Legendary MLB Manager Says Fans Became Spoiled, Helped Drive Him Into Retirement
“Winning solves everything,” is a common saying in sports, but for one legendary MLB skipper, that adage might be a little overrated.
Dusty Baker, a two-time All Star and two-time World Series winner (one as a player, one as a manager), appeared on the “Steam Room” podcast hosted by sportscaster Ernie Johnson and NBA legend Charles Barkley.
The episode, which debuted on Wednesday, included Baker as part of a rotating cast of guests for Johnson and Barkley, including outspoken Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
But despite Green’s penchant for creating newsworthy soundbites, it was the 74-year-old Baker who garnered the most attention for his blistering assessment of a certain type of fan.
You can watch the whole episode below:
Notably, Baker addressed the final stop of his illustrious career, when he managed the Houston Astros. He had previously managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. He retired after the Astros ended their playoff run this year, losing the American League Championship Series to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers.
It was that final managerial stint that secured Baker his much sought-after and coveted championship ring as a skipper — but it also brought him some nasty headaches.
“You know, we had a lot of success here, Ernie and Charles,” Baker said. “And then the last couple of months here, you know, weren’t very pleasant, because we weren’t 10 games ahead.”
Indeed, the Astros had built something of a reputation for themselves in the last decade or so, firmly establishing the team as a perennial powerhouse competing for World Series championships.
Despite some sign-stealing controversy along the way, the Astros, and their fans, had set the bar high.
While Baker didn’t appear to have an issue with the sky-high expectations per se, he was certainly bothered by the way people were handling the disappointments stemming from them.
“You spoil people,” Baker said. “They think you’re supposed to win this every year running away. That’s not like that.
“You know, every year’s different. There was a whole bunch of criticism from 30-year-olds and bloggers and tweeters that I’m not doing this, and I don’t know that.”
The attention drove him into retiring earlier than he might have otherwise, he said.
“And I told my wife, I said ‘You know, I’m kind of tired of this and tired of the scrutiny, and if I could go manage and show up at … 6:30 for a 7 o’clock game and leave 30 minutes after the game, don’t do the pre and post stuff (interviews), I could manage for another four or five years.’
“You know what I mean? After a while, you just get tired of just answering questions.”
Baker also addressed his general health, which also played a role in his retirement.
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