Dusty Baker

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Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. (born June 15, 1949 in Riverside, California) is a former outfielder and current manager in Major League Baseball.

He led the San Francisco Giants in 2002 to the World Series against the Anaheim Angels. During the seventh inning of Game Five, his then-three year old son Darren ran onto the field to retrieve a bat at home plate. He was pulled out of the way by J.T. Snow just before David Bell nearly ran him over as he was about to score. Baker claimed he was too busy managing the game — a 16-4 blowout — to notice Darren had left the dugout. Major League Baseball already had a directive limiting teams to two bat boys, a rule the Giants violated repeatedly during that post-season. In response to the near-tragedy, it implemented the "Darren Baker Rule" which now requires that all bat boys be at least 14 years old.

Baker guided the Chicago Cubs to the NLCS in 2003. Championship-starved Cubs fans immediately embraced Baker, and the shirts bearing the slogan "IN DUSTY WE TRUSTY" became best-sellers throughout the 2003 season. The Cubs came within five outs of reaching the Series before losing to the Florida Marlins in seven games, following the Steve Bartman incident in Game Six; Baker would have become the first manager to lead different teams to the World Series in consecutive years. Although he faced increasing media and fan criticism during and following the disappointing 2004 and 2005 seasons, as of July 2006, he remains manager of the Cubs.

Baker also had an illustrious career as an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland A's from 1968 to 1986, winning a World Series as a player with the Dodgers in 1981. Baker was on deck when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking the record previously held by Babe Ruth.

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Dusty Baker (2002)

Criticisms

Some Cubs fans, Giants fans, and sportswriters, have criticized Baker's performance and decision-making as a manager. In particular, some have criticized Baker for:

• Overuse of starting pitchers, possibly leading to short-term and chronic injury (see: Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Russ Ortiz, Robb Nen, Chad Fox)
• Handling rookie players poorly, putting them in positions to fail or unfairly passing them over in favor of unproductive veterans
• Ignoring statistics when filling out the lineups. For example, in a good portion of 2005 he put Corey Patterson and Neifi Pérez in the top of the batting order, despite having two of the worst on base percentages on the team. Apparently not having learned his lesson, Dusty has batted Juan Pierre and Perez 1-2 more than a few times so far in 2006 despite their low on-base percentages.
• Earning the nickname "double switch Dusty" Baker often overlooks that a pinch hitter doesn't need to be placed in the field.
• Baker almost never comes out of the dugout to back up a ballplayer on a disputed call.

Dusty Baker signing autographs at Pacific Bell Park(2002)

Bizarre comments

• Suggested black and Latino players play better during hot summer conditions than white players.
• Stated that Greg Maddux would retire after the 2005 season. Maddux was baffled by this claim and went on to have the best start of his career in 2006.
• It seems that any time a player struggles, Dusty attributes it to the player "trying too hard" or "having too much pressure" placed on him.
• Once hinted that if he was a woman, he would look like Star Jones.
• Once expliciated downplayed the value of taking walks as part of offensive strategy. Stated that you "can't walk across home plate" (you can) and said that "walks are overrated unless you can run. The guy who walks and can't run clogs the bases for guys who can run". As a result, his teams consistently have on-base percentages that rank among the lowest in the league, which results in a below average number of runs scored, and inevitably a losing baseball team. Additionally, his pitching staffs have high walk totals.
• "I sure as heck ain't rooting for the White Sox or Cardinals."
• Saying last September that he was going to play veterens to maintain the integrity of the post-season races.

Counterpoints

As this page is clearly showing an anti-Dusty Baker biased, it is important to note the following significant and relevant facts as opposed to speculation and opinion provided above. Let's address these point by point...

• Every manager is regularly criticized for the performance and decision making. It comes with the job. The Cubs are having a bad season...the talk intensifies...that's the way it always works. Remember the beginning of the 2005 season when the Yankees got off to a bad start? All the talk was how Joe Torre was finished and had lost his team. It's the nature of the game people.
• Overuse of starting pitchers - First, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior had issues prior to Baker's arrival. Second, Cubs ownership has not placed a priority on the bullpen thus adding pressure to the starters. Third, Robb Nen was never a starter. Fourth, no pitcher under Baker's management has ever led the league in innings pitched.
• Overusing veterans - This is probably Baker's biggest flaw. Though if you have ever played the game or know anyone who has, everyone of them appreciates Baker's loyalty to the veterans. It has possibly cost him, but those who play the game stand by the method.
• Ignoring baseball statisitics - Only someone unfamiliar with the game would make this comment. Corey Patterson is a 5 tool player who certainly has the ability to lead off (see 2006 as a reference). Neifi Perez is an old school #2 hitter who can hit and run, bunt and move the runner along. Educated baseball people would credit Dusty Baker for trying to set the table for big hitters Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. To suggest batting Juan Pierre leadoff is a poor managerial decision is a comment based on emotion and not an understanding of baseball. Get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in, is the name of the game.
• Double Switch Dusty - Again, a lack of understanding of modern baseball strategy is the basis for this comment. Enough said.
• Backing Up Players - Players around the league have cited "Playing For Dusty" as a major reason for considering signing with teams he manages. There can be no bigger endorsement that you stand up for your guys than that. If you think that pitching an on-field fit everytime your player feels the call went against him is backing up your player, then Larry Bowa is the ultimate players manager (his players hated him, by the way)!
• Out of context quotes from above - Dusty never said Blacks and Latinos are better than white players in summer conditions. This is preposterous and is not backed up with any citable reference.
• As for Greg Maddux, on a Maddux fan site (where I assume the original quote came before its above distortion) Dusty was quoted as saying "It wouldn't surprise me if Greg hung them up after this season, but I hope he doesn't. I think he's got a couple of good years left in him."
• The "trying too hard" comment is obviously based on the authors emotional reaction. He is citing his own opinion and not any factual context.
• Hinted that were he a woman he would look like Starr Jones - There's no citation for this comment, and even if there were, so what? What do you want him to say...that he'd look like Halle Berry?
• Lack of Walks - Again, a lack of baseball knowledge would account for this comment. Dusty was an aggressive hitter. Dusty was an aggressive hitting coach. Dusty expects his players to be aggressive at the plate. He learned this from Hank Aaron. This was also the Hammer's philosophy. Read "I Had A Hammer" by Hank Aaron and you'd find this out. The comment cited to Dusty that "you can't walk across home plate" is an old-school baseball axiom used for several generations. It's a colloquialism and not meant to be taken literally.
• "I sure as heck ain't rootin' for the White Sox or Cardinals." - Dusty said it, and so did about 6 million other Cubs fans last October.
• Playing veterans to protect playoff integrity - Yet again an justifiable comment, twisted here to appear unreasonable. If you look back at some of the pennant races Dusty's teams have been involved in, he's been burned by teams who fielded rookies against other contenders during the stretch run. Dusty swore many years ago that he would never do such a thing were the tables turned. Many of the players who came up in the sixties that have managed also stand up for this philosophy.
• Dusty has made mistakes as a manager, no question. But Dusty has taken teams that for years were not even close to competitive and made them consistent winners who play meaningful games in September. He has not always had quality management support in terms of player acquisition. There's an outcry to play the young guys, and yet in Baseball America's Top 500 prospects, the Cubs highest is #55 (pitcher Mark Pawelek), with only 11 on the list overall. That's 2.2% of the top 500 prospects.
• Dusty Baker is a good man, a good manager, and loyal to his players and team. All factors must be considered before assigning blame.

External links

• Career statistics from MLB  · ESPN  · Baseball Reference · Fangraphs  · Baseball Reference (Minors)  · Retrosheet (as player)
• Site of criticisms
• Career statistics from MLB  · ESPN  · Baseball Reference · Fangraphs  · Baseball Reference (Minors)  · Retrosheet (as manager)
• Interview in The Heckler