(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Kevin Kernan of the New York Post reports former manager Dusty Baker is a name which has arisen in connection with the Mets managerial search.
Baker, 70, has a lifetime record of 1863-1636 (.532) over 22 seasons. He has managed for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and most recently, the Washington Nationals. At each stop, Baker has led his team to at least one division title.
Despite his having led teams to the postseason nine times, he has just one pennant, and he is still in search of his first World Series title. In fact, Baker led teams have not won a postseason series since the 2003 Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
Baker has been serving as a special advisor to the Giants since the Nationals opted to not renew his contract.
As a manager, Baker is noted to be a strong clubhouse presence and leader who deals well with the media. These are traits which Brodie Van Wagenen is said to be seeking in the Mets next manager. Of course, Baker’s in-game strategy has oft been questioned.
In addition to wanting a strong leader, Kernan notes Van Wagenen wants to make a “splash.” Baker, a borderline Hall of Fame manager, would qualify as such. While he qualifies, we do not yet know if he will be given an opportunity to interview for the job, and that’s assuming he’d be interested in the job.
