Dusty Baker finally is a World Series championship-winning manager. Those around MLB could not be happier, including Barry Bonds.
Shortly after the Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series on Saturday night, Bonds took to Instagram to applaud his former manager and friend.
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"Words can't express how happy I am for Dusty Baker tonight," Bonds wrote. "Congrats friend -- you deserve it and I hope you enjoy every moment!"
As a manager, Baker had come up short in his last two appearances in the World Series -- the Giants' heartbreaking loss in seven games to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2002, and the Astros' six-game defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Braves last year.
After such heartbreak, Baker let loose in the clubhouse, much to the happiness of his players and fellow coaches.
Managing the Astros to their second World Series title in six seasons, Baker, 73, became the oldest manager to win the World Series and the oldest manager or head coach to win a championship in the four major American professional sports.
San Francisco Giants
What's more, Baker joins a prestigious club as he is only one of the handful of people in MLB history to win the World Series as a player (1981) and manager (2022).
He is also the third Black manager in MLB history to win a championship, joining Cito Gaston (1992, '93) and Dave Roberts (2020).
Bonds' relationship with Baker spans decades. Baker was Bonds' manager from 1993-2002 and witnessed the latter's historic 73-home run campaign from the Giants' dugout in 2001. The two have remained in touch.
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Now that Baker has won that elusive World Series title, there's no doubt that his legacy as one of the greatest managers in MLB history is set in stone.
Giants fans, like Bonds, have to be happy to see their former manager accomplish a feat that had been evading him for so long.