Astros: Dusty Baker next to interview for manager spot

The search for the next manager of the Houston Astros continues as owner Jim Crane is set to interview Dusty Baker to replace AJ Hinch.

Dusty Baker arrived in town yesterday and is excited to sit down with Jim Crane and his team to present his case as to why he should be the next one to fill the vacated managerial position of the Houston Astros. He’ll be the fourth one to interview for the job, following the meetings that have already taken place with Buck Showalter, John Gibbons, and Will Venable.

Jim Crane indicated that his goal is to have a manager in place by Feb. 3 and the general manager position filled by the time the pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb.12. He said he was looking for someone “mature” and with “a little bit of experience”

Well, you can’t get much more experienced than the 70-year-old, Dusty Baker. He has 22 years at the helm with four different ballclubs on his resume. His most recent stint was two years with the Washington Nationals in 2016-17 taking them to the playoffs as division winners both seasons.

Baker has a won-loss record of 1863-1636 with one tie in his 3500 games as a manager. The longest tenure he had with a team was with the San Francisco Giants in 1993-2002, winning the National League pennant in 2002. He won the National League Manager of the Year Award three seasons with the Giants and came in 3rd or better on the ballot for the award seven times in his career.

Dusty Baker has a love for this city and has ties with Houston that go pretty far back.

"“I’m full of emotion,” Baker said. “I’ve got a lot of roots here. My best friend, Ralph Garr, lives here, a couple of players live here, my family used to live here, my former wife and all her relatives live here. I’ve been coming to Houston for a long, long time. I’ve always liked it.” via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com."

He expressed that the one thing that is missing from his storied career is that World Championship ring and said he would be honored to be the manager of this team and would love to bring a championship back to the city.