Dusty Baker was front and center for the two most talked-about home run chases in history, Hank Aaron’s and Barry Bonds’, and had an impact on both as Aaron’s teammate in Atlanta and Bonds’ manager in San Francisco.
“The year I broke the Babe’s record was a very lonely year for me,” said Aaron, who dealt with racism and death threats on the way to breaking Babe Ruth’s record on April 8, 1974, in Atlanta. “Dusty hit behind me at times . . . not only hitting but just being with me helped me quite a bit.