Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker announced his retirement Wednesday after more than five decades in the league as a player and coach. Baker won his first World Series as a manager with the Astros in 2022, the crown jewel in a lengthy and accomplished career.
“I’m very grateful and thankful to [Astros owner] Jim Crane and the Houston Astros for giving me this opportunity, and to win a championship,” Baker told USA Today. “I felt like they’ve been good for me, and I’ve been good for them. What I really appreciate is that Jim has been totally honest and transparent with me on all things.”
Baker said last year that he briefly considered retiring after Houston won the World Series last year, but accepted an extension offer with the intention to try and win one more championship. He and the team fell just short, losing the ALCS in seven games to the Texas Rangers. But the additional season allowed Baker to spend more time developing the team’s young talent, like shortstop Jeremy Pena.
“Dusty Baker is a legend in this sport,” Pena told reporters. “I’ve loved every single day that I’ve gotten to share with him on this ballclub. He’s been great for me. He’s shown so much confidence in me. He’s been a great manager.”
Baker entered MLB in 1968 with the Atlanta Braves, having been convinced to sign with the team by mentor Hank Aaron, whom Baker has since described as “family.” He played his first full season in Atlanta in 1972 but did not have his best seasons as a player until he went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1976. In the 1977 NLCS, Baker hit two key home runs in Games 2 and 4 that propelled the Dodgers past the Phillies in four games. Los Angeles went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees that season, but Baker remained with the team and was present for its 1981 championship.
After short stints with the Giants and Athletics, Baker retired as an MLB player in 1986 and began his coaching career with the Giants in 1988. He remained in San Francisco for nearly two decades, becoming the manager in 1993 and leading the team until 2002. He went on to manage the Cubs, Reds and Nationals before accepting his final position with the Astros in 2020. Some speculated that Houston hired Baker, a well-liked and personable coach, to quell critics in the wake of the team’s 2017 sign-stealing scandal. Regardless of whether or not this was the intention, Baker led the team through four successful seasons, including his lone World Series victory as a manager in 2022.
Baker said he wants to continue working in baseball in an advisory role, pointing to his decades of experience as a key asset for teams around the league.
“I’ve still got a lot to offer; baseball has been my life,” Baker said during his announcement. “I have a lifetime of knowledge, much more than those who have never played the game … I’m gone, but I will be back.”
