AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Dusty Baker has reportedly told multiple people that he will not return as the Houston Astros manager in 2024, according to Brittany Ghiroli and Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
The 74-year-old declined to comment publicly after the Astros saw their 2023 season come to an end in Game 7 of the ALCS, losing 11-4 to the Texas Rangers. If he does leave Houston, it’s currently unknown if Baker would retire.
“Multiple sources not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic they think Baker wants to remain in the game in some capacity,” Ghiroli and Rome reported.
After leading the Astros to the 2022 World Series title, he signed a one-year contract for the 2023 season, and he guided Houston to a 90-72 record for a third straight AL West title and the team’s seventh straight trip to the ALCS.
A baseball lifer, Baker has been involved in the game for over 50 years, including 26 as a manager. Baker was an outfielder in the majors for 19 seasons, playing for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics before his retirement in 1986. The two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title in 1981.
After ending his playing career, Baker quickly transitioned to coaching in 1988 as first base coach with the Giants. He was promoted to hitting coach the following year before being named San Francisco’s manager in 1993.
Since then, Baker has been manager of the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals before taking over in Houston in 2020. The three-time National League Manager of the Year has won a division title and made the playoffs with all five teams he managed, becoming the first manager in MLB history to accomplish such a feat.
If this is the end of his legendary career, Baker will hang it up with a managerial record of 2,183-1,862, the seventh most wins in MLB history and the most wins ever by an African American manager.
The next step would clearly be the Baseball Hall of Fame if he does not return to the dugout.
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