For seven seasons, Dusty Baker penciled Kirk Rueter's name in as his starting pitcher of the San Francisco Giants.
The two formed a bond and Rueter put up fantastic numbers for Baker after being traded from the Montreal Expos during the 1996 season for Mark Leiter. In 10 seasons with the Giants, Rueter compiled a record of 105-80 -- the most wins by a lefty in San Francisco history -- with a 4.32 ERA.
Along the way, Baker believes Rueter is the luckiest player he's ever coached in his 21-year managerial career. So when Rueter drove down from his Illinois home to see Baker's Washington Nationals play the St.