Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr.is an American Major League Baseball manager and former player. He is currently the manager for the Washington Nationals. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, primarily with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. He helped the Dodgers to pennants in 1977 and 1978 and to the championship in 1981. He then enjoyed a 20-year career as a manager with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and now Washington Nationals. He...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth15 June 1949
CityRiverside, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Guzman has missed a lot of time. He's very close. You don't know if he's quite ready. Certain guys need to pitch. He has missed parts of the last three years (with injuries).
Guys tell me they sleep on the road a lot easier and better than they do at home, ... At home, you end up waking at 7:00 in the morning because you're used to getting up early. On the road, you're not worried about sleeping in and missing batting practice. You're always conscious here of oversleeping. You don't want to wake up in a panic, especially if it's cloudy or dark outside. If it gets sunny early, you're jumping out of bed and it could be 6 o'clock.
Guys gravitate towards him. You need those kind of guys. There's a lot he can still do.
Harold Reynolds told me that maybe he should have gotten a Gold Glove over Bret Boone. That's pretty good company right there.
If someone is doing a good job them you tell them they are doing a good job. If they are not doing a good job then you tell them that too without tearing them down and criticizing them in front of other people. If there is a problem you call them in to the office and you deal with it one on one.
He's had leg problems two or three years in a row. But I've got to play him enough to get him ready, too.
I always say I'm looking for a surprise.
I always tell people to just watch him, be like him.
He will hit a home run, ... That will be 704.
He went that long on a team that's not playing well without being re-signed. I'm sure it came through his mind. Whenever anybody gets fired, it's tough.
He takes, he doesn't strike out a lot, plus he knows how to play the game.
He's concerned about fielding his position and running the bases and all that kind of stuff, ... For D-Lee not to be playing, you know it's got to be something.
He hasn't been quite Michael since spring training. We wanted him to go get his arm strength back. We are going to need him before the year is over.
He has been knocking on 99 for a while and never had 100. He was knocking on it last year and got cold at the end.