He went 0-for-1, and he appeared in five other games that year and collected two hits. Atlanta Braves (1968–1975) Baker in 1974īaker made his debut as a call-up on September 7, 1968, against the Houston Astros. It was also during the year that Baker would serve as a Marine Corps Reserve in motor transport mechanics, as suggested by the team he would do so for six years. He then played in the Western Carolinas League and the Florida State League (mostly in the former) before playing six games in the majors the following year. Īs an outfielder, Baker played his first baseball games in the Texas League in Austin in the AA classification, playing nine games in 1967. Baker did not speak to his father for three years nor reconcile for a few years after that seeing how his finances were invested softened Baker's perception of his father along with inspiring him to become a stockbroker for a time later in life. Baker decided to sign with the team to the anger of his father, who sued to nullify the contract (and the $15,000 signing bonus), which led to a decision where the State of California appointed a trustee over his finances until his 21st birthday. On June 19 of that year, the Braves tasked Hank Aaron to try to influence Baker to sign with the team, with Aaron promising to both Baker and his mother Christine that he would take care of Baker as if he was his own son, while guaranteeing that Baker would be in the majors before his college class graduated. Professional career Draft and minor leagues īaker was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1967 amateur draft, despite his prayers to not play in the Deep South. The one scout who saw something in Baker was Bill Wight, as he knew the situation between Baker and his family, which had just seen his father and mother go through a divorce that worried Baker about potentially being a burden to his parents. His father was so committed to his son going to college that he went around and told scouts that his son would go to college and play either football or basketball, as opposed to them wasting a draft pick on Baker. As such, he was offered a basketball scholarship by Santa Clara University. īaker excelled in baseball, basketball, football, and track in Del Campo High School near Sacramento, California and he was inducted into the Sac-Joaquin Section's Hall of Fame class in 2010 for his play at Del Campo. Baker grew up as a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and described Tommy Davis as his hero, but the signing of Bobby Bonds in 1968 made him a fan of the San Francisco Giants. In 1963, when Dusty was 14 years old, the Baker family moved to the Sacramento area near McClellan Air Force Base. When the younger Baker wanted to quit baseball and have a paper route, his father told him that he did not raise a son who was a quitter as a way to try to encourage him to spin his attitude into a positive direction. Baker played a variety of sports growing up, describing basketball as his very first love while also playing sports such as baseball, with his father being his coach for Little League, although this did not stop the elder Baker from kicking his son off of teams because of his tantrums. His father worked as an Air Force sheet-metal technician at Norton Air Force Base. He earned the nickname "Dusty" from his mother because of his propensity for playing in a dirt spot in the backyard. Baker ranks eighth in MLB managerial wins and has the most wins among African American managers.īaker grew up in Riverside, California, as the oldest of five children. He is also the first MLB manager to reach the playoffs and win a division title with five different teams, having accomplished both feats with each team he managed. Baker won the 2022 World Series with the Astros and is the oldest manager to win a championship in the four major North American sports. He has served as the manager of the Astros since 2020. He also made three World Series appearances, winning one in 1981.Īfter retiring as a player, Baker served as the manager of the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2002, the Chicago Cubs from 2003 to 2006, the Cincinnati Reds from 2008 to 2013, and Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2017. During his Dodgers tenure, he was a two-time All-Star, won two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award, and became the first NLCS MVP, which he received during the 1977 National League Championship Series. He previously played in MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). October 4, 1986, for the Oakland Athletics September 7, 1968, for the Atlanta Braves
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