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Diamars 26 OctOber 2021

Motivated by late father’s words, Baker chases elusive crown

And this week his path comes
full circle as he meets the “Just life and being a proud
team that drafted him out African American, but not
of high school in 1967 and wearing that on your sleeve
where he spent the first eight because it’s already on your
seasons of a 19-year playing face,” Baker said.
career.
Baker finds it fitting that he’ll
It was with the Braves that he return to Atlanta with the
got his first major league hit a baseball world watching and
few miles from Minute Maid looks forward to seeing Aar-
Park in the now-defunct As- on’s wife and kids on the trip.
trodome as a 19-year-old on
Sept. 17, 1968, with “a little “It is very special to go back
dribbler off Mike Cuellar.” to Atlanta,” he said. “This is
going to be a storybook end-
But perhaps most impor- ing really for all of us.”
tantly it was where he began
a lifelong friendship with the The Astros are baseball’s vil-
great Hank Aaron, who died lains, jeered at every stadium
in January at 86. It was Aaron for their cheating and hated
who persuaded Baker to sign by most outside of Hous-
with the Braves instead of ton. But Baker is so univer-
(AP) — Dusty Baker, then manager is virtually the only “Do you ever make peace pursuing a college basketball sally liked around the game
manager of the San Fran- box left open for Baker. with it?” he once said. “You career. that some are begrudgingly
cisco Giants, had just left make peace, but it makes you cheering for the Astros this
the stadium after a crush- “I know,” he said. “So I just kind of lose some faith in “I was chosen to be with week simply because of the
ing loss to the Anaheim (need to) go ahead and check mankind, between right and Hank,” he said. veteran manager.
Angels in Game 7 of the it.” wrong. And you realize in
2002 World Series when he the world, especially in this Baker was on deck and among “There’s a lot of negative out
met up with his father. Added Hall of Famer Reg- new world, there’s always the Braves congregated at the there, but there’s also a lot
gie Jackson, the original Mr. been discrimination, race plate to celebrate with Aaron of people for us, too,” Baker
Johnnie B. Baker Sr. didn’t October who now works as a discrimination, but it seems on April 8, 1974, when he hit said. “There’s a lot of people
mince words. special adviser to Astros own- like in this new world there’s his 715th home run to pass pulling for me.”
er Jim Crane: “I do think it age and salary discrimination, Babe Ruth for most all-time.
“He goes: ’Man, after the would make a wonderful ad- which go hand in hand.” Brandon Phillips, a retired
way (you) lost that one, I dition to his resume.” Baker is an All-Star name- three-time All-Star second
don’t know if you’ll ever win It was during this time that dropper, having casually baseman, who played for
another one,” Baker recalled Houston star shortstop Car- his father’s words rang in his mentioned interactions with Baker for six seasons in Cin-
Sunday. los Correa, who becomes a ears. 11-time NBA champ Bill cinnati, is certainly one of
free agent at season’s end, is Russell, basketball Hall of those people. He’s thrilled
Nineteen years after that intent on helping Baker add “I thought about it the whole Famer Moses Malone and to see the man he considered
conversation and more than this accomplishment to the time when I didn’t know if John F. Kennedy Jr. in recent a father figure get another
a decade since his dad’s pass- back of his baseball card. I’d get back to this business,” months. He likes all fields, chance because he was wor-
ing, Baker finally has a chance he said. referencing soul singer Eddie ried it might never come.
to prove wrong the father he “He’s been around a long Kendricks over the weekend.
loved so dearly. time and still doesn’t have Then came January 2019 and “For him to take advantage
one,” Correa said. “So, we’re the stunning revelation that But there’s no one Baker of the situation ... especially
He’ll get the opportunity going to try and get it done the Astros had illicitly stolen revels in talking about more with all the things that went
starting Tuesday night when for him.” signs in their run to the 2017 than Hammerin’ Hank. on with that organization,
he leads the Houston Astros World Series championship for him to come there and
against the Atlanta Braves in It’s been a whirlwind two and again in 2018. The cheat- Aaron took Baker under his change that all around really
the World Series. years for Baker, who after ing scandal cost manager A.J. wing, reiterating many of the shows you his character and
being fired by the Nationals Hinch his job, leaving a team lessons Baker’s father had what type of manager and
The 72-year-old Baker has following a 97-win season with an almost unfathomable shared with him, such as the what type of man he really
thought of that conversation in 2017 wondered if he’d image problem in need of a value of honesty and helping is,” Phillips said.
often over the years. And ever even get another shot to strong leader. others. But he also provided a
since the Astros dispatched manage, much less win that guidebook for navigating the He knows the cheating scan-
the Red Sox on Friday night elusive title. Crane found that leader in Deep South as a Black man dal will always be part of the
to reach their third Fall Clas- Baker, a man who now ranks in the 1960s. It was a lesson Astros story, but he believes
sic in five years, his father’s Back home in Northern Cal- 12th all-time in managerial Baker needed having grown Baker helped repair some of
words have grown even ifornia, as he worked on his wins and has taken five teams up California. the wounds on the franchise.
louder in his head. wine business and grew col- to the playoffs. In last year’s
lard greens in his garden, he COVID-19-shortened sea-
“So that’s been my motiva- often felt perplexed he had son, the Astros squeaked into
tion,” Baker said. been passed over for inter- the postseason as a wild-card
views so many times as man- team before heating up in
This is Baker’s second trip to agerial openings came and playoffs to come one win shy
the Series as a manager. As a went, having made inquiries of reaching the World Series.
player, he went three times that he said were unanswered
with the Dodgers, winning it over the years. “The first time I met him, we
all as a big-hitting left fielder talked for almost two hours,
in 1981. Baker figured his age and and I knew he was the right
salary at this stage of his life guy immediately,” Crane
In an illustrious career as a might be enough to turn off said. “Nothing bothered him
star player and skipper span- many prospective general because he had been through
ning more than 50 years, managers and front offices. so much.”
winning a World Series as a