WASHINGTON — John “Dusty” Baker, Jr. begins his 21st season in the dugout as a Major League manager this year. He’s reported to Viera, Florida to take over a Nationals team that fell short of expectations a year ago, costing his good friend Matt Williams his job. After being out of the game since 2013, his final season with the Reds, Baker was ready to get back in for one more shot at what has proved so far to be an elusive World Series title.
He showed up to Viera a few weeks ago not knowing many players on his roster, having to learn a whole new front office staff, charged with the task of putting together a team that’s ready to make a postseason run.
Even though he’s been in baseball for over six decades, things aren’t always as easy as riding a bike when it’s time to head to spring training.
“Number one, it was hard to pack coming here,” Baker said. “I forgot how to pack for that long period of time, (to be) honest. But it’s becoming more and more like usual. It just takes time.
You find yourself thinking at night before you go to sleep about lineup possibilities and just different things.”
What does he see as the biggest challenge with a new team in spring training?
“Learning the personnel. The biggest challenge is learning who’s a fast starter and who’s a slow starter. What you see in February may not be the same guy you see in June, both ways.”
A core group of Nationals is still intact from a year ago, but there are some holes that had to be filled thanks to a handful of departures. Denard Span, Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond and Doug Fister are all gone. Daniel Murphy, Ben Revere and others have taken their place. So while there are new faces, many of the returning players have been to the playoffs and know what it takes to get there.
“I have a few veterans and I also have some young players,” Baker said. “I like a combination. I like a combination of veterans that can bring knowledge and wisdom on how to play the game. But I need young players to bring excitement and energy.”
After all these years, there’s one thing that Baker still loves to do.
“It’s fun to teach, big time. It’s most fun to teach young people new tricks then try to teach old people new tricks or the same tricks.”
Baker won a World Series as a player with the Dodgers in 1981 and knows what it takes to get there as a manager as well. His San Francisco Giants lost the 2002 World Series in seven games against the Angels.
One thing that this team is going to need to do is turn the page from last year. It’s a fresh start, something that Baker stressed in his first team meeting this spring.
“I think it’s very important,” he told the team. “I don’t want to hear anything bad about Matt Williams or what happened in the past because that’s in the past,” he stressed. “Matt happens to be one of my favorite people on this earth. It’s unfortunate the way things happen. He’ll be back and learn from it. We can’t bring it back — we’ve got to go forward.”
In moving forward, Baker and the Nationals have six weeks to come together and get ready for the Braves on Opening Day. Is the new manager anxious to see what his lineup can do?
“I don’t get real anxious, but I’m curious,” he said. “I’m curious on how we’re going to put this puzzle together.”
He has said a couple times during camp that this will be the toughest decision he will have to make roster-wise in his career, because of all the players that deserve a shot to make this team.
“It’s going to be tough to carry 25 guys,” he said. “A lot of times you have trouble putting 25. But I wish we could keep 30. And if I could keep 30, I’d probably want to keep 35.”
He won a World Series with the Dodgers as a player in 1981, but what keeps Dusty motivated and coming back to the game he loves so much?
“Striving for excellence, competition and the fact maybe I had a calling, that wasn’t my calling. I was called to come back in this game and play this game in the first place.”
This is Dusty’s last stop in the Major Leagues. He’s got two years to make it work.
