Astros’ Dusty Baker announces retirement after 26 years as MLB manager: ‘Baseball has been my life’

Dusty Baker has knowledgeable the Houston Astros that he is retiring after 26 seasons as a major-league supervisor, USA Today reported Wednesday. The Astros showed the news on Thursday. 

“I’ve still got a lot to offer; baseball has been my life,” Baker advised the newspaper. “I have a lifetime of knowledge, much more than those who have never played the game.”

Baker’s Astros had been not too long ago eradicated within the American League Championship Series by means of the Texas Rangers, thus finishing their 2023 season. The loss used to be accompanied by means of hypothesis that the 74-year-old Baker would step down and go for retirement. His run with Houston ends after 4 seasons, two pennants, and one World Series identify in 2021 — the primary World Series identify of Baker’s managerial profession. 

“It has been a tremendous honor to be the leader of this ballclub. Thank you to the fans for their unwavering passion. The amount of love I’ve received in my time in Houston has been unmatched,” Baker mentioned in a press liberate from the workforce. “Thank you to all my players and coaches for their many sacrifices on our multiple pursuits to a World Series title. You all gave me all you had every day and that’s all I can ever ask for. Lastly, I want to say thank you to all my friends and family. I have immense gratitude for all of the love and support you have shown me throughout the years and I can’t say thank you enough. This isn’t a goodbye, it’s simply a See You Later.”

That managerial profession used to be as sprawling as it used to be superb. After spending portions of nineteen seasons within the majors as an All-Star outfielder, Baker joined the San Francisco Giants as supervisor in 1993 and sooner or later guided them to a few postseason berths, together with a pennant in 2002. From there got here managerial stints with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, and after all Astros. He led every of the ones groups to the playoffs and gained a complete of 3 pennants and 3 NL Manager of the Year awards.

In the top, Baker within the dugout accumulated a report of two,183-1,862. Those 2,183 wins rank 7th all-time. As neatly, Baker’s 57 profession postseason wins rank fourth all-time. His 13 overall postseason appearances additionally rank fourth amongst major-league managers. Baker used to be additionally the primary Black supervisor to sign up 2,000 profession wins.

Baker had a powerful Hall of Fame case as a supervisor even ahead of he eventually broke thru and gained a hoop in 2022, however the championship veneer all however guarantees he’s going to someday get a plaque in Cooperstown. 

As for the Astros, they are left wanting a brand new supervisor for the 2024 season and past as they are attempting to increase the present window of competition that is observed them win a couple of World Series since 2017 and make it least as a ways as the ALCS in seven immediately seasons.