Baseball has found a new way of bringing discussions of sports science to fans, media, scouts and front office executives. Seemingly every week, baseball announcers are calling out the newest advanced statistic to bring a deeper meaning to the game particularly when it comes to hard hit balls coming out of the batter’s box.
It became so prevalent that MLBbro.com has gotten in the advanced stat business trying to analyze the combination of computer and advanced metrics.
While this newer form of information continues to become more complex and detailed. More and more developmental programs are being started to supposedly help the generation get to the next level in the game but with more understanding of why. While the game is going more toward the computer age to generate more power and bat speed, is technique starting to take a backseat?
Front foot weighted, elbow slot, push across the body, is very different than having a swing that can be launched instantly. Without having to shift weight first, get the front foot down, slot the elbow, and then swing. pic.twitter.com/zWy2jMhKXb
— Optimal Power Performance (@OPPtraining) June 20, 2024
The MLBbro managerial Icon, Dusty Baker had an emphatic statement that made it to social media when he was managing the Houston Astros that leads most to believe that advanced stats aren’t everything…
“I see you guys in the video room, just looking at your swings, reading all of these stats. At some point, you have to say f— all that s— and go out there and hit. All I hear is y’all talking about launch angle and tendency and exit velocity. F–king exit velocity?! Motherf–king exit velocity?! How about motherf–king exit hits?!”
Is Dusty Baker bashing advanced stats here? No. This is probably nothing more than a social media post taking a quote out of context for clicks. But this MLBbro great is wise enough to know that hitting a baseball has simple steps that don’t need multiple advanced stats to reinvent the wheel. From his first baseball spring in MLB in the ’60s with the Atlanta Braves (with Hank Aaron as his teammate) to currently being an special advisor with the San Francisco Giants, championships included as a player and manager shows one thing…
The man may know what he is talking about when it comes to hitting. He does have enough clout in the game that Willie Mays gave him a statement to share to fans in Birmingham.
Willie Mays gave this statement to Dusty Baker on Monday, a day before Willie passed, to share with the city of Birmingham: pic.twitter.com/hQ0XmRKsmc
The bottom line is baseball is a very difficult sport. The speed of the game has increased. The complexity of the pitches are seemingly increasing every week and the pressures of the hitters to produce are growing with each at-bat.
But what Dusty Baker is trying to say is to not forget the basics of hitting a baseball. Sometimes it just comes down to…
Keeping your head down…
Keeping your hands back…
Keeping the eye on the ball…
Time it right and trust the mechanics that were taught…
Advanced stats in any sport, particularly baseball, don’t tell the story of what happens in a game, or the passion and heart of a player. If you disagree, MLBbro.com will leave you with this video about the late Willie Mays, who didn’t need analytics and advanced stats to shine.
“No cold metric or analytic contains that feeling that made us want to swing and throw and run and play like he did.”
Tom Rinaldi pays tribute to the man who truly transcended the game, Willie Mays 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3cFKDxbqXD
On April 25th of this year, Baseball Digest announced the winner of their Lifetime Achievement Award, and this year it has been given to the great Dusty Baker. The award “recognizes a living individual whose career has been spent in or around Major League Baseball and who has made significant contributions to the game.”
As this is the fourth time the award has ever been presented, Baker has added to a list of all time greats who have received this honor, joining inaugural winner Willie Mays, Vin Scully, and Joe Torre. “I never thought that I’d be in the class of the people that received this award. I know that my late mom and dad would be proud of me. This is really special,” Baker said at the time.
Dusty had been in the league for 56 years as a player, coach, and manager. He played 19 seasons in The Show, primarily with the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and managed five teams between 1992-2023, including the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, and Houston Astros. He is the only manager in MLB history to earn division titles with five different teams, and is seventh all time in managerial wins.
As a player, Baker was a two-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger award winner and earned a Gold Glove in 1981, the same year he won a World Series with the Dodgers. He also copped the National League’s first ever NLCS MVP award back in 1977, when he batted .316, with three home runs and a staggering 13 RBI in just four games.
As a manager, Baker led three teams to pennants, once in ‘02 with the Giants, and back-to-back in ‘21 and ‘22 with the Astros. In 2022, in his 25th managerial season, he finally won his first World Series as a skipper, the final piece of the puzzle to his Cooperstown-bound career.
He became the seventh man in MLB history to win a ring as a player and manager. It took him only 3,884 regular season games and 97 postseason games before that first World Series, which were the most in MLB history for both. At 73, he was the oldest manager to ever win a title not just in MLB history, but the history of all four major North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL).
Legendary career for Dusty Baker 👏
▫️ 26 seasons ▫️ 2,183 career wins ▫️ 3 pennants ▫️ 3x Manager of the Year ▫️ 2022 WS Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/cfOKdsr0Q1
After retiring from managing in 2023, Baker is still in Major League Baseball as he is back in San Francisco with the Giants in a front office role. According to mlb.com, he joined the team as a special assistant to Farhan Zaidi, the team’s President of Baseball Operations.
There really isn’t anyone more deserving of this award than Baker. The impact he has had on the game is arguably second to none, as he’s set the highest of standards on being a great leader on the field, and an even better role model off of it.
This MLBbro legend has a historical resume. Dusty Baker is a baseball savant with Hall of Fame accomplishments to back it up.
First manager in MLB history to lead five different teams to division titles.
Ninth manager to win both National League and American League pennants.
Three-time Manager of the Year Award winner.
Let’s take a closer at his accomplishments with the Houston Astros:
Baker finished with a 320-226 record in Houston, leading them to the playoffs four times, and collecting two AL pennants.
He is one of three Black managers in the history of the game to win a World Series along with Dave Roberts (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2020) and Cito Gaston (Toronto Blue Jays, 1992 and 1993).
His final game as a manager was a Game 7 ALCS loss to the Texas Rangers narrowly missing three World Series appearances.
Bottom line, Dusty Baker brought the Astros out of the era of the sign-stealing scandal of the 2017 World Series. Something that the franchise needed more than the wins and championships.
It didn’t take long for the San Francisco Giants to hire Baker as a “Special Adviser” to baseball operations.
Something that the President of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi was very happy about when our MLBbro O.G. was first hired.
“I was fortunate enough to get to know Dusty when we overlapped in the organization in 2019, and I’m excited to get to work with him again,” Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in a statement. “We’ve had a chance to meet in person and discuss our shared vision of bringing championship baseball back to San Francisco. I learn something new in every interaction with him and look forward to leaning on his experience and perspective on the game.”
Houston Astros Lost Without Dusty
Well in this week’s episode of “Life Comes At You Fast” the Major League Baseball edition, the Houston Astros have fallen off the cliff as World Series contenders.
As of this writing, Houston is 7-16, losers of two straight, and have lost seven of their last ten.
In short, the Astros’ championship culture ended with Dusty Baker’s press conference.
The San Francisco Giants are two games out of first place in the NL West.
But are the baseball gods punishing the Houston Astros?
It’s peculiar to give Dusty Baker or anyone with his track record of success and baseball acumen continuous one-year extensions making the job difficult with lame duck situations. But for Baker to receive them leading the team to two World Series seasons and coming up one game short in two others, it’s plain to see Houston didn’t fully appreciate Dusty Baker and at times didn’t share the same baseball philosophy.
Baker’s final season with the Astros was an uneasy partnership instead of a united front. Our MLBbro was criticized for his lineups that sometimes did not include Chas McCormick.
So instead of having conversations about Dusty Baker being in the G.O.A.T. conversation for all managers instead of just MLBbro managers…
Distractions that might have cost Baker and his crew a chance at one more championship.
Dusty Baker Always Figured Out A Way To Win
While Dusty Baker figured out ways to win despite injuries and inconsistent play at times last season, this year Houston has bottomed out, particularly on the pitching mound.
Houston has the second-worst ERA (Colorado Rockies have the worst) in baseball.
The Astros pitchers collectively over 203 innings pitched among the starters.
JP France and Hunter Brown both have ERA’s over 7.00.
Even though Justin Verlander returned from the IL, Cristian Javier replaced him on Tuesday.
Even selling “building for the future” to the fanbase won’t work at this juncture. The Astros have the 27th ranked farm system in MLB.
MLBbro.com knows only one man who could guide Houston back to prominence, but he’s working in San Francisco.
Every time he tries to leave something keeps pulling MLBbro Dusty Baker back to the field of dreams.
Only this time he’ll be moving on up to the front office. After originally retiring from managing after a 26 year career, Baker is returning with the San Francisco Giants as a special advisor to baseball operations the team announced on Thursday.
Dusty began his MLB managerial career with the Giants in 1993 where he led them to a 2002 World Series appearance (Lost to the Anaheim Angels in 7), two NL West titles and three trips to the postseason with Barry Bonds setting records that may never be broken.
Dusty Baker Returns to San Francisco
Although he is not returning to the dugout, this role isn’t unfamiliar to him. Baker served as a special advisor to team CEO Larry Baer from 2018 to ’19. Baker’s role in his third stint with the team will be similar to the role he had in 2018, having a hand in both business and baseball operations.
Even though Baker has reached the mountain top with the Astros winning a World Series (2022) and coached teams such as the Chicago Cubs (2003-2006), Cincinnati Reds (2008 to 2013), and the Washington Nationals (2016-2017), Baker considers the Bay Area home.
“I’ve enjoyed my stops at various places, but I’m happy to be back home,” Baker said in a team release. “I look forward to providing guidance to the organization and helping the Giants get back to the top in a very tough division.”
Dusty Baker Has The Winning Formula
The 74-years-young Baker surely has limitless amounts of knowledge and wisdom to share.
In his career in the dugout Baker has reached three World Series, became the first manager in MLB history to lead five different teams to division titles, captured three NL Manager of the Year awards and has 2,183 wins under his belt.
The Giants are excited to be able to tap into Dusty’s endless well of baseball knowledge going forward.
“I was fortunate enough to get to know Dusty when we overlapped in the organization in 2019, and I’m excited to get to work with him again,” Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in a statement. “I learn something new in every interaction with him and look forward to leaning on his experience and perspective on the game.”
The Giants have not been to the postseason since 2021 and had a disappointing ’23 season placing 4th in the NL West (79-83 record).
We look forward to watching this MLBbro legend help the organization turn things around and get back on a winning track
As the sun sets on the illustrious career of Dusty Baker, the baseball world pauses to honor a 74-year-old man who’s still sharper than a Ginsu and leaves an impact on the game that transcends his impressive statistics as a player and manager. Baker’s retirement marks the end of an era, one that has seen him shape the sport with his unwavering passion, strategic acumen, and pioneering spirit as a man of color in the major leagues.
Dusty Baker’s journey in baseball is a tapestry woven with threads of resilience, leadership, and love for the game. As a player, Baker’s name became synonymous with excellence. His career spanned 19 seasons, during which he earned a reputation as a clutch performer, a reliable teammate, and a formidable adversary at the plate. But it was his presence in the clubhouse that left an indelible mark on his peers, a testament to his character and the respect he commanded.
From All-Star MLBbro Soldier To Head Commander
Transitioning into management, Baker broke barriers and built bridges. As one of the few African American managers in the majors, he carried the weight of representation with grace and fortitude. His leadership style—a blend of old-school grit and empathetic mentorship—resonated deeply with players, fostering an environment where talent from all backgrounds could flourish.
Baker’s impact on players of color cannot be overstated. He stood as a pillar of possibility, a beacon for black and brown players navigating the complexities of a sport that has been slow to embrace diversity. Through his advocacy and example, Baker has carved a path for future generations, ensuring that the door he walked through remains wide open for those who follow.
His love for the game was infectious. It was evident in every lineup he crafted, every visit to the mound, and every word of encouragement he offered during the highs and lows of a grueling 162-game season. Baker’s passion was a unifying force, one that transcended race, age, and background, and reminded us all why we fell in love with baseball.
Dusty Baker Is 7th All-Time With 2,183 Managerial Wins
Dusty Baker’s managerial resume is as storied as his playing days, highlighted by a remarkable ability to turn teams into contenders. With over 2,000 wins, Baker’s strategic prowess has been felt across the league. He has led teams to division titles, pennants, and in 2022, he steered the Houston Astros to a World Series victory, a crowning achievement that solidified his status as one of the game’s greats.
Baker’s managerial success is characterized by his adaptability and his unshakeable integrity. In an era where analytics have reshaped the game, he has blended new-age statistics with his gut-driven, player-first approach, a combination that has earned him respect in all corners of the baseball community.
His tenure with the Astros was perhaps the most telling testament to his leadership qualities. Inheriting a team embroiled in a cheating scandal that shook the sport to its core, Baker was tasked with managing a new baseball team, and also restoring honor to a clubhouse under scrutiny. With his characteristic calm and an unwavering sense of fairness, Baker navigated the Astros through turbulent waters, leading them back to the pinnacle of baseball success. His ability to focus a group of players on the game, to move beyond the controversy, and to reclaim a narrative of victory speaks volumes of his capabilities as a leader.
A Giant In The Face Of Adversity: Dusty Baker Shifts the Culture
Baker’s successes also underscore a broader narrative of perseverance in the face of adversity. As a man of color at the helm of various teams, he has often been the first to break ground, to challenge the status quo, and to pave the way for more diverse leadership within the game. His managerial career has not just been about wins and losses, but about setting a standard for what it means to lead with dignity, passion, and respect for all.
As Dusty Baker hangs up his uniform, the baseball world not only reflects on his statistical achievements but also on the profound personal impact he has had on the game. His legacy is not merely etched in the record books but is also alive in the spirit of fairness and opportunity he championed.
The path he has blazed will continue to inspire Black and brown players and aspiring managers who dream of one day leaving their mark on America’s pastime.
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