Wilmington Blue Rocks 2B Darren Baker shares special night with dad Dusty
WILMINGTON, Del. (BVM) – It seems that in every major moment of Houston Astros’ manager Dusty Baker’s MLB managerial career since he was born, Dusty’s son Darren has been there.
“It’s almost like he’s one of my best friends,” Darren said. “Even aside from baseball I have a lot of respect for him. I know the different trials and tribulations throughout his life. It’s a different perspective for me. I love him and he’s one of the closest people I have.”
Darren was the little boy, then just 3, who famously came onto the field of play during the San Francisco Giants’ 2002 World Series appearance and was saved by Giants’ J.T. Snow at home before a potential throw to the plate.
“I sadly don’t remember anything, I wish I did honestly,” Darren said. “It’s a funny moment. I just wanted to get the bat and Kenny Lofton was one of idols growing up, I was just happy to be at that place at that time.
“My grandma and my mom definitely don’t let my dad forget about that one for sure.”
However, when Dusty became just the seventh overall and the first black manager in MLB history to win 2,000 games, Darren was nowhere to be found.
“It’s something we spoke about even going back to when he left Washington, it was something he wanted to get done and he’s proud of it. He’s extremely blessed and I know how much it means to him,” Darren said. “It was disappointing [to miss]. My mom was there and some other family. He understands and I understand I have a job to do.”
That’s because Darren was busy having his own baseball moment. A member of the Washington Nationals’ High-A Affiliate Wilmington Blue Rocks, Darren took the box with his team tied 2-all in the bottom of the 10th and sent a 1-2 fly to deep center field to help Wilmington secure the win over the visiting Bowling Green Hot Rods.
“It’s crazy how things play out,” Darren said. “It was my first walk off as a pro and it just happens to be the same night as 2,000. Right after the game was over I started streaming the [Astros] game on my phone and checking the score and I was hoping we both could win that night.”
🗣 NOW WALK IT OFF.@DarrenBaker_2 had that last ingredient needed to cook up a dub 👨🍳 pic.twitter.com/hve7WUmL2M
— Wilmington Blue Rocks (@WilmBlueRocks) May 4, 2022
The hit was a full circle moment for both Darren and the Bakers as a whole. Dusty’s success is Darren’s success. Darren’s success is Dusty’s success. It was only fitting that if Dusty did something of note that day, his son would do the same as they’ve been attached at the hip since Darren was born in 1999.
By the time Darren was born, Dusty had already made an impressive resume for himself. After playing 19 years in the Majors, Baker entered coaching and eventually became the manager of the Giants in 1993. By the time Darren was born, Baker had already accumulated a 472-436 record and one postseason appearance in six seasons leading San Francisco. Now, Baker has a 2,000-1,745 record and led five different teams–the Giants, the Astros, the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals– to the postseason and is the only manager to ever achieve that.
Dusty has also made two World Series appearances with the Giants in 2002 and the Astros just last season, though his teams have not yet broken the glass ceiling to win the title. If that is to happen, expect Darren to be there to celebrate as he has been most of the time.
Much like his father, Darren is an excellent player in his own right. Selected by the Nationals in the 10th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of California, Darren has slowly made his way through the team’s minor league system.
“It meant everything for me,” Darren said. “I feel like this is where I’m meant to be. I’m happy for the opportunity and it’s something I’ve waited for for a while.”
After playing rookie ball last year, Darren was brought up to the Blue Rocks this season. So far, the 6-foot, 180-pound second baseman has played in 20 games hitting .296 with 24 hits, 15 runs, 10 RBIs, five doubles, a triple and a home run.
“I’m just trying to make my own way and kind of carry on the name,” Darren said. “I feel just like anyone else on the field. I’m not trying to live up to anything, but I play hard every day and I want to win. I feel like I have a lot of different ways to help a team, just doing what I do and having fun.”
During his first Spring Training with the Nationals last year, Darren was also able to share a special moment with his dad when the two exchanged lineup cards during the Nationals-Astros game. The moment would go viral with nearly 45,000 views on YouTube.
“It’s stuff you dream about, definitely something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” Darren said. “I was in the on-deck circle and he was smiling at me through the dugout. I’m just extremely grateful Davie and the rest of the staff gave me that moment to share with him. It was pretty special.”
Though the pair missed out on being together for another special father-son moment on May 3, they are probably happy with the way things worked out. With Dusty continuing to build a Hall of Fame resume and Darren slowly trying to follow in the footsteps of his baseball playing dad, expect the Bakers to have many more moments to celebrate in the MLB for years to come.
