Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy are the two oldest managers in the majors and are facing off in the AL Championship Series. Those around them say the key to their success isn't just their experience and old-school grit, but also their willingness to adapt in baseball's analytics age.
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker shakes hands with Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy before Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Houston. Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy watches during the fifth inning of Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Houston.
“I didn’t look at it as a competition as far as old versus young, to be honest,” said Bochy, whose team leads 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Wednesday.Bryce Harper homers on 31st birthday as Phillies beat Diamondbacks 5-3 in NLCS Game 1After Baker was fired by the Nationals following a 97-win season in 2017, he wondered if he’d ever get another shot. He thought his age — and salary demands commensurate with his experience — was keeping teams away.
“I guess it’s good for the old guys that we’re in this situation,” Bochy said. “But that might be why I got a call, I don’t know, because of the success of some veteran managers.” Rangers GM Chris Young said people asked him about hiring an “old-school manager” when he brought Bochy to Texas this offseason. He pushed back on the assertion that Bochy was old school simply because he was old.
“It’s pretty unreal and no wonder why they’re having the success they’re having — I think Bochy’s a big part of what’s going on over there,” Dubón said. “He treats the players how they should be treated. Dusty does the same thing. So, it’s heaven, in a sense as a player, just because they treat the players the right way.”“He’ll pull your ears and ground you,” Dubón joked. “But he does it because he cares about you and he wants you to be good.
After a 19-year playing career, Baker has managed 4,046 regular-season games over 26 seasons with the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals and Astros. Bochy, who played for nine seasons, also has managed 26 seasons, with 4,194 games with the Padres, Giants and Rangers.
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