 Dusty Baker enters 2003 as one of the most successful managers in Major League baseball. In 2003 Dusty will begin a new chapter in his career as he takes the post as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. Dusty just completed one of his more successful years as the manager of the San Francisco Giants. He guided the Giants to a Wild Card finish in 2002 winning 95 games in the tough National League West and matching the 1965 club for 4th-highest win total in San Francisco history. He then led the Giants past the powerful Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League Pennant and on to the 2002 World Series where the Giants pushed the Anaheim Angels to seven games. Highlights in Dusty Baker's career include the following: * Won the National League championship in 2003, two National League West titles, a wild Card title and has finished in the two top spots in the division 8 times in 10 years. * Set a record for winning more games than any other rookie manager in National League history in 1993 and tied a franchise record with 103 wins. * Has been named Manager of the Year three times (1993, `97 and 2000). * Dusty became the first NL manager to earn three BBWAA Manager of Year honors and second in Major League baseball to accomplish this honor. * Has won the National League Manager of the Year award two times joining the elite company of Tommy Lasorda and Jim Leyland as the only other managers to win the national League award twice. * Became the third Giants skipper to manage for ten seasons joining John McGraw (31 years, 1902-32) and Bill Terry (10, 1932-41). * His 840 victories with the Giants rank Dusty second in New York/San Francisco Giants franchise history. * His .540 career winning percentage (840-715) ranks second among nine current Major League managers with at least 1,300 games managed. As a player Dusty Baker spent 16 prestigious seasons with Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.
|
