Dusty Baker Returns to Astros: "I Always Said if I Win One, I Want Two"
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73-year-old veteran manager Dusty Baker will return to manage the Houston Astros in 2023, Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart reports Tuesday morning.
According to McTaggart, Baker has yet to sign a contract to return to the Astros.
The Astros hired Baker to replace A.J. Hinch in January 2020, in the wake of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. At the time, Baker signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2021, which the Astros picked up.
After the Astros won the American League West division and another American League Pennant in 2021, Baker signed a one-year extension for 2022.
Saturday night, Baker won his first World Series as a big league skipper, after 25 years of managing.
Prior to joining the Astros, Baker managed the San Francisco Giants (1993-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-2006), Cincinnati Reds (2008-2013) and Washington Nationals (2016-2017).
Before taking the Giants' managerial position in 1993, Baker served as a Giants coach, first as the club's first base coach in 1988, then as the team's hitting coach from 1989 through 1992.
Baker had been close to winning a World Series before 2022, but his clubs were unable to win it all. In 2002, his Giants were outs away from winning the World Series, leading the Anaheim Angels 5-0 in the seventh inning of Game 6. The Giants would go on to lose 6-5, and lose the series in seven games.
The next year, as the Chicago Cubs manager, the Cubs were five outs away from winning the National League Pennant, leading the Florida Marlins 3-0 in Game 6 of the NLCS in the eighth inning, but would go on to lose the game 8-3, and lose the series in seven.
Baker is now a World Series-winning manager, and he doesn't want to stop after winning just one.
"I always said if I win one, I want two," Baker said. "I like to keep my word. This is as much fun as I've had ever."
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