HOUSTON — Dusty Baker has retired as manager of the Houston Astros, ending an illustrious 26-year career as an MLB skipper highlighted by a World Series championship to cap the 2022 season.
Baker broke the news Wednesday in an interview with USA Today.
“I’m very grateful and thankful to (team owner) Jim Crane and the Houston Astros for giving me this opportunity, and to win a championship,” Baker told the national media outlet. “I felt like they’ve been good for me, and I’ve been good for them.
“What I really appreciate is that Jim has been totally honest and transparent with me on all things.”
Baker also said he’d like to move into an advisory role in baseball, either with the Astros or a team closer to his Northern California home.
“I’ve still got a lot to offer; baseball has been my life,” the 74-year-old Baker said. “I have a lifetime of knowledge, much more than those who have never played the game.”
The Astros have scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning, with Baker, Crane and general manager Dana Brown set to attend.
Baker stepped down after his fourth season with the Astros, who came one win shy of what would have been their third straight World Series appearance. They lost to the Texas Rangers in an American League Championship Series that went all seven games and wrapped up Monday night.
A toothpick chewer and an epic storyteller who seemed to know just about everybody in baseball, Baker finished his career ranked ninth with 2,183 victories in 4,046 regular-season games. He was the 12th manager in MLB history to reach 2,000 wins and the first Black man to accomplish the feat.
Ten of the other 11 managers who have accumulated at least 2,000 wins are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bruce Bochy (2,093), who is still managing the Rangers and isn’t yet eligible, is the only exception.
“Dusty Baker is a legend in this sport,” Houston shortstop Jeremy Peña said Monday night. “I’ve loved every single day that I’ve gotten to share with him on this ballclub. He’s been great for me. He’s shown so much confidence in me. He’s been a great manager.”
Baker began managing in 1993 after a 19-year playing career as an outfielder. He played alongside Hank Aaron with the Atlanta Braves and won the 1981 World Series while playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Baker managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals before coming to Houston. He’s the only manager in MLB history to take five franchises to the postseason.
He came to the Astros to help clean up their image in the wake of their sign-stealing scandal that cost manager A.J. Hinch his job.
Baker posted a 320-226 record with the Astros, leading them to the playoffs in each of his four seasons and winning the AL pennant twice.
He is one of three Black managers to win a World Series, joining Dave Roberts (Dodgers, 2020) and Cito Gaston (Toronto Blue Jays, 1992 and 1993).
Baker made two World Series trips before winning it all with Houston last season. Baker and the Astros fell to the Braves in six games in 2021 after his most crushing defeat in the Fall Classic in 2002.
Baker’s San Francisco Giants starring Barry Bonds entered Game 6 against the Los Angeles Angels that year a win away from a title. As the road team for the last two games of that series, the Giants squandered a five-run lead in a 6-5 loss in the sixth game before the Angels won the title with a 4-1 victory in Game 7.
After being fired by the Nationals after a 97-win season in 2017, Baker wondered if he’d ever get another shot to manage, much less win that elusive title.
Back home in California, as he worked on his wine business and grew collard greens in his garden, he often felt perplexed he had been passed over for interviews so many times as managerial openings came and went, having made inquiries that he said were unanswered over the years.
Then came Crane’s call after the sign-stealing scandal, and Baker was back in the dugout.
Baker took over ahead of the 2020 season, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and shortened to 60 games. The Astros squeaked into the postseason as a wild card before heating up in the playoffs and coming one win shy of reaching the World Series.
Baker was lifelong friends with Aaron, who died in 2021. He was on deck and among the Braves congregated at the plate to celebrate with Aaron on April 8, 1974, when he hit his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth for the MLB career record at the time.