The Houston Astros have won the World Series. But while they are no strangers to winning it all after securing it in 2017, manager Dusty Baker is. Or, at least, he was until he led a stacked Astros team to the 2022 championship. After winning it all as a player with the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers, Baker went a long time without a title. He started managing in 1993 but finally got his first title as a skipper in 2022, becoming the oldest person to do so.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the National Baseball Hall of Fame is ready to showcase Baker's first managerial championship. But they are using some interesting props in the display. “Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch also quickly pops into his office. The Astros have already promised to give the museum a jersey, but Rawitch asks for two items,” writes Nightengale. Those items ended up being Baker's wristbands and…a toothpick. Rawitch knew the request was crazy but the Astros manager provided both items.
Dusty Baker is notorious for his toothpick-chewing in the dugout. He has done so for a while and he will now have one of his famous little sticks of wood memorialized after the Astros' victory in the 2022 World Series. His legacy only grows after winning it all as a manager after managing four other clubs, including stints with Barry Bonds' San Francisco Giants, Sammy Sosa's Chicago Cubs and Joey Votto's Cincinnati Reds.
Baker, now a champion as a baseball player and manager on top of being the person rumored to be the inventor of the high five, has made his mark all over the baseball landscape. Although few baseball fans were rooting for the Astros, just about everyone is happy for Baker.
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