Houston Astros GM Wants to Make Altuve, Bregman 'Astros for Life' Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown wants to make two-time World Series champion infielders Alex Bregman and Jose. Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane takes a photo with Dana Brown, after he introduced him as the new general manager of the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 in Houston. I meant what I said. [39] On December 16, 1992, Baker was hired to manage the club, becoming the seventh black manager hired to manage a Major League Baseball team. Browns stops include Toronto, Washington, Montreal and Pittsburgh. When could stars sign? We're in the process of transitioning services for our Today in Houston newsletter. In a career that spanned nineteen years, Baker played in 2,039 games while collecting 1,981 hits, 242 home runs and 1,013 runs batted in while never going on the disabled list. Were in discussions and when he gets back, well complete those discussions, Crane said. Brown replaces James Click, who was not given a new contract. Since the Giants missed the playoffs (as only the division winners qualified before 1995), he also became the eighth and so far the last manager to lead a team to 100 wins without making it to the postseason. Baker became the first baseball manager to lead five teams to the postseason. On the same day that Baker won his 2,000th game, his son Darren scored the winning run home for his High A team in Delaware on a sacrifice fly. As for free-agent star Carlos Correa, the team plans to talk with him again after the sides weren't able to come to a long-term agreement before the 2021 season. On April 30, he passed Casey Stengel for 12th all-time with a 92 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the teams' first meeting since the previous year's ALCS. As a manager with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Nationals and now the Astros, Baker is 1,969-1,719 with a .534 winning percentage. Along with the contracts of Click and Baker, the Astros also are dealing with several player contracts. [84] In the playoffs, the Astros first played the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series (ALDS). The Giants faced the St. Louis Cardinals (who had beaten the Arizona Diamondbacks, the defending champions) in the 2002 National League Championship Series. And he did a great job in kind of settling things down, getting everybody focused on playing baseball and winning games.. [62], In 2013, the Reds won ninety games, but it was only good enough for a third place finish in the division (the Cardinals won the division by seven games), and a five-game losing streak closed out the regular season. The Houston Astros had one manager who is also a member of the hall of fame. Click arrived in Houston after working 12 years for one franchise: the Tampa Bay Rays. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. Baker has said that putting men on base can be unimportant and merely "clogging up the bases. Hes a legend and hes really done a lot for the team.. "He's done a great job this last year," owner Jim Crane said. [121] Dusty is also owner of Baker Family Wines, along with owner and winemaker Chik Brenneman. [40] In his first year as Giants manager, the team had acquired Barry Bonds the same month Baker was promoted. ", "Dusty Baker: his teams have lost 10 straight postseason close-out games (an MLB record) via @EliasSports t.co/flKu1yB2rT", "Dusty Baker Will Not Return As Nationals' Manager In 2018", "Nationals fire Dusty Baker as manager, entire coaching staff", "Dusty Baker references Phillies rejection after ALCS victory Phillies Nation", "Astros hire Dusty Baker to short-term deal as new manager", "Dusty Baker, Astros agree to contract to be next manager - Sports Illustrated", "Astros pick up Dusty Baker's contract option for 2021 season", "Dusty Baker becomes first MLB manager to lead five different teams to postseason", "15 intriguing stats, facts from ALCS Game 6", "Javier fans career-high 9 in rotation return", "McCullers leads Astros over Rays 92, 1st meeting since ALCS", "He's back! In fact, he recently opened up about . [20][21] His second and last home run of the series proved just as important, as he hit a two-run shot off Steve Carlton in the second inning of Game 4 in a game the Dodgers won 41 to clinch the National League pennant. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. We are committed to being the most accessible front office in all of sports and look forward to hearing from you! When we did the complete evaluation, Crane said, he was the perfect fit for us., Chandler Rome joined the Houston Chronicle in 2018 to cover the Astros after spending one year in Tuscaloosa covering Alabama football - during which Nick Saban asked if he attended college. I love keeping my word. Baker will get a chance to do just that after he agreed to a one-year contract with the Houston Astros. Baker said he isn't thinking about that possibility yet with so much work to be done. Crane parted ways with Click following Houstons World Series win, creating a fascinating opening atop a baseball operations department primed for a repeat. David J. Phillip/AP Astros outfielder and first baseman Trey Mancini detailed Baker's kindness towards his players in an . The Houston Astros are a professional baseball franchise based in Houston, Texas. [52] It was around this time that Baker came under scrutiny for his tendency to overuse pitchers, such as with Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. When asked about what was necessary for good pitching, he stated "Control, control, control. After the rejections, commissioner Rob Manfred told him, Hey, stay positive.. Ten of the 11 other managers who have accumulated at least 2,000 wins are in the Hall of Fame. It is believed that Baker played an integral part in the first-ever high five, which occurred between Baker and Dodgers teammate Glenn Burke on October 2, 1977, at Dodger Stadium, a story featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary The High Five (2014), directed by Michael Jacobs. However, a double by Troy Glaus scored the runners to give the Angels a lead they would not relinquish. My agent, a few years ago contacted them to see if I get a toothpick endorsement, he said. Baker would make a major impact in his first season as manager for the Cubs in 2003. Johnnie B. [63][64] Baker finished his tenure with a regular season record of 509 wins and 463 losses and a post-season record of two wins and seven losses; he was the first full-time Reds manager to finish with a winning record since Jack McKeon and he is currently the last Reds manager to have a winning record as of 2023. In the wake of the sign-stealing scandal, the Houston Astros are tapping a . It captured its second World Series title and first since the scandal-tainted 2017 championship. [19], "It was the last day of the regular season, and Dodgers leftfielder Dusty Baker had just gone deep off the Astros' J. R. Richard. Things aren't so straightforward for general manager James Click, whose contract also expired at the end of the season. The team joined MLB in 1962 as an expansion team named the Houston Colt .45s and changed their name to the Houston Astros in 1965. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. On November 3, Baker won his 50th postseason game as manager, becoming only the fourth in MLB history to do so. Scott Spiezio came up to the plate and soon hit a shot to right field to narrow the score to 53. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. "Looking forward to being part of this organization and this city," Baker said. They are a member of the American League (AL) West in Major League Baseball (MLB). Baker collected one home run in the series (Game 3) while going 7-for-24 (.292) with five runs batted in, but the Dodgers lost the Series in six games. On November 5, the Astros defeated the National League champions, the Philadelphia Phillies, in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series, winning Baker his second World Series and first as a manager. 1000; Cubs retake wild-card lead", "Unchanged Stone will be back in '05 Chicago Sun-Times - Find Articles", "You Can't Neutralize Stupid: Why Dusty Baker Might Not Get Another Job", Dusty Baker and Pitch Counts The Hardball Times, "Mark Prior: I have no regrets, no one to blame", "Dusty Baker bashers in Chicago have short memories", "Reds give Dusty Baker a three-year deal", "Reds, Rays and Yanks Punch Playoff Tickets", "Reds give manager Dusty Baker a two-year extension", "Reds' Dusty Baker hospitalized with irregular heartbeat", "Reds, Dusty Baker agree to two-year contract extension", "Washington Nationals hire Dusty Baker as manager", "Baker: Nats need more black, Latino players to increase speed", "Dusty Baker Excuses Racist Comment By Assuring Us It Wasn't Racist", "Dusty Baker Is Not a Bad Hire | FanGraphs Baseball", "Does Reds Manager Dusty Baker Abuse Pitchers? The Houston Astros have added another name to their list of finalist for the vacant general manager position. However, the Nationals lost in the NLDS in five games against the Los Angeles Dodgers after losing Game 4 and Game 5 (in the latter game, the Nationals gave up four runs in the seventh inning in a 43 loss). [67] Comments made shortly after his hire raised attention when he suggested his Washington Nationals should field more players of color as "you've got a better chance of getting some speed with Latin and African-Americans,"[68] also generated controversy. You cant be satisfied with where you are or else youll never get past where you are right now. [49][50], In 2005, the Cubs lost several of their key players, most notably ace pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, to injuries. Baker is 230-154 in his three regular seasons in Houston. However, it was not enough for a playoff berth. He played two further seasons with the Braves, batting over .255 in each as the center fielder, but it was a moment on April 8, 1974, that earned him a place in history. [46] On October 22, 2013, he was replaced by Reds pitching coach Bryan Price. [58] Baker and the Reds finished 7488 and 7884 in 2008 and 2009, finishing 5th and 4th in the NL Central. At the time, Baker had been dealing with a longstanding heart problem. 7 incredible facts on Dusty in WS", "Details behind the longtime feud between Dusty Baker, Tony La Russa: The Astros, White Sox managers have a long history with each other", "(1/2) Dusty Baker is going to the World Series 18 years after his previous trip. We're very, very excited to have him back.". Were going to do our best to try to keep him.. On November 15, 2002, he was hired by the Chicago Cubs to a four-year deal to manage the team, replacing Don Baylor. The Astros won 95 games in 2021 and Baker made his first trip to the Series since 2002 with the Giants but came up short again as Houston fell to Atlanta in six games. Baker was fired by the Reds three days after the game. Note: Statistics are correct as of November 5, 2022. The Astros hired Brown as their general manager Thursday, ending a 75-day search for James Clicks replacement with one of baseball's most well-regarded talent evaluators plucked away from the Atlanta Braves. In 2002, his Giants won 95 games and clinched the Wild Card by 3 games. The man has led a record five teams to 12 postseason berths, three World Series appearances, and has won more games than all but eight managers in history. As an outfielder, Baker played his first baseball games in the Texas League in Austin in the AA classification, playing nine games in 1967. We present them here for purely educational purposes. It was Houston's first playoff appearance since 2005. "Dusty" Baker Jr.[a][2] (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). [43] However, the postseason would elude Baker and the Giants, as they fell in the NLDS in 1997 and 2000 while losing a tie-breaker game for the Wild Card spot in 1998. Ace Justin Verlander is expected to decline his $25 million player option for next season and become a free agent Thursday. He finished fourth in MVP voting while winning the Silver Slugger Award. Many of Baker's accomplishments as a player would come during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he spent the next eight seasons. AP Baseball Writer Ron Blum contributed to this report. They declined a $10 million option on first baseman Trey Mancini in favor of a $250,000 buyout and declined a $13 million option on reliever Will Smith in favor of a $1 million buyout. Dusty Baker, the current manager; led the Astros to the 2021 and 2022 AL pennants - their first consecutive trips to the World Series in team history; he won the 2022 World Series with the team, their second title in five years. On August 30, Baker won his 1,000th game as manager with a win over the Montreal Expos, doing so in his 1,848th game. On Thursday, the Houston Astros officially introduced Dusty Baker as their new manager, the 19th in franchise's history. [90] Baker became the twelfth manager and first African American manager to reach the milestone. Baker, 72, led the Astros to the World Series in 2021 after taking over the team before the 2020 season. Yainer Diaz becomes first Astros hitter to violate new MLB rules, What a state takeover of HISD could mean for parents, students, Houston ISD to face TEA state takeover, Turner says, In Fertitta's members-only club, where photos, media are banned. He is also the first MLB manager to reach the playoffs and win a division title with five different teams, having accomplished both feats with each team he managed. The result would be the same, as the Dodgers won the pennant in four games, and Baker went 7-of-15 (.467) with one run batted in. Things like that., Added Crane: Certainly, we wont do away with our analytics. Let the Houston Public Media newsroom help you start your day. Baker grew up in Riverside, California, as the oldest of five children. They allowed Baker to address the media in a press conference in early October, where he officially announced his departure. [109][110][111] Baker and his family reside in Granite Bay, California. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Baker said he believes the team has moved past those dark days. Im just telling you, I love winning probably more than anything else. The day he walked in the door, he was very calm and certainly has a ton of experience, Crane said. The Giants won the series in five games for their first pennant in eleven years, winning on a walk-off single by Kenny Lofton. The Orioles wanted to get some work on the mound for right-hander Ofreidy Gmez. The Houston Astros are bringing back manager Dusty Baker on a one-year deal, the team announced Friday. Its my entire life. My thing is to win this pennant again next year and then Ill tell you where I am next year at this point in time.. After winning a World Series with the Astros in 2022, Click parted . They met most frequently in games in the National League Central when La Russa managed the St. Louis Cardinals, and Baker managed the Cubs and Reds.[85]. Former Houston Astros general manager James Click has been hired by the Toronto Blue Jays as vice president of baseball strategy. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After more than two months of searching, the Houston Astros have a new general manager in Dana Brown, the ballclub announced Thursday. Brown bided his time after interviewing with both the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners without any luck. [73][74], In 2020, Baker was one of three finalists for the Philadelphia Phillies job, alongside Joe Girardi and Buck Showalter, but Girardi got the job. The Astros faced the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the AL pennant. The Houston Astros are a professional baseball franchise based in Houston, Texas. [112] In the winter of 2001, Baker was diagnosed with prostate cancer during a routine check-up (his father had been diagnosed with the disease eight years prior). He played 100 games that year and batted .292 with 71 hits and three home runs. Like Click before him, Brown has never run his own baseball operations department, but he has experience across the sport Click could not match. Baker finished his tenure with a regular-season record of 322 wins and 326 losses and a postseason record of six wins and six losses. With everything he has going on, it was good that it didn't take long for Baker and team owner Jim Crane to agree to a new contract. Baker, who turns 74 in June, is the oldest manager to win a World Series. Having first played in Colt Stadium (19621964), and later in The Astrodome, now known as the Reliant Astrodome (19651999), the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, which was first named The Ballpark at Union Station, since 2000. Houston Astros Managers | Baseball-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos Houston Astros Managers Team Names: Houston Astros, Houston Colt .45s Seasons: 61 (1962 to 2022) Record: 4831-4820, .501 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 16 Pennants: 5 World Championships: 2 Winningest Manager: Bill Virdon, 544-522, .510 W-L% Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. But he joked that the fact that his affinity for chewing toothpicks during games had become so well-known that the Hall of Fame wanted some didnt take away the sting from another incident with his toothpicks. "We kind of know where he's looking. Despite his age, he's not ready to say next season will be his last. Nearly three months after parting ways with James Click, the Astros announced Thursday that they have hired Dana . Find out more. Baker has been following the safety protocols quite religiously. The umpires were done with their days work after Baltimores Josh Lester grounded out to end the top of the ninth inning with the Orioles trailing 7-4, officially ending the spring training contest. The Giants were one victory away from the championship and had two games in Anaheim to do so. It stands to reason Brown can build on what Click started, but make no mistake, most of Browns front-office experience arrived before the rise of analytics.