Player Profile: Dusty Baker

I have 25 cards of Dusty Baker. This one is from 1984 Fleer.

Playing career: Outfielder Dusty Baker played 19 seasons in the major leagues, mostly for the Braves and the Dodgers. A two time all-star, he hit 242 home runs and drive in over a thousand runs. He was a key member of the great Dodger teams of the late 70s and early 80s.

Where he is now: Baker has been a major league manager for 19 of the last 20 years, going 840-715 for the Giants, Cubs, and now the Reds, reaching the post-season with all. He also runs a baseball camp.

Interesting facts: He was in the US Marine Corps Reserves from 1969 through 1975.

He is currently active with several charities.

He is widely read in a variety of subjects.

He believes “blacks and Latins take the heat better than most whites, and whites take the cold better than most blacks and Latins.”

He supported Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. No word on whether he supports him again in 2012.

My memories: His playing career is from before my time, however I remember his managerial career, as he has moved over the last twenty years from being considered a new fresh face, to being considered one of the more antiquated managers in the game. His teams aren’t necessarily perennial contenders, but he often gets them to win. His strengths are more on the communication and leadership side then the strategic side.

Google Autocomplete results: He is second when you type Dusty, between Dusty Springfield, a British pop singer, and Dusty Rhodes, a wrestler. There do not appear to be any other prominent Dusty Bakers.

Coming up next: The next profile will be  Jared Baker.