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
Well there is always guys that don't get along. Whether that becomes public or not, that is another story. We don't have fights but guys don't get along sometimes. You're in this small building, a bus, you're on a plane, you are in some confined area with the same guys everyday for a long time with a lot of egos.
We'll take them any way we can get them. (The wild pitch) was two runs, basically. We got just enough to win and avoided the sweep.
We'll take it to the end before we make our decision on who's throwing the best and what we need.
We'll stick with him. At this point, we are a little thin. It'd be different if we didn't know what he could do.
There are going to be some times when all of them will have to come off the bench. To me, that will keep all of them ready to come in the game at any minute.
We'll put them on a concentrated (program) when they get back.
Today was kind of a flat day after the guys have been busting it. Guys are dragging a little bit.
Yeah. Once you get one, then there is three. I believe that.
Yeah, I've got a problem with it, but it's modern baseball. On a close play, you're going to do what's most natural to you. ... There's too many things that you can hurt ? fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulders. There's a lot of things that can get stepped on. There's a lot of things that can happen on a head-first play.
You know how I feel about things. Until you're mathematically eliminated, you've got a shot. Who knows? (Sunday's 14-3 victory over Florida) could have started us on a long winning streak. I was thinking, 'What happens then?' I had visions of 'Woody' being remorseful in (not pitching in) the playoffs.
You know how I feel about the guy -- I love the guy. I would've loved to have played with him, and behind him. I've enjoyed watching him here with us. He's one of the few guys I've had who has earned the right -- and you know he's not going to abuse the right -- to call his own shots. This guy is a pro. You don't know he's around. He never boasts or brags.
You know he's feeling better because he's eating up everything in the locker room again and he's talking a lot.
You know he's better than he's pitching. The good thing is his arm feels good and he's in great shape.
We need to establish home-field advantage and superiority.