The Houston Astros' bid for a second straight World Series title is over. Houston manager Dusty Baker, 74, the oldest active manager in the major leagues and one of the most respected, has hinted at retirement. The veteran manager has earned the respect of his players until the end.
Baker's Houston team lost Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) to the Texas Rangers 4-11 on April 24. Despite winning the first three games on the road, the Astros were swept in four games at home and fell short of advancing to the World Series, losing the series 3 games to 4.
Baker, who won his first World Series with Houston last year, is back with a one-year contract. The Astros were looking to become the first team in the 21st century to win back-to-back World Series titles, but were thwarted by a Texas surge. Baker's one-year contract with Houston ended in defeat, prompting retirement speculation. After the game, Baker said he had been telling people that he would retire after this season, according to The Athletic.
In an official postgame interview, Baker said, "I told the players I love them. "I told them I loved them, and I thanked them for their hard work and professionalism," Baker said. "I didn't have time to think about my future. I don't want to take any of the spotlight away from them. We need to feel what we did and think about how we can be better. After that, I will think about my future."
Though he's soft-spoken, his heart is set on retirement. "I have two grandchildren," he says, "and I cheated them out of another ring. I also have two one-year-old hunting dogs, but they won't recognize me because I haven't been home since February 11. Who here has been away for so long? I don't want that job," he laughed.
It would have been nice to finish with a championship, but baseball didn't work out that way. In Game 7, Texas made a surprise call to the bullpen for Jordan Montgomery, who had thrown 82 pitches in Game 5, just three days after starting. 바카라사이트 Montgomery pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings in the top of the third, and the momentum shifted in Texas' favor. Houston, on the other hand, did not use Game 5 starter Justin Verlander. Verlander had thrown the same 82 pitches as Montgomery three days earlier, but he didn't even make a bullpen appearance.
When asked about Verlander's bullpen status before the game, Baker said, "I don't know. I hope he doesn't come out. He's coming off Tommy John surgery, and I don't know if it's worth the risk for his career next year. Winning is important, but not at the expense of his health," Baker said, adding that he wouldn't use the bullpen card on Verlander at any point.
After the game, Baker said, "I didn't talk about the possibility of using him during the game. Montgomery is much younger than Verlander and has no arm issues. We want to win every game, but we don't want to do it at the expense of an injury," Baker said, emphasizing that protecting his players came before the game in front of him, or even the championship.
The 40-year-old stalwart missed all of 2021 after undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction in September 2020. This is his second season back, and he'll need to be careful. Signed as a free agent by the New York Mets last winter for two years and $86 million, Verlander began the season in May after a preseason strain of the pronator teres muscle prevented him from joining the opening rotation. He was brought back to Houston at the trade deadline in early August, and Baker felt there was no need to move him as he is under contract through next year.
According to MLB.com, the Houston players, including Verlander, expressed their respect for Baker. "Coach Baker is a great guy," said Verlander. He cares a lot about his players, not only on the field, but off the field as well. I'm really grateful to have gotten to know him as a person. We've had some great conversations over the years, and it's been a pleasure to be around him."
Second-year shortstop Jeremy Peña added, "Coach Baker is a baseball legend. I loved every day I was able to play with him here. He was great with me, and he had a lot of trust in me. He was a great manager." Veteran outfielder Michael Brantley also paid tribute, saying, "Coach Baker had a phenomenal career and it was an honor to play for him."
A two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger who hit 242 career home runs as an outfielder, Baker began his managerial career with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. He managed San Francisco until 2002, then the Chicago Cubs from 2003-2006, the Cincinnati Reds from 2008-2013, the Washington Nationals from 2016-2017, and Houston since 2020. The only manager to lead five different teams to fall ball, he has managed 4046 games in his 26-year career, compiling a record of 2183 wins, 1862 losses, and a winning percentage of 5.04. He ranks seventh in career wins and fourth in postseason victories (57). He won 10 district titles and 13 postseason appearances, and was named manager of the year three times.
The only blemish on his resume is a World Series title, which he got last year in Houston. Baker, who took the helm at Houston in January 2020 after the team's general manager and head coach were fired following revelations of illegal sign stealing, went 320-226 (.586 winning percentage) in four years and won three district titles. "We overcame a lot," Baker said. We've taken a lot of unfair criticism, but the people of this city are proud of us. In the four years I've been here and the three years before I got here, we've brought a lot of fun and turned people who weren't fans into fans." "Baseball is a tough sport. It's hard to stay on top for a long time, but Houston is a team that has been on top for quite some time."