HOUSTON — The Houston Astros have hired Dusty Baker as their new manager, owner and Jim Crane announced Wednesday.
Baker becomes the 19th manager in franchise history.
“Throughout his successful career, Dusty has embodied the qualities that we were looking for in a manager,” Crane said. “He’s a winner, and more importantly, a strong leader who has earned the respect of not only his players, but of virtually everyone that he has touched in baseball. We’re extremely excited to name Dusty as the new leader of our ballclub.”
“I’m extremely thankful for this opportunity,” Baker said in a statement. “This is a great ballclub with outstanding players that know how to win. I applaud Jim Crane for the leadership he has shown in recent weeks and look forward to working with him and the players to bring a championship to the City of Houston.”
Baker, 70, last managed the Washington Nationals from 2016-17 where he led them to a 189-132 record. He had stops in Cincinnati, Chicago and San Francisco before that with an overall regular season winning percentage of .534 in 3,637 games.
Baker led the San Francisco Giants to the 2002 National League pennant while also leading his squads to playoff appearances in each of his managerial stops.
He has produced eight postseason teams, including six division champions, over the course of his career. Baker is also a three-time National League Manager of the Year (1993, 1997, 2000).
During his 19-year playing career with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, Baker was an All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and World Series winner.
Baker was born in 1949 in Riverside, Calif. He graduated from Del Campo High School in Carmichael, Calif.
After that, he attended American River College in Sacramento.
Baker also served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1967-1975. He is also a prostate cancer survivor.
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