Dusty Baker Has Overcome Incredible Adversity and Now Focuses On Championships
When you think of Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker you think of someone who has had a historical playing career and now coaching legacy. Baker has broken barriers as he has come up through the ranks to reach the highest of what MLB has to offer.
But the success didn't always come easily. Neither did the basic respect from his peers or fellow human beings.
Speaking with The New York Post's Jon Heyman, Baker sheds light on what he went through and the prejudice he faced when he was younger just trying to make a name for himself in the game.
“They wouldn’t serve me, first because I was speaking Spanish. Then I started speaking English to some white guys and they snatched the pool cue out of my hands and they said, ‘We wouldn’t serve Maury Wills, so we won’t serve you,’ ” Baker recalled.
The reasoning?
“Because he’s a light-skinned brother,” they said.
Baker has come a long way since that time in Florida at a billiards hall. He has used those experiences of prejudice to grow stronger.
He flourished into an incredibly accomplished baseball player where he took the field with many of the greats, including Hank Aaron who was a mentor to him.
Now, he has his own team that he is leading to championship.
“Grateful to have inherited a good team and had good guys,” Baker said to Heyman.
Nearing his age-74 birthday, Baker has had a long and accomplished career. He plans on making the most of the seasons to come as he continues to chase championship after championship with one of the most talented rosters in baseball.
“You can’t rest on what you’ve done. That’s what I learned when I was playing with the Dodgers and I asked Sadaharu Oh, a nine-time MVP, what kept him motivated. And he says [MVP] number 10, I swear,” Baker said. “Phil Jackson, Bill Walsh, Red Auerbach … those guys quested for another and another and another. I don’t know how many anothers are in front of me. But I’d say one more another at least.”
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