Dusty Baker announced his retirement at a news conference Thursday, ending his 26-year career as a manager.
Baker, 74, led the Astros to a World Series title last year and fell in Game 7 of the ALCS this fall. He managed the Giants from 1993 to 2002, guiding the franchise through a pivotal era in which it moved from Candlestick Park to 3rd and King.
Baker won three Manager of the Year awards as a Giant and is the only manager to lead five different teams to division titles.
“On behalf of the San Francisco Giants, we congratulate Dusty Baker on a remarkable career”, Giants CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “Dusty is one of the most beloved Giants alumni, the first manager of our current ownership group, and we are profoundly grateful for his contributions to our organization and the impact that he’s made in the baseball community. We wish him, Melissa, and their entire family all the best as he enters his next chapter”.
Baker finished his career with 2,183-1,862 record. Every eligible manager with at least 2,000 victories is already in the Hall of Fame. He’d be the first Black manager with a Cooperstown bust.
As a manager, Baker defined cool. He’d champ on his patented tooth pick, share stories, burn sage and bring special food for players.
Under Baker, the Giants went 840-715 and took the 2002 NL pennant. Barry Bonds joined the team the same year it hired Baker — and sold to the current ownership group — and won two MVP awards for Baker.
Baker began managing after a 19-year playing career that began in Atlanta with Hank Aaron in 1968. That roster ended up including some of the most successful managers in MLB history in Baker, Joe Torre and Felipe Alou (Terry Francona’s father was also on the team).
Although Baker spent the most time as a manager in San Francisco, his brief, four-year final chapter in Houston was arguably the most defining. He entered a volatile situation beset by one of the most infamous cheating scandals in sports history, stabilized the clubhouse and led them to his first World Series in 25 managerial seasons.
Baker said he’s undecided about what will come next for him, but a role somewhere in baseball certainly awaits if he so chooses.
“This isn’t a goodbye, it’s simply a ‘see you later,’” Baker said.