Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is one of the most successful managers in the history of MLB on a per-win basis during the regular season.
He is one of just 12 skippers to surpass 2,000 career wins, and has a brilliant 2,093–1,790 record and a .539 winning percentage.
He is also the active leader in regular season wins.
He also leads a list he probably doesn’t want to lead: no manager has more wins than him without a World Series title.
Could this be the year for Dusty? pic.twitter.com/v757vlFGKr
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 24, 2022
Could this be the year in which Baker ends his drought?
He has won three pennants: the National League one in 2002 with the San Francisco Giants, and the 2021 American League one with the Astros.
Unfortunately, he lost both: the Anaheim Angels shocked his Giants in 2002 in seven games; and the Atlanta Braves proved too much for his 2021 Astros to handle.
Life is full of opportunities, though, and Baker just completed his best season in front of a team, with 106 wins.
In fact, the Astros are undefeated in the 2022 postseason, having swept both the Seattle Mariners (in the AL Division Series) and the New York Yankees (in the AL Championship Series).
This Is Baker’s Best Chance
This seems like Baker’s perfect opportunity to write his name among managers who won a World Series.
He has stated he is not obsessed with it, but it surely would be a huge accomplishment for his already impressive career.
The Astros will have one last foe in front of them, though: the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 87-win Phils may not have been among the strongest regular-season teams, but they have peaked at the right time and represent a tough opponent for the Astros and Baker.
They have Bryce Harper playing like an MVP, and an army of solid arms both in the rotation and the bullpen.
If Baker can overcome Philadelphia, he will finally end his drought.
It’s fair to say a sizable community in baseball is rooting for him.
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Mrgjg says
I’m all in for Dusty. A baseball lifer and a class act.