Eight-year Dodger Dusty Baker gets first world series title at the helm
The 2022 MLB season is officially over. The Houston Astros defeated the Philadephia Phillies in six games on Saturday night. The bad guys won, and every Dodger/baseball fan is sick to their stomach.
One silver lining we could take away from the win is the beloved Johnnie B. Baker, AKA Dusty Baker.
Last night, Dusty finally got over his hurdle of not winning a World Series as Manager and led the Astros to their first World Series* title in franchise history.
Baker is a former Dodger who spent eight seasons at Chavez Ravine from 1976-1983. He was a two-time All-Star, NLCS MVP, and a World Series champion in LA.
His best years were when he was a member of the Boys in Blue. In 1,117 games with the Dodgers, he slashed .281/.343/.437 with a .780 OPS and a 116 OPS+. Baker hit 144 home runs and 586 RBIs and stole the most bases in his career with LA with 73 stolen bases.
His career as Manager has probably been better. The Riverside native is a three-time Manager of the year, winning all those three as Manager for the San Francisco Giants in 1993,1997, and 2000. Baker has been managing since 1993 and has led teams to multiple World Series appearances but came up short in many of those appearances.
As Manager for the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals, and Astros, he has a record of 2,093-1,790 with a win percentage of 54%.
I’m glad Dusty finally got his first World Series as a manager, but it’s upsetting knowing the team he was managing.
However, Baker remains in the Once a Dodger, Always a Dodger realm.
