Sunday in the spring training action, the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros provided a feel-good, familiar moment at home plate. As most of these parts know, Dusty Baker is the manager of the Astros. His son, Darren, is currently playing in the Nationals’ farm system.
So it was the perfect opportunity for Nationals manager Davey Martinez to send the younger baker home to meet the older baker during the lineup exchange. Kuck emol:
One can remember Dusty Baker’s connection with the National team as he managed the club to regain NL East titles in 2016-17, winning 192 games against just 132 losses. Martinez took over for him in 2018.
Darren Baker, 23, was a 10th-round pick of the Nationals last June after a collegiate career in California. In 18 games for Class-A Fredericksburg, Baker hit .318 / .352 / .394.
If we could go back a few decades to our memory bank, Darren Baker would surely strike a bell on a national stage. It was Game 5 of the 2002 World Series between the Angels and Giants – a classic decided in the late innings of Game 7 – and JT Snow shot on a Kenny Lofton Triple. Little Darren, then at about 3 1/2 years old, was a bit of a jerk in his duties as a bat boy. And the snow came to the rescue.
That’s an alltimer there. Snow’s heroic rescue, Baker slaps him on the back, then grabs his helmet, then slips to grab the bat and finish his work … Day.
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