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Washington Nationals name Dusty Baker as manager

By Tim Haberin

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The Washington Nationals appeared set to choose former Padres skipper Bud Black as their new manager, but the narrative took an unexpected turn on Monday night. Reports stated that talks between the Nats and Black had broken down and that Washington was instead turning its attention toward Dusty Baker.

They completed the move Tuesday morning, as the Nationals officially hired Baker as manager:

Baker should be a very familiar face to most baseball fans, well-known for his extensive playing career as well as twenty years of managerial experience across stints with the Giants, Cubs and most recently the Reds. He will become the sixth skipper in Nationals history.

Nationals owner Ted Lerner had this to say about Baker in a statement:

“We were looking for a manager to help us achieve our ultimate goal of competing for a World Series championship. During our broad search process we met with many qualified candidates, and ultimately it was clear that Dusty’s deep experience was the best fit for our ballclub.”

Baker has not been without his detractors over the years. He is frequently criticized for overworking pitchers, particularly in the cases of the often-injured Mark Prior and Kerry Wood during his time with the Cubs. Should Stephen Strasburg (that is, if he doesn’t get traded) be starting to sweat? That’s up for debate, but wherever you stand on the issue, Baker’s impressive resume is difficult to ignore.

He won the NL Manager of the Year Award three times, in 1993, 1997 and 2000. He steered his teams to seven postseason appearances and five division titles. Baker’s deepest playoff run as a manager came in 2002 when he led the Giants to the World Series, where the Angels defeated them in seven games.

The Nationals are looking to rebound in a big way from 2015’s disappointing campaign. A preseason favorite to capture the NL East crown and do some damage in the postseason, Washington finished at 83-79, seven games behind the New York Mets. A 35-40 record in the second half ultimately doomed their playoff hopes as the Mets went on a tear. Previous manager Matt Williams was fired at the end of the season after two years at the helm.

Some will ponder whether Bud Black would have been a better choice, but for now the Nats and their fans will hope that Dusty Baker and his experience as a baseball lifer lead to good things in D.C.

Next: Nats decline options on McLouth, Janssen

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