Former Nationals Manager Dusty Baker Inducted in Negro Leagues Hall of Game

Dusty Baker’s tenure with the Washington Nationals was just two seasons but he made quite the impression.

Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker speaks to the media before game four of the 2017 NLDS playoff baseball series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. | Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Dusty Baker will be in the Baseball Hall of Fame one day. For now, the Negro Leagues Hall of Game will have to do.

On Saturday, Baker the former Washington Nationals manager, was one of five people inducted into the Negro Leagues Hall of Game, which is an honor from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It is the highest honor the museum bestows on those that have supported the game. The hall is also the epicenter of preserving the history of the Negro Leagues. The Hall of Game celebrates black managerial excellence in baseball.

The other inductees included two-time World Series champion manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, Cito Gaston; long-time player, manager and coach Jerry Manuel; long-time player, coach, manager and five-time World Series champion Willie Randolph; and longtime Los Angeles Angels front office employee and general manager Tony Reagins, who helped build their 2002 World Series champion.

Baker’s son, Darren, recently played for the organization before he was released late this season.

Dusty Baker With the Nationals

MEDIA ALERT: Meet our Hall of Game Class of 2025 at an 11 am press conference at the @NLBMuseumKC today.

The induction ceremony is tonight at 8 pm at the Sheraton Crown Center Hotel@MLB @MLBNetwork @sn_mlb @MLBNetworkRadio @fox4kc @KCTV5 @kmbc @KSHB41 @KCStar @Royals pic.twitter.com/HKZXMjysR6

— Bob Kendrick (@nlbmprez) October 4, 2025

Baker took over as manager of the Washington Nationals in 2016 after a six-year stretch with the Cincinnati Reds. In both seasons with the Nationals, he led the team to at least 95 wins and the National League East crown. But Washington lost in the division round of the NL playoffs both years. After the 2017 season the Nationals opted not to retain Baker and his staff. He remained out of the game until he was hired by the Houston Astros as manager in 2020.

With Washington he went 192-132. He is one of a handful of managers with more than 2,000 career wins. He finished his career as 2,183-1,862. He’s also one of a few that have World Series rings as players and managers. He is also the first manager to MLB history to lead five different franchises to division titles and the ninth to win an AL and NL pennant. He was also the first African American manager with 2,000 or more victories and the 12th all-time.

Baker’s managerial career started with the Giants in 1993 and spent a decade leading the Giants to two NL West titles, three playoff berths and the 2002 World Series, where the Giants lost to the Angels. Baker finished with an 840-715 record with the Giants.

After leaving the Giants, he went immediately to the same job with the Chicago Cubs and led them from 2003-06. Following that, he managed the Cincinnati Reds (2008-13) and the Houston Astros (2020-23. With Houston he won his first World Series as a manager, as they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.

Baker is one of the connective tissues of the game. He goes back far enough to have played with Hank Aaron and to have been at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium the night that Aaron hit his 715th career home run and passed Babe Ruth at the top of the all-time list.

Baker played from 1968-86 with four different teams, most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he won a World Series ring in 1981. He was a two-time All-Star, the 1977 NLCS MVP, a Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger winner. He batted .278 with 242 home runs and 1,013 RBI for his career.