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Astros Hire Dusty Baker

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5:34pm: The Astros formally announced that they’ve hired Baker as their new skipper.

4:08pm: Baker’s contract is actually a one-year deal with a club option for the 2021 season, per Nightengale and Rosenthal (Twitter links).

3:15pm: The Astros have found their replacement for recently fired manager A.J. Hinch, having reached an agreement on a “short-term” deal with veteran skipper Dusty Baker, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). It’s a two-year pact, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. Nightengale reported yesterday that Baker was the team’s choice, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman added that a deal would be finalized today.

Dusty Baker | Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

When Baker formally puts his signature on a contract, it’ll set the stage for a fascinating season in Houston. The Astros are loaded with talent but face no shortage of organizational adversity in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that resulted in the firing of prior manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow. The club has yet to hire a new baseball operations leader.

Baker, who commands a presence as large as anyone else in the game, certainly comes with an old-school vibe that runs counter to the analytically driven organizational culture that had predominated in Houston. But the job of this skipper will be to help guide the team through a difficult stretch; Baker is generally beloved in clubhouses and charming with the press. And his different cultural mooring may well be an asset in this case.

It’s also rather unfair to dismiss Baker as a present-day manager. True, he has not yet taken a team to the promised land in his 22 seasons as a manager. He ultimately became a bit of a symbol for certain outdated thinking about the game, particularly regarding the management of pitchers. But Baker has expressed an openness to evolving and certainly didn’t stop his most recent team from posting a whole lot of wins.

Baker’s 2016-17 stint with the Nationals provides quite the secondary dramatic undergirding for the coming season. His D.C. charges posted 95 and 97 win seasons, claiming consecutive NL East titles. But the team lost a pair of heartbreaking postseason series and Baker was somewhat surprisingly not offered a new contract after the end of the year.

It seemed Baker, now 70 years of age, had missed out on his final shot at a World Series. Now, he’ll have another. And he’ll do so with the team that just lost a barn-burning Game 7 to those very same Nats, who finally donned an elusive crown. Those two teams share a Spring Training facility that’s sure to draw flocks of press (and provide quite the boon to the West Palm Beach Marriott). And they’re also slated to square off in a series in D.C. over July 4th weekend.

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Comments

      • I actually wanted him in Boston. After the cheating, it’s a great short term PR move given his status in the league. He gets his teams to the playoffs.

        4

        • An empty managers seat could get this team to the playoffs…they want to win a title considering they’ve been and/or won 2 of the last 3 WS.

          3

        • but he gets them there consistently which is more than you can say about many others. what about also blaming the players?

          2

        • Now that they’ve lost their rule-breaking advantage, it will be interesting to see if Houston players will be able to perform at the same high levels as in the recent past.

          3

        • looie, that’s my take as well. An organization as analytical as Houston hiring an old-school guy like Baker is all about sending a message to the league, that they’re taking their foot off the gas, that they’re no longer prioritizing winning above everything, including ethics. Of course Baker doesn’t fit in with their organizational philosophy at all — but that’s the point. It’s a humility move.

          1

        • I don’t know. He’s always been known as a player’s manager. I think right now they need a manager who holds those players accountable. Hell, they already got off scot free. They need more coddling?

          1

        • The report says they didn’t cheat in 2019. It stopped at some point in 2018. Anything said that doesn’t align with that is pure conjecture.

        • There is zero evidence of cheating in 2019 and they had their best offensive season, won the AL pennant and came within 8 outs of a World Series title.

          2

        • Just because they can’t prove cheating in 2019 doesn’t mean they didn’t cheat. Google Robinson chirinos and buzzer in 2019 World Series. Pretty suspicious.

      • Well I’m not really sure what you mean by that comment. But honestly, I just can’t understand how Dusty F’n Baker is still being considered for managerial positions, while Ozzie is sitting at home.

        2

    • Finally the Houston players will get some punishment for the cheating…

      3

    • There’s only two chants we need to hear ALL YEAR, from EVERY ballpark AND that’s:

      ASTROS CHEATED
      RED SOX CHEATED

      Let’s go Giants…. In a few years ;-)
      Also, forever love for Dusty!

      2

        • @MrAngelFan

          I find it hard to blame Dusty for not winning a WS. At what point do we blame the players for coming up short?

          2

  4. Tough job here. You got a World Series capable team, but you’re essential joining public-enemy number one right now.

    The boo birds are going to be unreal this season and the Astros did a horrendous job with the PR during their fan-fest.

    16

      • Barry bonds wasn’t booed. Everyone loved to see him play. Sorry if facts hurt.

        8

        • Everyone loved to see him play? Don’t think so. Maybe everyone wanted to see the freak show that ended up being Barry, kind of like watching Mike Tyson go off on a reporter for asking a benign question? Maybe everyone in SF?

          BTW, hope he never, ever gets into the hall. He, Clemens, A-Rod, etc. Ban ‘em folks!

          2

        • Bonds was booed on the road. There were hundreds of syringe posters and B*nds posters every road game.

        • I remember that time when Clemens broke Mike Piazza’s bat and then got PO’d when the barrel flew towards the mound in his general direction.

          I remember thinking… now there’s some “roid rage.”

          1

    • Don’t worry Dusty knows a great towel drill to help pitchers coming off injuries. Totally helped in restoring Prior and Wood to full health back in the day. Oh wait…

      6

  10. Is Dusty rusty? He’s old and crusty. A little musty. But Stros can’t be fussy. The winds of controversy are gusty. He’ll be fine so long as he doesn’t get lusty for a busty hussy.

    6

  11. Yikes. One and out in the playoffs followed by a truckload of excuses by Baker.

    9

    • Yeah, Baker is literally the Marty Schottenheimer of baseball. He’ll get you to the playoffs most of the time, but you get bounced each and every time.

      3

      • The Dan Fouts of managers and now 70-years-old. This is a kneel down mea culpa.

  13. Solid choice in my opinion. Well respected and an old school approach which is a huge contrast from the cheaters.

    3

    • Agreed. Baker is a solid, old-school baseball guy. He won’t fix this PR disaster, but someone like him was really the best possible choice to try and steer things in a positive direction. It won’t work of course, but it’s the right move.

      1

        • show me jimthegoat. Give me a call when you get that 4th team to the playoffs. Then I will believe you.

          1

        • That Reds team that haven’t been back to the playoffs since he left and had a sizable drought before he got there was a team you could’ve managed to the playoffs?

          1

        • People act like managing an MLB team is the easiest thing ever, yet never agree with or understand the things that even the best MLB managers do.
          There’s a lot more to managing several dozen men playing 162 games a year plus ST and potentially the playoffs (not to mention spending half of that time on the road in hotels) than righty lefty pitching matchups.

      • Because he treated all his players with utmost respect and motivated his players to play hard for him every night. He has his faults, but his results speak for themselves.

        3

  15. Good for Dusty. The players will respect him. Known as a good clubhouse manager. The Astros have the talent. Think of him similar to when the Yankees hired Joe Torre. He doesn’t need to be deep in analytics. Let his bench coach handle that.

    4

  16. Great move. Baker brings integrity, credibility, experience, and respect to Houston. All things they need at the moment.

    Yes, he’s not a good postseason manager, but its clear Crane’s more interested in rehabilitating the Astros image and brand.

    Baker has experience with the media and can handle the timing of the hire with the relationships to assemble a decent staff on short notice.

    An in-house hire doesn’t work as a clear separation nor does putting a first-year manager in the current situation as well as having said manager to build a staff for the first time.

    It’s a strong first step on the road to forgiveness. At the least, he won’t mess up a good team’s ability to make the postseason, but don’t expect anything more than calming the waters and the ALDS.

    8

    • Crane is only interested in appearances. His companies have been accused of defrauding the government and racist hiring/firing practices. He’s full of it..

      3

      • That accusation against Eagle Global Logistics was in 2000.. The EEOC never proved their case or even held a trial. Crane originally settled for $8.5 million which was knocked down to $2.5 million because all but a handful of claims were found to not be worthy by the courts in the end. He said at the time he only agreed to a settlement to stop the interminable attorney’s fees that had reached more than $2 million by that point. Crane won the related civil lawsuit against him by former employees.

        In 2008 one of his employees was caught taking kickbacks on government contracts and the company was fined, but he was so far removed from Crane that putting any responsibilities for his actions on Crane is laughable.

        1

    • Punished enough? You are kidding. It’s so hard to tell. Players have got to be accountable. As many as 3 players of other teams have stated in interviews that this type of sign stealing cheating is worth than steroids. They knew what pitch was coming and that makes it a lot easier to hit than just taking steroids.

      3

      • Why would i kid? The players made a deal to come forward with what they know, in turn MLB said they will not be punished. It was the only way to get to the bottom of it and end this. It’s not too hard to figure out, and yes it was a very harsh punishment, fml

        2

      • LMFAO. Its not close to as bad as steroids. Steroids are every pitch, all game, every game. Sign stealing is at home and only on the pitches they can actually decipher what the signs are. Only one I can find said that anyway.

        ALL teams steal signs. The system that the Astros used was brought to them from the Yankees by Carlos Beltran. MLB said the system had been in use for the Yankees since 2015. The Red Sox were also caught using a similar system in 2017. MLB mentions 8 other teams that used a similar system in 2017, but MLB had no evidence they used it after the Sept 15, 2017 memo.

        • “ALL teams steal signs.”

          All teams do NOT steal signs with technology. PROVE IT or shut up.

          “The system that the Astros used was brought to them from the Yankees by Carlos Beltran.”

          TOTAL FABRICATION. PROVE IT or shut up.

          2

        • You honestly can’t be this naive.

          The same article that started this whole mess referenced Beltran. The MLB investigation proved he was involved, but yet you need more proof. Haha

          Keep your head in the sand.

  20. Going to be tough to manage the most hated team in sports. Watch the Houston press will blame Baker when their players fail to hit with no help.

    1

    • They had the best hitting in MLB history in 2019 w/o electronic help.

      2

        • The team admitted to the commissioner using the camera in early 2018, but soon stopped after it really wasnt helping anymore. in 2019 there was nothing left over from the Alex Cora mess

          1

        • @vizionaire No proof from the commish office. you can’t crush them based on the evidence in 17′ then use that same evidence that exonerated them in 19′ to claim they cheated.

          1

        • Why can’t anyone say they cheated in ‘19? Astros fans say everyone else cheated without any proof. Goes both ways.

          1

        • How do you know they did? There are no live feeds in ballparks at all anymore so there is no way to cheat like they did in 2017. Maybe just that fact should be enough to tell you that they didn’t in 2019. Some people.

        • Koamalu

          “There are no live feeds in ballparks at all anymore so there is no way to cheat like they did in 2017. Maybe just that fact should be enough to tell you that they didn’t in 2019.”

          So how did the Sox cheat in 2018? Duh.

    • Except the cameras weren’t used last year. The important thing is you tried….

      1

      • What’s the reason for them to stop cheating when it was working? Sudden sense of morality?

        1

        • Was it working? The Astros 2017 regular season home/road splits would say it didn’t help. The small sample size of the playoffs was more favorable for home games than road games for the Astros, but the Yankees had even better home splits in the 2017 playoffs.

  24. Good to hear and well-deserved. If they lose, the white boy stat line bandwagon can say they were right all along, and if the Astros win, the critics will forget their criticisms as quickly as they’ve forgotten everything else.

    2

  25. Well, there goes the Astros’ dynasty. Good thing Gerrit Cole already got out of HOU.

    1

  26. Like most managers, Dusty’s rather “meh”. But it’s great from a PR point of view, something that can’t be ignored given the Astros’ situation. Pretty much the perfect choice.

    1

  27. How’s this guy keep getting jobs. He has had some of the best teams and somehow can’t win a best of 7 series. Easy to win slot of games with the talent he has had. But when he has to manage he fails. Astros out 1st round of playoffs

    4

  29. Guess he needs to supplement his social security somehow. No reverse mortgage, huh?

    • Yeah his net worth is estimated at $20 million, but I’m sure that’s it.

  33. I’m conflicted on this hire. Given the cheating scandal, hiring dusty is a good choice. Brings respect and integrity while also knowing how massage egos. However, he is a horrible choice to manage a world series contending team. Especially his track record of ruining the arms of his pitching staff. And the Astros pitching arguably went from it’s biggest strength to its biggest weakness this off season. So much negative momentum for this team, I am sadly doubting they make the postseason.

    2

    • Please elaborate on his track record of ruining arms. what manager hasn’t had a few ruined arms. That’s part of baseball

      2

  35. Good hire. Adds discipline and will quickly gain respect in clubhouse. Needs no on-the-job training, which is terrible idea for scandal-ridden team full of vets.

  37. Hahahaha… your Yankee insecurities come flooding out of your rat infested sewer hole of a yapper, like the streets of Manhattan.

    The Astros fans don’t deny there was sign stealing… just that nearly every other team was doing something similar. The Astros are still the Yankees daddy… and us Houstonians will be stay classy, while beating your team’s ass once again the the playoffs…

    2

    • This is lame, as lame as Kuechel so called apology. Claiming nearly every other team was doing something similar is ridiculous. Any ownership you take of the situation is downplayed by saying others do it.

      2

    • I don’t see it as wide spread as you do I think that’s a cop out. In a scheme like this so many people are aware and know its crossing a line that many other instances would come to light. Not a coincidence that the one other as of late was the Red Sox when they hired Cora who was a big part of the Astros scheme. I won’t say it can only be those two teams nobody can say that. But it wasn’t ok and to say that everyone else is doing it is a cop out in my opinion. Even Kuechels apology was half hearted. He points out six of eight teams using multiple signs with runners on base. Maybe they did that because they were suspicious of sign stealing not necessarily doing it themselves.

      2

  38. They’re touting his being a “players coach” as a plus. I’m thinking they need a guy who’ll hold those players accountable.

    1

  39. I’m not his biggest fan but can we at least stop the “he ruins arms” nonsense. Injuries happen. Yankees and Nationals tired to limit Joba and Stasburg – both got surgery. The mets blew out generation K in roughly one season. Liriano was phenom who had surgery after 1 year. King felix was probably overpitched so hes done younger than he might have been. I can go on and on, its sad for Prior and Wood but that has happened to countless pitchers.
    If you want to critisise Dusty for his in game managerment and bullpen then im with you, but not the injury nonsense.

    2

    • Forget that. It’s NOT NONSENSE. Do your research.

      Baker didn’t earn the nickname “Widowmaker” because he broke hearts, but rather because he broke pitchers. Google Robb Nen if you want a perfect example of what he does wrong. Over his decades in the game, Baker has notoriously overworked young pitchers, driving up pitch counts against medical advice.

      This is the guy that in the final, must-win game against the Dodgers in 1993 played a rookie in his 8th start. That kid never recovered from that. Yet here is Baker, given another chance at 70 to fail.

      2

      • Whose arms has Baker supposedly ruined since the more nuanced understanding of pitch mechanics, pitch selection, and load management have become widespread?

        Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Robb Nen all pitched on Baker-led teams 15-20 years ago.

        2

      • Are you really faulting Baker for something that happened when Pete Alonso wasn’t even alive yet?

        1

  40. BEST PICK! Well respected and is the best man by far to restore faith in the organization. Criticize how he manages all you want the Trashtros need him.

    1

    • Who do you think the Asterisks should’ve hired if not Captain Toothpick?

  42. He will bring some “old school” credibility to the team that really needs that now and he will hold them accountable. The team is still stacked so he doesn’t really have to worry about that, maybe just find a #3 starter…..

  43. There’s been a lot of great managers that have never won a World Series and there’s been lousy managers that have won. Dusty is a great manager, always won everywhere he’s been just hasn’t got the ring. This’ll be a great chance to get the monkey off his back.

    1

  44. In Dusty, we trusty! Credible, respected and the perfect hire to attempt to rehabilitate that organizations image. Likely a bridge hire, but I suspect they will win w/ him.

    1

  46. In Dusty, we trusty! Credible, respected and the perfect hire to attempt to rehabilitate the “trashed” image of the organization. Likely a bridge hire, but I suspect they will win w/ him.

  47. This wouldn’t have been my first choice but I understand why they couldn’t give the job to Espada.

    1

  48. Should be interesting dynamic between Dusty and Greinke… this whole Asterisks mess keeps getting better.

  49. Hiring Showalter, Baker, and Gibbons are a step backwards. Even possibly Bannister, even though I like Jeff. The Astros were caught cheating. They shouldn’t have. I get it. But that should not stop them to continually push the envelope of utilizing technology to make their team better. Their cheating efforts were not technologically advanced. It was a camera and guy beating on a trash can. Might as well have been a watchtower and guy beating a drum. I have nothing against old guys. Heck, I’m an old guy. But to discount the value of technology because “I’m a baseball guy”, to me, show the inability to change and adapt. Venable, Ausmus, and Kotsay are interesting choices. AJ is an highly intelligent guy, knows baseball, and realized the value of technology. His one weakness was not shutting down the cheating. We need another AJ, except with the demeanor that would shutdown such activities. I don’t think you get that from Showalter, Baker or Gibbons.

    3

    • Seems you are into chasing horses that are already out of their barns. Either that, or you are saying that the cheating wasn’t as technologically sophisticated as it should have been. Or something. In any case, baseball managers don’t make technological decisions, their main job is to supply leadership.

      1

    • Who said the Astros will stop using technology? The front office analytics apparatus is still in place. Baker is going to manage the team and club house.

      1

    • What’s this follow the process babble?

      I am a Giants fan. I watched for a decade as this guy squandered talented teams with mismanagement, bad calls, and overusing starting pitchers. He cost my team titles in 1993 and 2002. He’s been gifted talented teams and doesn’t get it done. These aren’t lazy nor outdated comments. These are facts. Read all the other comments and you’ll see he is an incredibly polarizing presence. Just calling it lazy is disingenuous, condescending, and obnoxious.

      Is this the most talented team he’s inherited? Possibly. That has nothing to do with how he’s still a mediocre manager that has more screwups on his resume than World Series titles.

      1

      • He cost the Nationals in 2017 as well. Brought in a crappy pitcher who coughed up the lead in game 3 against the Cubs. He thought the guy deserved another chance and gave up another two hits and another run in the deciding game.. Both games were lost by one run. Now he gets another chance to screw up.

  51. I just don’t think they needed to go this direction. The Astor’s had an overall philosophy outside of sign stealing that worked/is working. They simply lost control and didn’t take a step back and consider the fact that they were crossing a line. I think the comment made by assistant gm was the first sign that things were out of hand. But that doesnt mean you have to jump in the time machine and go back to Dusty Baker. They needed to shake things up but not blow it up

    1

  52. Many scoffed when I said that Baker was a good fit for the Astros and their current situation. Too old school (blah, blah, blah) when old school is exactly what they need. Seems the Astros saw it that way.

  54. I guess they just want to get through this year and then look for someone else. I don’t expect them to make the playoffs.

  55. Why was Dusty hired? In my uneducated opinion I think it was because his teams often develop an “us against the world” mentality & that is definitely needed here. Also he comes off as charming & generally his players & the press like him. Lastly, it gives assurance to fans & the league that the Astros are attempting to clean things up a bit.

    1

  56. Baker is the correct choice. The Astros need a leader with presence to lead them out of the woods.

  57. Dusty Baker was a great player as a Dodger. As a manger not so much. But the way I and the rest of the baseball world see things. Houston definitely deserves every set back and disappoint they are given.

    4

    • In a just world the Astros would somehow get stuck with Mattingly managing.

  61. My prediction for Houston’s season. There will be 100 hit batters. Dusty will be thrown out of half of those games. And Houston will finish the season in third place under 500.

    1

    • Lol best offense by wRC+ last year and they’ll be under .500? These Dodger fans really are out here man.

      2

  63. If true, excellent hire. Nats were literally at each others’ throats —Pap & Bryce—in Williams’ tenure. Dusty comes in, settles down the team, wins 95 & 97 games. What, it’s his fault Wieters throws the ball into right field or that Max melts down in G5? Great person, he’ll be surrounded by the analytical guys, this Nats fan hopes he gets his shot at a ring. Dusty is 1 of a kind, the team will like him as will Houston’s great fans ( their classiness is underreported in this cheating saga imo. Time to move on and play ball).

    2

  65. A manager with over 1800 wins and a .532 winning percentage. Not a bad hire and probably the personality the Astros need to get ready for 2020.

    The pitching stuff is garbage; every team has seen a couple arms simultaneously go down for long periods. That is the way of the game today even when you protect arms. Countless examples. Baker gets a bad rap. He wins ballgames, period.

    1

    • If you’re not ready to throw 200 innings out of high school—you’re a bust who will never make it anyway!!!

      1

    • He will win more with this team because they have talent. I think he is a negative war manager if that exists. They won’t win as much with him as they could with a different choice.

      1

      • WAR only exists for marginal baseball fans trying to sound smart. So no. It doesn’t exist.

    • With the rosters he has inherited it’s kind of embarrassing that his winning percentage is only .532

      4

      • SF had some mediocre teams between 93-97. His winning percentage is higher than some great managers. I wouldn’t embellish by calling his record embarrassing.

        1

  66. How does someone who spews such nonsense get another top spot? His July 2003 tirade for example about the Cubs having too many white players historically to play winning day baseball……..was just insane and would have made Jimmy The Greek and worse types proud. No thank you.

    5

  69. When Dusty came in to interview they noticed he had a flip phone. “This is our guy”

    2

  70. The best single choice the media and opposing fans will accept, and unfortunately the Astros’ reputation is so bad that’s what they need to survive in 2020. The players will also respect him. The strategy part…well, no one outside Houston wants them to win the World Series this year anyhow.

    • I agree. Arguments could be made for him anyway but to your point and as the article also addressed the circumstances of this position call for more than just a manager and Dusty’s personality and presence are uniquely suited for this. Player friendly manager helps in what could be a tense clubhouse to start and his ability with the media will be able to help be a new face and is so much different than the old regime which they are trying to put in the rear view mirror.

  73. Hey Yankees fans- at least your team isn’t the most hated team in baseball anymore.

    2

    • Still right up there, though and I will not deny that, because I’m not one to blatantly deny such things.

    • The system the Astros used was brought to Houston from the Yankees by Carlos Beltran.

      Still the most hated team in baseball.

  74. This is a great move and I’m surprised they went down this path. I’m a Cubs fan and was actually at the “Bartman game” and I have no love lost for Dusty but appreciated what he did that year.

    I think his track record of getting them into the playoffs is exactly what this team needs now. Get into the playoffs on merit vs. sign stealing. Even though Dusty has this notoriety of failing at the playoffs, I think this time around it re-writes his narrative should he take them to the playoffs. It’s on the team now to actually win it fair and square.

  76. Everybody hates dusty until he turns the loser into a winner. He’s done it time and time again.

    3 time manager of the year.

    Guided 4 teams to the post season, 9 appearances overall:
    Reds, Cubs, Giants, and Nationals

    1863-1636 record overall

    And some of you idiots think he can’t manage.

    Not many managers can touch that. No championship? I get it. At least you get the opportunity to win one.

    1

    • When has he “turned a loser into a winner?” He has always inherited loaded rosters in otherwise weak divisions.

      2

    • I think getting caught cheating and subsequently not being able to do it anymore took care of that already.

      2

  81. I’ll venture to say that he should have never been hired as a manager.

    2

  83. ¿How good is he with modern metrics, defensive shift, computer data, etc? ¿Is he going to trust blindly the statisticians o the metrics team? ¿What is the background or his history dealing with the above?

  84. Hahahahaha well non-Astros fans called for additional punishment, but who expected it to come internally? With Dusty at the helm, the Houston fanbase and franchise will suffer immensely year after year…..oh Houston will potentially make the PS….and then watch dusty throw it away as he has done in the past with the Cubs and Nats.

    3

    • Actually a likely outcome. They still have far-and-away the most talented roster in their division, which would match the usual trend for Dusty.

      2

  85. What the commish needs to do is vacate their championship, take back their trophy and all the World Series rings and smelt them down, instruct them to remove all mention of the 2017 championship from the stadium and have them removed from the list of World Series champions on every site that lists such things. Send a message to them and to all that it doesn’t count if you cheat.

    2

  86. So the Astros want to get to the playoffs and then blow the playoffs? I feel sorry for their fans who will see playoff baseball but will watch BaKer snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once again.

    1

  89. Thats a good hire and I see where they can both ways with this. 1) If the AStros don’t do well, Dusty can be the fall guy and they can hire a younger manager or whoever the flavor of the year is.

    2) Maybe Dusty does well and they can groom a bench coach to become the new manager.. Pretty sure Dusty doesn’t know how to run cheating schemes and he is a rules.order guy. Guess we will find out who runs the team this season…. Cheating players or a man who has some integrity.

    1

  90. Old school. Go ahead and throw at an Astros batter. See what happens. Good choice for next year.

    1

  91. Baker and Hinch do have one thing in common: they both sat their best available pitcher in a critical game right before the game-winning home run.
    And whereas Hinch wouldnt bring himself to do anything regarding the trash cans, Baker might not even hear them.

    4

  92. I get it, he is so old school that there would be no way for them to cheat using video cameras or any other electronic devices (i.e. remote control buzzers).

    It sets up a plausible deniability.

    I just hope that he’s picked because they really want him and not because of some sort of racial agenda. I would have to think that younger players don’t take well to old school authoritarian managers like Dusty Baker, Dick Williams, Billy Martin, Larry Bowa, Tony LaRussa, etc… As I recall, Dusty Baker never been a “players favorite” like Bruce Bochy had the reputation of being.

  93. In Dusty Baker’s last six seasons as a manager, his Reds and Nats teams averaged 92 wins a year and made the playoffs five times, earning four division titles and one wild card berth. Despite this, the only thing anyone really talks about with him is Mark Prior pitching too much almost twenty years ago. I predict a comfortable AL West win and an astonishing collapse in the LDS.

    1

    • and usually 1 and done is in the post season. That is what I remember as a Reds fan.

      2

  95. Only two things are certain in life:

    I can’t wait until this season is over and Dusty Baker can be fired. After that the Astros can get the manager that they actually want.—once the helium gets out of the cheating scandal balloon! Will Venable I’ll see you in 2021!

    3

  97. Every MLB team cheats … the Astros & Red Sox were given up on a “silver platter” by a whistleblower but make no mistake … others will get caught and cheating will continue for as long as the game is played.

    2

  99. Good regular season manager.
    Crappy post season manger.
    1 and done for astros.

    2

  100. If my Cubs don’t get there, and it appears they won’t as they think simply swapping managers is the fix for this upcoming season, I hope Dusty finally gets a ring as a manager with the Astros. I don’t like what the Houston club did to help them win a championship a couple of years back, but Dusty is a good manager – 10 years finishing as a top 5 in NL manager of the year voting and 3 times getting the top award. He was a good fit for the Cubs and absolutely helped the team get past St Louis in 2003. Things fell apart in 2006 because the front office had stripped the roster little by little as his tenure went along. You give him a talented roster like the Astros and they’ll have a good shot at another championship.

    • Baker won 10+ more games than his Nats predecessor in his first year, won 192 reg season games in his 2 years, made playoffs both times. His moves didn’t cost Nats in the NLDS either time. Playoffs are a crapshoot often, hey, if Gresham doesn’t misplay ball in the 8th, who knows if Nats win vs Brewers. Baker is a class act, Crane made a good decision. Burning out pitchers is fake news, neither Max or Stras complained about Dusty, the team united around DB after the toxic Williams got whacked deservedly.

      1

      • lmao Baker still does not have what it takes to win a title. He’s a LOSER who needs to retire like the rest of his ilk.

        There’s so many highly qualified managers at AAA who understand the modern player, this is just so utterly disrespectful to so many better candidates.

        Trashstros are still trash. Baker makes them even worse somehow…..

        1

  101. I’m not a huge Dusty Baker guy. I wasn’t too impressed with him during his time with the Cubs. The experience is there, sure, but I’m not sure he has a progressive view of managing today’s game. The astros are a cushy job with a lineup that sets itself from top to bottom. If they regress this season as well as in seasons to come, you can give part of the blame to Baker’s laid back approach to managing.

    2

    • I was at 2 of the 5 game series at Wrigley late in the 2003 season when the Cubs faced down the Cardinals for control of the division and Dusty countered every one of LaRussa’s moves at the 2 games I attended. Just about every one of Baker’s moves worked and the Cubs won 4 of 5. I think as the talent of the roster got stripped away in succeeding years, he was probably resigned to his fate and that was interpreted as being “laid back”. I think he got a raw deal at the end of his stay with the Cubs.

      2

      • I live in chicago. He had more than enough to win it in 2003. Facts are, that was an old team with vets playing at the end of their careers. The talent wasn’t stripped away like you said, it just got old. Ask Kerry Wood and Mark Prior if Dusty Baker is a good manager!?? Their careers were dramatically shortened by being burned out by this guy. He was the REASON the cubs didn’t win one with that high end rotation. It was tragic what he did to the Cubs. He absolutely needed to go.

        2

        • I’ve lived in the Chicago area for more than 30 years and have been to a lot of Cubs games during that time. Check the stats, the most innings Prior or Wood threw in any season while Baker was the manager was 211, both in 2003. Wood threw 213 the year before Baker was their manager. By comparison, between the ages of age 25 and 30, Verlander threw 201, 240, 224, 251, 238, 218 and then threw 214 and 223 the last 2 years at ages 35 and 36. I guess Baker needed to be clairvoyant and know to baby Prior and Wood when they were 22 and 26 respectively? The “Dusty burned them out” myth is just that. Steve Stone says something and then all the people who don’t check the facts or don’t think for themselves take it as gospel and repeat it.

          2

        • Totally agree with you djmac. It drives me crazy how many times people act like sheep and just follow the flock. Forget about looking up the facts, that takes to much time AND effort.

          1

        • Yes … Prior and Wood had arm trouble because of their delivery. It’s absurd to blame the doctor if he has a patient who smokes 2 packs a day, downs a fifth and considers a bag of chips and hot dog as a balanced diet.

          1

        • Wood threw 213.2 in 2002. Wood threw 211 + 27.2 in the playoffs in 2003. Prior threw 14.1 in the playoffs in 2003. People tend to forget about playoff innings.

          Still doesn’t seem like that much for either.

        • Don’t use innings, use pitch counts. It’s pitch counts that cause TJs not innings. You can throw a 5 pitch inning and be totally fine, but being at 100 after 5 and being left in is when the damage happens, just so the SP can throw 120 over 6.1 IP and not even win the game.

          2

  102. No manager has had more talent handed to him. Not developed, handed. No one‘s done less with it. No one cares about division titles when you have World Series winning talent. He was embarrassing in Cincinnati as I went to every home game.

    4

    • Finally someone speaks truth. Baker should have 10 rings by now if he was even remotely competent. Remember when he let his small child be the bat boy and he nearly got run over by a player trying to score?

      As a manger, Dusty Baker has been nothing but a plague on the game and the Astros are massive cowards and idiots for not going with Espada.

      This all but seals the AL West for the A’s, fact.

      1

  106. This must be part of the punishment for the cheating. Manfred doesn’t mess around.

    2

    • Dusty “pitch counts arent real” Baker is totally going to f things up, bet on it.

      1

  109. Toothpick hanging outside mouth = Fastball

    Toothpick standing up in mouth= Curveball

    Toothpick stuck in nose= Change Up

    5

  110. So they couldn’t find proof, but they’re still probably guilty? Makes me wonder what you think about the Astros with an actual mountain of evidence.

  111. The 1 year deal, even with the option, is an egregious insult to a guy who deserves better. Really, really terrible. I know Dusty probably wanted back “in” no matter what, but that contract is a slap, pure and simple.

    Now we know why Bucky didn’t talk to them. I can’t imagine what Buck’s response would have been to that offer.

    Actually, I can…….

    2

    • You mean two senior citizens who should be in retirement like everyone else their age actually deserved mega-deals?

      Get out of here. Dusty and Buck probably call the internet “the onlines” and don’t have a phone, how on EARTH are they going to relate to under 30s?

      I can’t think of a worse person to manage a MLB team in 2020 than a senior citizen.

      1

  112. Astros pitching staff – time to take insurance policies out on those elbows and shoulders.

    3

  113. If ‘ol Dusty starts to dose off, they can just buzz him with a jolt of electricity.

    3

  114. Good luck Dusty, I’m glad you have another legit shot at getting that title. You are a great definition of good old fashioned ‘winning culture’, in spite of not having the ring to show for it. It’s a very difficult thing to pull off, regardless of what team you field every day.

    1

  115. Dusty, we need you to carry us through the bad PR period and then you can go away. We will hire a young gun that actually understands the analytics we produce for our manager after this season.

    In the meantime we are keeping most of our coaching staff on so they can translate is for you. Be a good talking head for the press and we will pay you for it and you get to pad your resume for the HOF as a manager. .

    2

    • Do you honestly believe Dusty reads MLBTR comment sections?

      AND you think Dusty is making the HOF as a manager???

      LMAO!!

      Come on man, be better….

      1

  116. So, the Astros ownership decided to hire a manager before a GM, knowing the GM might not like the manager?

    Why

    • Dusty was probably on the short list for the Mets and/or Red Sox, creating some urgency.

      • Lmao is he really that hot of a managerial candidate that anyone is feeling any kind of urgency to hire him?

  117. One of the most brilliant minds of the game, then their is Dusty Baker. Still waiting for Crane to apologize.

    2

  118. Normally I would say that a 1 year deal proves it’s just a PR stunt so they can hire within next year in hopes of it not looking so bad …. but all contracts with people in their 70s should probably be done on a year to year basis

  119. The short term contract is an insult. Unless Baker did not want to make a longer term commitment. But, that said I’m glad Dusty is back in the dugout

    • It’s not an insult in the slightest: Dusty Baker has no business managing a MLB team in 2020 no matter how big a fan of his you are.

      This is the man who made Kerry Wood throw 140+ over 7 IP AFTER he already had TJ. He’s clueless, possibly senile and can’t possibly relate to anyone under 30.

      We need NEW BLOOD! So sick and tired of the same old names…..

      1

  121. Nothing like being a lame-duck before you even take the job. A one-year deal suggests Houston will move on no matter what a year from now.

    Am I the only one who thinks the firing of Hinch looks more like a farce, and Crane will just re-hire him in a year?

  122. Verlander will no longer need to convince his manager to keep him in, regardless of pitch count. We may see him have an 11-inning complete game win this year!

    1

  124. Baker is overrated garbage who b destroys arms and clubhouses and cant ever when the biggest games even with great teams.

    3

  126. Who would’ve thought Astros players punishment would come in the form of Dusty Baker? NOW I feel sympathy for them

    1

  127. Well, there goes the dynasty. This guy kept the Giants and the Cubs from winning titles by doing dumb things that got the other dugout enraged.

    The only good thing is that it’s only a one year contract….meaning they can blow him out in June as the team tanks.

    I agree with MIkecubfan. Into the playoffs. Out in the first round.

      • Dynasty? Not even close. Stolen? You can choose to think of it like that. Game 7 of 2017 was like game 7 of 2019: the offense of the home team got shut down. Dodgers had a chance to win that world series despite the Astros cheating, but they just couldn’t score any runs.

        1

  128. Baker has a legacy of destroying the arms of his pitchers. Verlander and Greinke are nearing 40 and under contract, so they don’t need to worry much. Though younger pitchers should worry. Cole fortunately got out while he could before possibly destroying his arm under Baker and then facing free agency.

    1

  129. They had the most progressive franchise currently and went too far. Instead of taking a step back and fixing checks and balances they went back a decade. I sure hope they don’t do something similar with gm for their sake.

  134. They should have hired Maria from the “Sound of Music” to show the world they have a new, clean image.

    1

  135. Justin Verlander is already calling the best TJ doctor. And I hear half the pitchers asked for trades. R.I.P Houston Astros pitchers :(

  136. what…you sly dog!! Looks like Manfred found a real way to punish the Asteriks for cheating by handicapping them with a manager who probably still has trouble negotiating his flip phone. Strip the title or you take Dusty?

  137. Johnnie says that stealing signs won’t happen on his watch. I believe him when he says this because he’ll probably be taking a nap.

  138. Why was their bench coach not considered? He was a runner up for a few managerial jobs this offseason and now there was a few and his name isn’t even brought up.

  139. His son is old enough to hit the trashcan for fastballs now plus no need to worry about Altuve running him over at the plate

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