was a mess. They lost the division to the A’s (yes, the A’s), remember? Still, they managed to make it to the ALCS for what would be their fourth straight appearance.
Perhaps you have forgotten this too, but that was Baker’s first year on the job. He was already walking into a fraught position with a cheating scandal hanging over the franchise, but he had to navigate one of the nation’s greatest health crises and keep his team together despite injuries and the specter of the season being shut down at any minute.
2000 Wins
Only the twelfth manager to accomplish this incredible landmark achievement, Baker is also the first Black coach to do it. Baker is, like most athletes, a competitive guy by nature. This was certainly a goal of his, which played a part in his decision to join the Astros. But, it doesn’t make it any less impressive.
Seven Straight ALCS Appearances
The first three were not under his tenure, but leading them to one in the COVID-shortened season followed by three more is a remarkable feat. To have the kind of competitive excellence spread out over so many years is difficult to do in any sport, but particularly tough in baseball. Baker has managed the majority of a legitimate dynasty in Houston and all of his portion without the blemish he had to take on when he arrived.
World Series Champion
Nothing tops a title…ever. For Baker, it was his first and for the Astros their second, but with a hugely important caveat. It came without the tarnish of the scandal in 2017. Regardless of the sports hate circulating around the team, this was won fair and square and in impressive fashion. They were clearly the best team in baseball.
For Baker, it was a seminal moment in a storied baseball career and a really good story for all of baseball. Most importantly, it helped to if not erase, at least cover up some of the stain of 2017 and provide Houston with an absolutely legitimate championship.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
