In retrospect, Dusty Baker sure is glad he took that getaway trip to Lake Arrowhead back in 1987. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have heard the familiar voice of Giants owner Bob Lurie in the hotel lobby, who would utter six words that would profoundly change the course of Baker’s life — “You need to come join us.”
A few months earlier, Dodgers General Manager Al Campanis appeared on ABC’s “Nightline” and informed Ted Koppel and the rest of America that minority men made great ballplayers, no question about that. But when it came to field managing or front office positions, well, they lacked something.
Overnight, America’s eyes were reopened to how accurately baseball reflected a shameful national sentiment that somehow could not be erased. However long it took Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier, however much the game congratulated itself for giving every man the chance to play, the doors to careers afterward were thick mahogany and they closed with barely a sound.
Shortly after, Baker’s baseball godfather Hank Aaron invited him to attend a special gathering of former players during the winter meetings in Dallas. “I walked in and, besides Hank, there was Curt Flood, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell, Frank Robinson, Ralph Garr, Bobby Tolan and other heavyweights,” recalls Baker. “They were starting what they called The Network Group. Its purpose was to find guys jobs.”
At the time, Baker was already gainfully employed and had zero desire to re-enter baseball. “I was trying to be a stockbroker, but I didn’t really like being responsible for other people’s money,” he said. “I was at a crossroads in my life. My playing career was over, my marriage was on the rocks, my brother had a nervous breakdown, the economy was bad, all happening at once. That’s why I decided to go to Lake Arrowhead and sort out what I wanted to do. It was pure luck that I ran into Bob Lurie while I was there.”
Thinking things through while he fished, Baker decided to meet with Giants general manager Al Rosen and signed onto manager Roger Craig’s coaching staff with the aim of managing one day. “It proves yet again that positives can come from a negative,” Baker noted. “Baseball was trying to disprove what Campanis said and it made managers out of guys like Don Baylor, Hal McRae, Cito Gaston … and me.”
Craig’s “Humm Baby” philosophy had lifted the Giants from perennial also-rans to constant contenders for the National League title. In his seven-plus seasons at the helm, Craig amassed 586 wins, the most by any San Francisco Giants manager from Bill Rigney forward.
When the new ownership group led by Peter Magowan purchased the team from Lurie in 1993, a managerial change was inevitable, and Baker was elevated to the role, replacing his former boss. Instinctively, he put his own personal touch to running the Giants on the field. Several team members said it was like playing for a fellow player.
Over the course of the next 10 seasons, Baker would shatter Craig’s record, posting 840 victories. “On a personal level, it was like the ’84 season when I played here. Being so close to home, my mom and dad were able to come to San Francisco on a regular basis to enjoy the games,” he said. “Plus, I think back on all the great players we had, like Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, JT Snow, Kurt Manwaring, Ellis Burks, the list goes on and on. It was a pleasure just to watch them play, much less manage them.”
Still, Baker admitted, “My only regret is that we never won the World Series during my time as manager, especially since we came so close so often.” A case in point was Baker’s first year when they won 103 games while the Atlanta Braves won 104 to take the NL West title. That winter, the owners approved the Wild Card system whereby the non-division winner with the best record made the playoffs. It came one year too late for the fabulous Baker Boys.
Another prime example was 2002, when they led the Anaheim Angels three wins to two in the World Series, but lost the final two games, and instead of a victory parade down Market Street, it took place down Main Street at Disneyland.
Said Baker, “However, I do think our performance on the field helped greatly in getting the voter approval for the new ballpark, after years of dealing with the conditions at Candlestick, which in turn helped us get more quality players and keep them.”
When his time in San Francisco was over, Baker went on to manage the Chicago Cubs (2003-06), Cincinnati Reds (2008-13), Washington Nationals (2016-17) and Houston Astros (2020-23), where he would finally win the elusive World Series ring in 2023.
At that point, Baker stepped away from dugout duties and rejoined the Giants as a Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations. Does this mean that Baker never plans to manage again?
“At age 75, I don’t know if I have the energy for a whole season, because I know what it takes to do that,” he said. “A partial season or some sort of short-term thing like the World Baseball Classic or the Olympics isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.”
Phrased another way, when it comes to Dusty Baker it’s wise to never say never.
Revisit Part 1 of this story in the June issue. Comments: [email protected]
