WASHINGTON -- Dusty Baker knows about not gripping your club too tight.
When it comes to handling his team, the 66-year-old skipper, who was hired by the Washington Nationals this past offseason to replace the tightly wound Matt Williams, is about as chill as they come.
He watches from the dugout with a toothpick dangling from his bottom lip. He dances during batting practice when the mood strikes him. He turns potentially mundane news conferences into stand-up comedy with a disarming brand of I-am-what-I-am candor.
And on Sunday, he gave Bryce Harper the day off.