Dusty Baker’s last game as an MLB manager might need occurred Monday night, when his Astros were crushed by the Rangers and eliminated in Game 7 of the ALCS.
The 74-year-old, who has been Houston’s manager since 2020 and has managed five total teams across 26 years, informed people the 2023 campaign can be his last, in response to a report from The Athletic published after Texas’ 11-4 victory.
Baker reportedly didn’t need a farewell tour.
He also reportedly still could change his mind and told The Athletic he was “interested by” retiring from the league he’d been involved with because the Braves drafted him in 1967 — though Baker could actually join a team’s front office or the league’s staff, which his wife, Melissa, and others hinted at to the outlet.
“When he is finished managing, I do know he has loads of knowledge to supply a corporation,” Melissa told The Athletic. “I do know he may help to construct a winner. My husband just desires to win and is a winner.”
During his postgame press conference Monday at Minute Maid Park, a location where the Astros didn’t win a game across your complete ALCS, Baker didn’t provide much clarity on his future.
He hadn’t considered it yet, hadn’t given himself the space and time to take into consideration that since the loss — the Astros’ quest for consecutive World Series titles falling short — was still fresh.
“I don’t need to steal the highlight or anything from these guys,” Baker told reporters, in response to The Athletic. “You bought to savor what we did, take into consideration how we will get well after which I’ll evaluate my situation in my life. And so, we’ll see.”
Baker’s managing profession began in 1993 with the Giants, when San Francisco won 103 games to spark an 11-year run with the organization that included a World Series appearance — and loss — in 2002, which also marked his final season with the team.
He left for the Cubs within the offseason, and he managed 4 years in Chicago, six years in Cincinnati and two years in Washington before taking on the Astros in 2020 amid the aftermath of their cheating scandal.
But Baker helped stabilize them.
Sure, manager A.J. Hinch had been fired, and sure, general manager Jeff Luhnow was fired, too, because the complex cheating scandal from their 2017 World Series season was revealed.
But Baker led the Astros to the ALCS in the course of the condensed 2020 season.
Then, the next 12 months, they were back within the World Series.
And last season, when the Astros defeated the Phillies within the World Series, Baker became the oldest MLB manager to win a title.
When the Astros took a 3-2 series lead within the 2023 ALCS, it appeared Houston might need one other World Series run for him to oversee.
But as an alternative, when the Rangers stunned the Astros with consecutive victories, their latest postseason run might’ve ended as Baker’s farewell, too.