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Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker became just the 12th manager in MLB history to earn 2,000 career victories following Houston's 4-0 win over the Mariners. He also became the first African American manager to reach the elusive milestone. Baker was likely already headed to the Hall of Fame, but this accomplishment makes him a lock for Cooperstown.
Congratulations to Dusty Baker who just became the 12th manager to win 2,000 games. All the others are in the Hall of Fame except Bruce Bochy, who hasn’t come up for election yet.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 4, 2022
Baker thanked those who paved the way for him when commenting on the historic victory after the game.
“I think about the people that made it possible for me to get in this position – my dad, Jackie Robinson, Frank Robinson, Cito Gaston – the guys who were minority managers ahead of me. You look at guys like Maury Wills and some of the guys that I know. To me, everybody is making a bigger thing out of it than me because I’ve got work to do.”
Dusty Baker's first MLB managerial experience came in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants. He kicked off his coaching career with a bang, leading the Giants to a 103-win season. However, it wasn't until 2002 that his Giants reached the World Series. They ended up losing to the Angels in the '02 Fall Classic, but Baker had established a reputation as one of the better managers in the sport.
He re-upped with the Chicago Cubs from 2003-2006, coached the Cincinnati Reds from 2008-2013, and led the Washington Nationals from 2016-2017. At age 68, many believed Baker's managing career was over following the 2017 campaign.
But in 2019, the Houston Astros cheating scandal became public. Manager AJ Hinch was suspended for an entire season and the organization was in shambles. They needed a strong leader, someone who had MLB experience and could deal with adversity and criticism.
Dusty Baker was the man for the job.
He has spent 2020-2022 with the Astros. He led Houston to the World Series in 2021 before losing to the Braves.
So when Dusty Baker says he has “work to do,” he is likely referring to earning his first World Series championship as a manager. Nonetheless, he has enjoyed a legendary career and is now a member of the 2,000 win club.
