After the Houston Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on Monday, manager Dusty Baker was asked what he thought about being one win away from reaching 2,000 as a skipper in MLB.
In typical Baker fashion, he was funny and candid.
“Dusty Baker on being one win shy of 2000: ‘Might as well get it over with..I’m very grateful and thankful’,” Mark Berman tweeted with some of Baker’s quotes.
Dusty Baker on being one win shy of 2000: “Might as well get it over with..I’m very grateful and thankful.” pic.twitter.com/Scc2BwvJdc
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 3, 2022
Baker is one of the most successful managers in MLB, World Series title or not.
Only 11 other men have achieved 2,000 MLB wins, so you the number is not just any other milestone.
Baker, in fact, has a chance to climb as high as number nine in all-time MLB wins.
He will soon catch Bruce Bochy (2,003 wins), Leo Durocher (2,008 wins), and Walter Alston (2,040).
He Can Still Climb The All-Time Manager Wins List
He should be able to overcome all of those names at some point in 2022.
Joe McCarthy (2,125) and Bucky Harris (2,158) could be reachable by 2023 if he keeps on managing.
Baker was at the doorstep of his first ever World Series ring last year, but his Astros lost to the Atlanta Braves 4-2 and he came away empty-handed.
He had advanced to another Fall Classic in 2002, back when he was with the San Francisco Giants.
The whole baseball community hopes that Baker can, one day, win that elusive World Series, and he can get the respect he already deserves, ring or not.
He is truly one of the great clubhouse and dugout leaders of our era, and players love and respect him for what he has done for the sport.
Right now, we can only say that his next victory will have historical connotations.
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