Dusty Baker was the most polarizing manager ever to lead the Houston Astros. He was, and for good reason, criticized for many of his managerial decisions. Throughout his tenure as Houston’s skipper, he left pitchers in for too long, refused to bench underperforming veterans, and generally made sub-optimal decisions (i.e never giving Chas McCormick more than 500 plate appearances). This article will not rehash those grievances or be overly critical of Mr. Baker; instead, it will argue that Baker was the man the Astros needed in light of the cheating scandal, even if he overstayed his welcome.
Dusty Baker: a player’s manager
The weird thing about Baseball is that analysts and front offices can quantify the value of every action a player makes on the field.