San Francisco Giants

GIANTS NAME DUSTY BAKER SPECIAL ADVISOR TO BASEBALL OPERATIONS

January 18, 2024

Photos By : Shawn Jonas

Dusty Baker is back with the Giants

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco Giants today announced that former manager Dusty Baker will return to the organization as a Special Advisor to Baseball Operations and will perform duties both on the baseball and business side.

      “We are so excited to welcome Dusty back into the Giants organization,” said Giants President and CEO Larry Baer. “Dusty’s experience, knowledge, and the success he’s had in his 50 years of baseball will be an invaluable piece to the success and continued development of our baseball operations efforts both on and off the field.” 

      “I was fortunate enough to get to know Dusty when we overlapped in the organization in 2019, and I’m excited to get to work with him again,” said Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi. “We’ve had a chance to meet in person and discuss our shared vision of bringing championship baseball back to San Francisco. I learn something new in every interaction with him and look forward to leaning on his experience and perspective on the game.”

Baker and Melvin chat.

      “I’m thrilled to be on the same team as Dusty again,” said Giants Manager Bob Melvin. “He’s been a great friend and mentor to me over the years. More than anything, I don’t have to manage against him anymore. Welcome home Bake.”

      “I’ve enjoyed my stops at various places but I’m happy to be back home,” said Baker. “I look forward to providing guidance to the organization and helping the Giants get back to the top in a very tough division.”

      Baker will join the Giants & KNBR FanFest Tour for the first stop in Sacramento this Saturday, January 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Sutter Health Park – Home of the Sacramento River Cats.

      The three-time National League Manager of the Year returns to the Giants organization after serving the previous four seasons as the manager of the Houston Astros, where he posted a combined record of 320-226 (.586), leading the Astros to two trips to the World Series, including his first championship as a manager in 2022. In four years with Houston, Baker reached the American League Championship Series four times, won three consecutive AL West division titles (2021-23), two AL pennants (2021-22), and one World Series, beating the Phillies in six games in 2022. He is the oldest manager to win a World Series.

      Before his stint with the Astros, Baker was a Special Advisor to the CEO for the Giants for two years (2018-19).

      Baker, 74, finished his 26-year managerial career as one of the most accomplished managers in history. His 2,183 wins in the regular season are the seventh-most in history and he’s the only manager to lead five different teams to the postseason. During his 26-year managerial career, he posted a 2,183-1,862 (.540) record with the San Francisco Giants (1993-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-06), Cincinnati Reds (2008-13), Washington Nationals (2016-17) and Houston Astros (2020-2023). Baker produced 13 Postseason teams, including 10 division championships (San Francisco, 1997 and 2000; Chicago, 2003; Cincinnati, 2010 and 2012; Washington, 2016 and 2017; Houston, 2021, 2022, 2023), and three wild card appearances (San Francisco, 2002; Cincinnati, 2013; Houston 2020).

      Baker’s coaching career started as a first base coach for the San Francisco Giants in 1988 and he then spent the following four years (1989–92) as the hitting coach before being named manager in 1993. In his very first year as Giants manager, he won the 1993 NL Manager of the Year award, leading the team to a 103–59 record, which was the second-best record in baseball that year. His Giants teams went on to win division titles in 1997 and 2000 and the National League pennant in 2002. His 840 wins with San Francisco rank third-most in team history behind Bruce Bochy (1,052) and Hall of Famer John McGraw (2,583).

      A career .278 hitter, Baker played 19 seasons in the big leagues and compiled 242 home runs, 320 doubles, 23 triples, and 1,013 RBI. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice (1980 and 1981), and from 1980-82 he hit .303, averaging 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and 78 RBI a year while earning two Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove, and two All-Star selections.

      Baker currently resides in Sacramento, CA with his wife, Melissa, and has two children, Natosha and Darren, and a pair of grandchildren. He is a 1967 graduate of Del Campo High School (Carmichael, CA) and attended American River College (Sacramento, CA). Baker was inducted into the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and the California Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2015, he was enshrined in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.