Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr.is an American Major League Baseball manager and former player. He is currently the manager for the Washington Nationals. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, primarily with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. He helped the Dodgers to pennants in 1977 and 1978 and to the championship in 1981. He then enjoyed a 20-year career as a manager with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and now Washington Nationals. He...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth15 June 1949
CityRiverside, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Sometimes change is good, ... Sometimes change is good for everybody involved.
Everybody talks about small ball, but you have to have the personnel to play small ball.
Everybody talks about a fresh start, but it seems like whatever reputation you have follows you to the next job, the next place, which really isn't a fresh start. I certainly don't condone the things that have happened and transpired in the past but everybody deserves a fresh start.
We have to wait until we see what the weather is going to do. Everybody is anticipating the worst because of what happened in New Orleans.
Had I known, I certainly would have said something. But I didn't know. Everybody was speculating about a lot of people.
I can't say that, because everybody will be looking over their shoulder or afraid to answer the telephone, thinking some deal or something is going to happen. These things happen.
Everybody was a rookie at some time. They've all had starts now; they all know what it's about.
Everybody says, 'Play the kids, play the kids.' But I've got seven games against Houston. Against Houston, I've got to play my best team. We could have a direct impact on who goes. There's always something to play for.
This is something you hoped you wouldn't have to do, but it's one of those realities in sport and in life. It's not a pleasant situation, but it's here and it's real. This is a major blow. There's a lot to play for, knowing that he's with us and he gave us all he had all the time. We'll play for him, play for us, and play for everybody like we've been doing.
I said, 'At times,' ... It's not an overall, long, extended, everybody issue. It's at times. There's a difference. If I contradicted myself, I'm sorry. It's at times. You've seen it. I've seen it, too. At times. Those are isolated incidents.
If it went away entirely then he'd go away entirely and he wouldn't be himself. Everybody needs to be themselves. His fire is what makes him Big Z.
He very well could be. Everybody heals differently, everybody progresses differently. The dates are a preliminary thing you shoot for. As long as he's not feeling any discomfort or soreness from throwing, we're very satisfied.
I'll just take the same. Everybody asked if last year was a career year. I don't believe in career years. Once you do it once and find your formula, you should be able to do similar. He knows what he's doing now. He has an idea. He knows how to make adjustments quickly. He's very consistent. He recognizes very quickly what the opposition is trying to do to him and he knows his own limitations.
I certainly don't condone the things that have happened and transpired in the past. But everybody deserves a fresh start.