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Houston coach Dusty Baker
Photo:
David J. Phillip / AP
The players jumped on the pitch, the fans hugged each other in the stands - and the man who had been given this title by everyone was greeted by the coaching staff in the Houston Astros dugout with shouts of "Dusty, Dusty".
Johnnie B. Baker Jr., whom everyone just calls "Dusty," was there.
After 25 years coaching Major League Baseball, he had finally won a championship.
His Houston Astros earned their fourth and decisive win with a 4-1 home win in Game 6 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"I'm glad it took so long.
Because if I'd won sooner, I'd have been retired long ago,” Baker said, smiling his intoxicating smile.
"And what's next?" asked the 73-year-old, only to give the answer himself immediately: "Party!".
He laughed out loud again and punched his fists in front of his small prosperous belly.
Baker may have just become the oldest master coach in MLB history, but he oozed with energy like a young Eddie Murphy in many of his films.
"Do it for Dusty" was the Astros' motto in this final series.
»Do it for Dusty« was also written on many fan posters.
On April 6, 1993, Baker made his coaching debut.
Back then he was in charge of the San Francisco Giants.
The Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros followed.
Baker led all five teams into the playoffs, and he was named "Coach of the Year" three times.
And he had won 2093 games.
The Californian was thus the coach with the most wins without a championship title.
"A coach worth cheering for"
Two years ago he ended up in Houston by accident.
Coach AJ Hinch was fired in January 2020 after an MLB investigation found the Astros cheated to win their 2017 title.
Houston needed a new coach and was looking for someone to clean up their shattered reputation and act like a lightning rod to keep all the negative headlines away from the team.
Baker happened to be free, having been one of three finalists for the Phillies coaching job two months earlier, who had decided against him.
Astros owner Jim Crane attributed the fact that Baker was awarded the contract in Houston to his experience and communication skills.
'He was exactly what we needed.
Because he calmed everything down,” says third baseman Alex Bregman.
Baker, a nice uncle guy, led the Astros to the World Series in 2021.
And he garnered plenty of sympathy.
The »New York Times« wrote in its final preview of a »polarizing team with a coach worth cheering on.«
But Houston lost 4-2 to the Atlanta Braves.
It was Baker's second lost World Series after 2002. But it wasn't as painful as the loss back then.
Not that brutal.
After five games, his San Francisco Giants led 3-2 against the Anaheim Angels.
And they were up 5-0 in the seventh inning of game six, just two innings from the title.
Baker took starting pitcher Russ Ortiz out of the game and brought in Felix Rodriguez.
He was barely on the throwing mound when Anaheim shortened it to 3:5 with a 3-run home run.
A little later, the Angels won 6:5 and became champions the following day with a 4:1 win.
Baker carried this experience with him for 20 years.
He's always heard what he can't do.
But his parents, Baker says, taught him to be persistent.
That has now paid off.
When Yordan Alvarez hit a 3-run home run in the sixth inning and gave Houston a 3-1 lead, Baker said he knew “that today was the day”.
»If I win a title, I also want to get a second«
This title was "no rehabilitation for 2017," said the broadcaster Fox Sports.
With Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, Lance McCullers and Justin Verlander, five players from the winning team from back then still wear the Astros jersey.
Nevertheless, this team of the 2022 season is almost completely different.
It has new, exciting players like Yordan Alvarez, pitcher Framber Valdez or shortstop Jeremy Peña, who was voted "most valuable player of the final series" in his rookie season.
The Astros also have a new manager in James Click.
And they have Dusty Baker.
He "brought credibility and stability back to the club," said Fox Sports.
Baker's success is special for another reason: The Californian is only the third black master coach in MLB history.
Every day, according to Baker, black people in particular approached him on the street and told him how much they were crossing their fingers for him.
This may also be due to the fact that for the first time since 1950 no black player was represented in a World Series.
And now?
What is still to come for a 73-year-old who has finally scaled the highest mountain there is to climb in his sport?
career end?
baseball pension?
Baker doesn't even think about it.
"If I win a title, I also want to get a second one." He still has a contract for the coming season in Houston.