Two weeks after he was hired, Dusty Baker was on the stage where Alex Bregman, José Altuve and owner Jim Crane apologized to the public for the team’s illegal in-game activities during 2017. The Astros’ new manager had zero involvement with the club’s now infamous sign-stealing scheme, yet he chose to attend the highly-scrutinized spring press conference and publicly backed his players as they faced an unprecedented onslaught of vitriol from their peers and opposing fans.
In a sense, it’s why the legendary skipper was brought in. The organization and its players were soon going to deal with hostile environments in every road ballpark they played in, and an experienced, steadying hand such as Baker’s was needed to guide them through awfully treacherous waters.