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
I've heard it's a greater problem in high school with young kids. Baseball is attempting to clean it up by testing. That's where it starts. It appears to be cleaner now than a couple years ago because of the testing.
I'd like to know what the problem was -- which still hasn't been said. I haven't changed my views or my bewilderment about things.
If someone is doing a good job them you tell them they are doing a good job. If they are not doing a good job then you tell them that too without tearing them down and criticizing them in front of other people. If there is a problem you call them in to the office and you deal with it one on one.
He's had leg problems two or three years in a row. But I've got to play him enough to get him ready, too.
The problems starts when he throws a number of pitches. As long as we minimize his pitches, he says he feels great.
I think the main problem was he couldn't feel the ball in his fingers. I guess it's cold, and the ball is a little slicker when it's cold, and he really couldn't feel it. Consequently, he starts trying to drop down, different things to try to command the strike zone, and he had trouble commanding the strike zone.
Yeah, I've got a problem with it, but it's modern baseball. On a close play, you're going to do what's most natural to you. ... There's too many things that you can hurt ? fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulders. There's a lot of things that can get stepped on. There's a lot of things that can happen on a head-first play.
I never asked him. I asked other guys and they all said, 'No.' I didn't ask Barry. If you've ever been around Barry, Barry's his own man.
I'm sure there is no miracle drug that's going to make it go away right away.
I'm sure he'd like to end the year pitching, knowing Woody. If we can get him in there, we'll try to do that.
I'm sure something will work out for him. I certainly don't think he's through. Injuries have hurt him the last couple of years. I'm hoping he gets a job.
I mean the guy, he's progressing like we said. Mark's going good. I asked him. I get tired of asking how he's doing, actually. And I'm sure he's tired of answering the questions himself.
I like our tandem. Henry has helped Michael a lot.
I like his speed and his attitude, and he switch-hits and plays all three outfield positions. He asks good questions. He's hungry to learn.