Baker welcomes his ‘last hurrah’
HOUSTON — Dusty Baker hasn’t decided exactly what he’ll say to the scandalriddled Astros when he starts spring training as their new manager, but he’s certain of the message.
“You’ve got to go forward and make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” Baker said. “It certainly is not going to happen on my watch here, and I don’t foresee it happening ever again because this has been an embarrassment for a lot of people.”
Baker was introduced in Houston on Thursday, bringing a wealth of experience to a club reeling from a signstealing scam that cost manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs.
Baker, 70, longed for another shot at an elusive title. An AllStar outfielder while playing 19 years in the majors, Baker has 22 years of managerial experience, starting in 1993 with the Giants. A threetime NL Manager of the Year, Baker was let go by the Nationals after a 9765 season in 2017.
“This is my last hurrah,” he said. “And I thought my last hurrah was in Washington, actually, because I gave all my stuff away. I went to find my shoes, went up to the attic and I found the empty bag … so this is a new beginning for me.”
And a new beginning for the Astros, too, owner Jim Crane made clear. “Dusty’s a person of high integrity and he’s a respected leader,” he said. “Hiring Dusty Baker is one big step for us to move forward.”
Baker has served since 2018 as a special adviser to Giants CEO Larry Baer. Baker regularly attended son Darren’s college games at Cal.
With just two weeks from spring training, Baker said he would keep Hinch’s staff intact.