Dusty joins Giants' front office: 'It's good to be back home'
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Dusty Baker is reconnecting with the Giants as he gets ready to embark on the next chapter of his storied career in baseball.
The longtime manager will return to the organization as a special assistant to the front office, the club announced on Thursday.
“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.”
Baker, 74, stepped down from managing the Astros at the end of the 2023 season, ending a 26-season run in the dugout that is expected to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Before joining Houston, Baker spent two seasons working as a special adviser to Giants CEO Larry Baer from 2018-19, performing duties on both the business and baseball side. He is expected to take on a similar role in his latest stint with San Francisco, which also gave him his first opportunity to manage in 1993.
Baker spent 10 years at the helm of the Giants, posting an 840-715 record while steering the club to five 90-win seasons and the 2002 National League pennant. He earned all three of his Manager of the Year honors (1993, ’97 and 2000) during his time in the Bay Area.
“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.”
Baker, who resides in the Sacramento area, will join the FanFest tour for the first stop on Saturday at Sutter Health Park, home of the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.
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Baker, who also managed the Cubs (2003-06), Reds (2008-13) and Nationals (2016-17), ranks seventh among Major League skippers with 2,183 wins. He also spent 19 seasons as an MLB outfielder, playing for the Braves (where he was teammates with Hank Aaron), the Dodgers (whom he helped win a World Series in 1981), the Giants and the A's.
“I’m thrilled to be on the same team as Dusty again,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said in a statement. “He’s been a great friend and mentor to me over the years. More than anything, I don’t have to manage against him anymore. Welcome home Bake.”