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Dusty Baker

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Dusty Baker

Outfielder, Manager

Born: June 15 1949 (1949-06-15) (age 58)
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 7, 1968 for the Atlanta Braves
Final game
October 4, 1986 for the Oakland Athletics
Career statistics
AVG	.278
HR	242
RBI	1,013
Teams
As Player Atlanta Braves (1968–1975) Los Angeles Dodgers (1976-1983) San Francisco Giants (1984) Oakland Athletics (1985-1986) As Manager San Francisco Giants (1993-2002) Chicago Cubs (2003-2006) Cincinnati Reds (2008-present)
Career highlights and awards
National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (1977) Gold Glove – Outfielder (1981) Silver Slugger – Outfielder (1980, 1981) National League All-star team (1981, 1982) The Sporting News National League All-star team (1980) “All-Time Dodgers Team” (1990) National League Manager of the Year (1993, 1997, 2000)

Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. (born June 15 1949 in Riverside, California) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball and the current manager of the Cincinnati Reds.^[1] He previously led the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, winning the 2002 National League pennant with the Giants.

1 Playing career
2 Managerial career
3 Broadcasting career
4 Personal life
5 Managerial records
6 See also
7 Notes
8 External links

Playing career

Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1967 amateur draft out of Del Campo High School near Sacramento, CA, Dusty Baker began his professional baseball career as an outfielder for the Braves in 1968. After spending sixteen full seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as a short tenure with the San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics, Baker finished his prosperous career as a player with .278 batting average, 242 home runs, and 1,013 runs batted in. Furthermore, a few of Baker’s accomplishments as a player include playing for the National League All-Star team in 1981 and 1982, winning three League Championship series in 1977, 1978, and 1981. Baker ultimately won a World Series title in 1981 with the Dodgers. Baker also earned a spot as a footnote in history. On April 8, 1974, Baker was on deck when Hank Aaron hit home run 715 to pass Babe Ruth in career home runs. (He said he hit a double "That nobody saw and nobody cared" in that at-bat.) Baker played his final season in 1986.

Managerial career

San Francisco Giants

Baker's coaching career, ironically, started with his former Dodger arch-rival: the San Francisco Giants. Baker began his coaching career as a first base coach for the San Francisco Giants in 1988, and then spent the following four years (1989-1992) as the hitting coach, and finally became the manager in 1993, replacing the departing Roger Craig. In his very first year as Giants manager, he won the N.L. Manager of the Year award, leading the team to a 103-59 record, which was the second-best record in baseball that year (behind the 104-58 Atlanta Braves), and 31 games better than their 72-90 finish the previous year. His Giants went on to win division titles in 1997 and again in 2000; Baker would win Manager of the Year honors in both of those years as well. In 2002, his Giants gained the Wild-Card berth and from there advanced to the World Series, where they lost in seven games to the Anaheim Angels. It was during his San Francisco tenure that the term "Dustiny" was coined by the late former Giants pitcher Rod Beck. Despite Baker’s success in San Francisco, the Giants let him leave to manage the Chicago Cubs and hired Felipe Alou to replace him.

Chicago Cubs

Baker made a major impact with the Cubs in his first season as manager for the ball club. With the help of an impressive pitching staff and big gun batters such as Sammy Sosa and Moisés Alou, the Chicago Cubs were able to claim their first divisional title in over a decade. Baker instantly became an icon in the Chicago sports scene, as a plethora of Cubs fans could be seen sporting “In Dusty We Trusty!” shirts. However, the Cubs’ hopes for winning a World Series title were cut short during the 2003 National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins. While angered Cubs fans denounced the defeat as a mere series of unfortunate “mishaps,” the Marlins would go on to claim the 2003 World Series title. Still crushed by defeat, numerous Cubs began to wear humorous T-shirts, which featured the spoonerism, “Muck the Farlins!”. Following the 2003 season, Baker and the Cubs failed to see another playoff berth. In 2004 in baseball, the team was involved in a heated wild card chase with the Houston Astros, but fell out of contention near the season’s end. In the subsequent season, the Cubs lost several of their key players, most notably ace pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, to injuries. The team finished the season with a 79-83 record, marking the first time in three years that the Cubs finished with a losing record. The Cubs’ performance declined in the next season, as they fell to 66-96, and finished last in the entire National League.[1] Baker was scrutinized for the Cubs’ declining productivity. Many fans and commentators blamed his consistent tendency to overuse pitchers for ending the careers of Wood and particularly Prior. [2] While the Cubs’ organization stated that Baker would remain the team’s manager throughout the 2006 season, they did not renew his contract. They allowed Baker to address the media in a press-conference in early October, where he officially announced his departure. The Cubs turned to Lou Piniella to replace Baker for the 2007 Chicago Cubs season. Under Piniella, the Cubs made it to the National League Division Series, but fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three game sweep.

Cincinnati Reds

On October 13, 2007, Baker was hired as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, replacing interim manager Pete Mackanin. He also is the first African American manager in Reds history.

Broadcasting career

Despite stating that he was interested in landing another managerial position for the 2007 season, Baker found no organizations willing to give him that opportunity. He was reported to have been a candidate for the San Diego Padres managerial opening.[3] He served as an ESPN analyst during the 2006 MLB Postseason and and served in a similar role during the 2007 regular season.[4]

Personal life

Baker was an active member of the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 1969 through 1975.^[2] Baker has a wife, Melissa, and two children named Natosha and Darren. Darren was famously rescued from being run over at home plate by JT Snow during the 2002 World Series^[3].

Managerial records

Team	Year	Regular Season				Post Season
Team	Year	Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
SF	1993	103	59	.636	2^nd in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	1994	55	60	.478	2^nd in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	1995	67	77	.465	4^th in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	1996	68	94	.420	4^th in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	1997	90	72	.556	1^st in NL West	0	3	.000	Lost in NLDS
SF	1998	89	74	.546	2^nd in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	1999	86	76	.531	2^nd in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	2000	97	65	.599	1^st in NL West	1	3	.250	Lost in NLDS
SF	2001	90	72	.556	2^nd in NL West	-	-	-	-
SF	2002	95	66	.590	2^nd in NL West	10	6	.625	Lost in World Series
CHC	2003	88	74	.543	1^st in NL Central	6	6	.500	Lost in NLCS
CHC	2004	89	73	.549	3^rd in NL Central	-	-	-	-
CHC	2005	79	83	.488	4^th in NL Central	-	-	-	-
CHC	2005	66	96	.407	6^th in NL Central	-	-	-	-

Notes

^ "Reds give Dusty Baker a three-year deal". Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
^ Speakers Platform
^ "Baker's son gets unexpected ride from home plate", 2002-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (as player)
Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (as manager)
Dusty's Awards
Image of Darren Baker at home plate during the 2002 World Series
Image of Darren Baker at home plate during the 2002 World Series

Accomplishments

Preceded by None; inaugural winner	National League Championship Series MVP 1977	Succeeded by Steve Garvey
Preceded by Mike Schmidt Andre Dawson	National League Player of the Month June, 1980 July, 1983	Succeeded by Bob Horner Mel Hall
Preceded by Jim Leyland Bruce Bochy Jack McKeon	National League Manager of the Year 1993 1997 2000	Succeeded by Felipe Alou Larry Dierker Larry Bowa
Preceded by Roger Craig	San Francisco Giants Manager 1993–2002	Succeeded by Felipe Alou
Preceded by Bruce Kimm	Chicago Cubs Manager 2003-2006	Succeeded by Lou Piniella
Preceded by Pete Mackanin	Cincinnati Reds Manager 2008-	Succeeded by incumbent

• • e

San Francisco Giants managers

New York Giants (1885-1957)
Clapp • Price • Ward • Mutrie • Powers • Ward • Davis • Doyle • Watkins • Irwin • Joyce • Anson • Day • Hoey • Ewing • Davis • Fogel • Smith • McGraw • Terry • Ott • Durocher • Rigney
San Francisco Giants (1958-present)
Rigney • Sheehan • Dark • Franks • King • Fox • Westrum • Rigney • Altobelli • Bristol • Robinson • Ozark • Davenport • Craig • Baker • Alou • Bochy

• • e

Chicago Cubs managers

Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889)
Spalding • Ferguson • Flint • Anson
Chicago Colts (1890-1897)
Anson
Chicago Orphans (1898-1901)
Burns • Loftus
Chicago Cubs (1902-present)
Selee • Chance • Evers • O'Day • Bresnahan • Tinker • Mitchell • Evers • Killefer • Maranville • Gibson • McCarthy • Hornsby • Grimm • Hartnett • Wilson • Johnson • Grimm • Frisch • Cavarretta • Hack • Scheffing • Grimm • Boudreau • College of Coaches • Kennedy • Klein • Durocher • Lockman • Marshall • Franks • Gómez • Amalfitano • Elia • Fox • Frey • Vukovich • Michael • Lucchesi • Zimmer • Altobelli • Essian • Lefebvre • Trebelhorn • Riggleman • Baylor • Kimm • Baker • Piniella

• • e

Cincinnati Reds managers

Schmelz • Loftus • Comiskey • Ewing • Allen • McPhee • Bancroft • Kelley • Hanlon • Ganzel • Griffith • O'Day • Tinker • Herzog • Wingo • Mathewson • Groh • Moran • Hendricks • Howley • Bush • O'Farrell • Shotton • Dressen • Wallace • McKechnie • Gowdy • Neun • Walters • Sewell • Hornsby • Tebbetts • Dykes • Smith • Hutchinson • Sisler • Heffner • Bristol • Anderson • McNamara • Nixon • Rapp • Rose • Helms • Piniella • Pérez • Johnson • Knight • McKeon • Boone • Miley • Narron • Mackanin • Baker

This box: • • edit Current Major League Baseball managers
AMERICAN LEAGUE
EAST DIVISION 47 Trembley (Baltimore) 47 Francona (Boston) 27 Girardi (N.Y. Yankees) 70 Maddon (Tampa Bay) 5 Gibbons (Toronto)	CENTRAL DIVISION 13 Guillén (Chi. White Sox) 22 Wedge (Cleveland) 10 Leyland (Detroit) 22 Hillman (Kansas City) 35 Gardenhire (Minnesota)	WEST DIVISION 14 Scioscia (L.A. Angels) 53 Geren (Oakland) 8 McLaren (Seattle) 38 Washington (Texas)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
EAST DIVISION 6 Cox (Atlanta) 33 González (Florida) 12 Randolph (N.Y. Mets) 41 Manuel (Philadelphia) 14 Acta (Washington)	CENTRAL DIVISION 41 Piniella (Chi. Cubs) 12 Baker (Cincinnati) 15 Cooper (Houston) 3 Yost (Milwaukee) 7 Russell (Pittsburgh) 10 La Russa (St. Louis)	WEST DIVISION 3 Melvin (Arizona) 13 Hurdle (Colorado) 6 Torre (L.A. Dodgers) 20 Black (San Diego) 15 Bochy (San Francisco)

• • e

Los Angeles Dodgers 1981 World Series roster

v • • e Baseball Tonight Personalities
Hosts	Karl Ravech (Lead Host, 1996-present) · Chris Berman (Host, 1990-present) · Steve Berthiaume (Host, 2003-2005, 2007-present) · Gary Miller (Lead Host, 1990-1995 · Dave Marash (Host, 1990) · Rich Eisen (Host, 1996-2002) · Brian Kenny (Host, 2003) · Chris Myers (1991-1995) · Scott Reiss (Host, 2006)
Analysts	Orestes Destrade (Analyst, 2005-present) · Orel Hershiser (Analyst, 2006-present) · John Kruk (Lead Analyst, 2004-present) · Eduardo Perez (Analyst, 2007-present) · Steve Phillips (Lead Analyst, 2005-present) · Fernando Viña (Analyst, 2007-present) · Eric Young (Analyst, 2007-present) · Dusty Baker (Analyst, 2007) · Larry Bowa (Analyst, 2005) · Jeff Brantley (Analyst, 2002-2006) · Dave Campbell (Lead Analyst, 1990-2004) · Rob Dibble (Analyst, 1998-2004) · Ray Knight (Analyst, 1998-2003) · Mike Macfarlane (Analyst, 1999) · Tino Martinez (Analyst, 2006) · Brian McRae (Analyst, 2000-2005) · Harold Reynolds (Lead Analyst, 1996-2006) · Bill Robinson (Analyst, 1990-1991) · Buck Showalter (Lead Analyst, 2001-2002) · Rick Sutcliffe (Analyst, 2002-2003) · Bobby Valentine (Lead Analyst, 2003)
Reporters	Peter Gammons (Lead Reporter, 1990-present) · Tim Kurkjian (Reporter, 1998-present) · Buster Olney (Reporter, 2003-present) · Jayson Stark (2000-present)
Correspondents	Pedro Gomez (2004-present) · Bob Holtzman (2004-present)
See also: Major League Baseball on ESPN