Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker Jr. is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball. He used to be an outfielder for the team (MLB). He used to play in Major League Baseball for 19 years, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
During his time with the Dodgers, he was an All-Star twice, won two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award, and was the first Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) in 1977. He also played in three World Series and won one of them in 1981.
Early Life
Dusty Baker was born in Riverside, California, on June 15, 1949, as Johnnie B. Baker Jr. He has four younger brothers and sisters. Baker and his family moved to the Sacramento area when he was 14 because his father worked at McClellan Air Force Base. Baker went to Del Campo High School in the area.
He was very good at baseball, football, basketball, and track, among other sports. After being picked up by the Atlanta Braves in the amateur draught in 1967, Baker had a big fight with his father, who wanted him to go to college instead. But Baker went ahead and signed with the Braves. This caused him to stop talking to his dad for seven years.
How Much Money Does Dusty Baker Have?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dusty Baker is an American who used to play baseball and is now a manager. He is worth $20 million. Dusty played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1968 to 1986. In 1967, the Atlanta Braves picked him right out of high school. He played in the Minor Leagues for a year before making his debut in the Major Leagues in October 1986.
He kept playing until 1975 for the Atlanta Braves. Then, from 1976 to 1983, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was an All-Star twice while playing for the Dodgers, and they won the 1981 World Series. Then, for a short time each, he played for the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. After that, he stopped playing in the Major Leagues.
From 1976 to 1983, Baker played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and won two Silver Slugger Awards and a Golden Glove Award. In the early 1990s, he became a manager. He was the manager of the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2002. During that time, he was named National League Manager of the Year three times. In 2002, he led the team to the World Series, but they lost and went home.
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Career
At Del Campo High School near Sacramento, California, Dusty Baker was great at baseball, basketball, football, and track. Because of his work at Del Campo, he was inducted into the Sac-Joaquin Section’s Hall of Fame in 2010. So, Santa Clara University gave him a basketball scholarship because he was good at the sport. Baker didn’t want to go to college, even though his father did.
He was picked up by the Atlanta Braves in the 1967 amateur draught, which made his father angry. His father sued to get the contract and $15,000 signing bonus thrown out, but it didn’t work. For seven years, the Bakers could not get along. In 1968, he started playing baseball in the major leagues for the Braves. From 1968 to 1974, he was also a motor transport mechanic in the Marine Corps Reserve.
As a Brave, he became an important part of history. On April 8, 1974, he was up to bat when Hank Aaron hit home run 715, which put him ahead of Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list. During the off-season in the 1970s, he played for the Yaquis de Obregón of the Mexican Pacific League. He said it was the hardest league for him to hit in.
Legendary moment for a legendary manager.
Dusty Baker is the 12th @MLB manager ever, and the first African-American manager, to reach 2,000 career wins.#LevelUp x @budweiserusa pic.twitter.com/3fkYAJlF1N
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 4, 2022
Baker did a lot of his best work as a player while he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was an All-Star for the National League in 1981 and 1982, and the team won three pennants in 1977, 1978, and 1981. In 1977, he was the first player to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the National League Championship Series (NLCS). In the end, Baker won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1981.
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Has Dusty Won a World Series as a Manager?
However, along with the miracles come the tribulations, and winning the World Series has become Baker’s equivalent of 40 days in the desert. He is the first manager in Major League Baseball history to have led five separate teams to the postseason. However, his only other World Series squad, the 2002 Giants, was eliminated by the Angels in seven games.
Personal Life
From 1969 to 1975, Baker served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Baker is married to Melissa and has two kids, Natosha and Darren, from his first marriage. Darren, who was a batboy in the 2002 World Series, was saved from being run over at the home plate by J. T. Snow.
In 2017, the Washington Nationals, which his father managed at the time, picked Darren in the 27th round of the MLB draught. He chose to play infield for the California Golden Bears. In 2021, the Nationals picked him in the tenth round of the amateur draught, and he signed with the team. On the day that Baker won his 2,000th game, his son Darren hit a sacrifice fly to bring home the winning run for his High A team in Delaware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Has Dusty Baker Managed for?
Baker, who is 72 years old, became a manager in 1993 with the Giants. Since then, he has led five different teams to the postseason: the Giants, the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, the Washington Nationals, and the Houston Astros. He is the only manager to have done this.
Did Dusty Baker Ever Win a World Series as a Manager?
Manager of the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals for 22 years. He played baseball for sixteen (16) years, mostly for the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played for the Dodgers for three World Series and won the 1981 World Series.
How Long Was Dusty Baker With the Giants?
Baker spent 10 years with the Giants and led them to 103 wins in their first season in 1993. His Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0 on Tuesday night in Houston, giving him win number 2,000.