When the Houston Astros hired Dusty Baker to be their manager back in January of 2020, the reaction was complex. Some lauded the move as a step back towards responsibility and respectability following the stain of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal. Others mocked the club for replacing a young, forward-thinking, and analytics-driven manager with a grizzled, old, tooth-pick-chewing relic of the past.
Baker was 70 at the time of his hire, and a baseball man through and through. The contract was originally a one-year deal with options for future seasons, and Baker quickly proved his worth. In 2022, he'd lead the Astros to a World Series title, his first as a manager, and his first ring in any capacity in 40 years.