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-{{ovation.company}}Dusty Baker, current manager of the World Champion Houston Astros, and future Hall of Famer, is entering his 50th season in Major League baseball, 19 years as a player, five as a coach and 26 as a manager.
By taking the Houston Astros to the World Series, Dusty became the oldest manager in MLB history to take a team to the World Series and win the World Series. He is the first African-American manager to have 50 post season wins
Dusty reached and passed the 2,000 win mark in 2022 finishing with 2,093 wins to become the 9th winningest manager on the MLB Managerial all time win list. Dusty is one of four players/managers to have a combined 3,000 wins during their career.
Dusty is the first MLB manager to reach the playoffs with five different teams, the San Francisco Giants (10), Chicago Cubs (4), Cincinnati Reds (6), Washington Nationals (2) and the Houston Astros (3).
Dusty led the Washington Nationals to two consecutive NL East titles in 2016 (95 wins) and 2017 (97 wins). The first back-to-back division titles in Washington Nationals team history.
In 2013, Dusty led the Cincinnati Reds to a 90-72 record and the MLB Playoffs for the third time in four years. In 2012 Dusty led the Reds to their second NL Central Division title in three years after taking the Reds to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years in 2010. In 2010 Dusty finished second in the NL Manager of the year voting; only one vote shy of winning the award. Dusty is currently ranked #3 in wins (509 with a .542 winning percentage) in the history of the Cincinnati Reds (EST. in 1882).
Dusty started his managerial career in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants and is second in San Francisco franchise wins. In Giants franchise history dating back to 1883 Dusty Baker is third in managerial wins.
Highlights in Dusty Baker’s career include the following:
As a player Dusty Baker spent 19 prestigious seasons with Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland. Final career stats include a .278 batting average, 242 home runs and 1,014 runs-batted-in. Clutch statistic: Dusty is the MLB leader in career walk-off hits with 25. He was twice selected to the National League All-Star team, appeared in four National League Championship Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was selected NLCS MVP after hitting .357 in the Dodger’s 4-game series with Philadelphia. Dusty went to three World Series with the Dodgers and beat the New York Yankees in 1981 to win the World Championship. Won two Silver Slugger Awards in 1981-82 for offense and a Gold Glove Award for defense in 1981. As a player named to the All-Time Los Angeles Dodger team and as a Manager named to the All-Time San Francisco Giants Team.
In 2015, Dusty created the Baker Solar Team and Baker Family Wines and wrote a book Kiss the Sky: My Weekend in Monterey at the Greatest Concert Ever. Dusty also was a broadcast analyst for the TBS coverage of the National League Division and Championship Series giving a bottle of Baker Family Wine to the player who distinguished himself best in each game.
In 2016 the MLB Network did a documentary on Dusty’s 50 years of Major League Baseball: “Dusty: A Baseball Journey.”
Dusty is a cancer survivor.
Dusty's hobbies include hunting and fishing. He speaks fluid Spanish. Dusty was an active member of the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 1969 through 1975. Dusty is a member of the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame. He has co-authored You Can Teach Hitting and has produced numerous videos on hitting. Founded the Dusty Baker International Academy of Baseball in Sacramento which ran successfully for 35 years. Dusty is very active in the community and supportive of charitable organizations.