By the time Dusty Baker turned 23 years old in September 1972, his emphatic arrival in the major leagues was well under way.
His prior four visits to baseball’s top level were brief. But in 1972, the roots of his 19-year career took hold when he hit .321. Baker finished third in the National League batting race, trailing Billy Williams and teammate Ralph Garr. He was ahead of players like Lou Brock and Pete Rose.
So, he knows hype. Its allure, the fight to temper it. How it can derail, inflate ego or be a wind to the back.