After winning his first World Series title on Saturday night, Astros manager Dusty Baker was overjoyed. When right fielder Kyle Tucker caught the last out, Baker’s coaching and support staff jumped all over him in the dugout as he held on to the railing to avoid toppling over.
Innings before the celebration, Baker knew it was over when Yordan Alvarez sealed the game with a three-run homer over the center-field wall off Phillies left-hander José Alvarado.
“[Winning the World Series] hit me when Yordan hit it over the moon. That’s when it hit me,” Baker said during the trophy presentation.
For Baker, it was not only his first championship as a manager, but it was the exclamation point to a likely Hall of Fame career. By winning the title, Baker put himself in the record books. At 73, he became the oldest manager to win a World Series, breaking Jack McKeon’s mark (72) which was set in 2003. Baker also joined Cito Gaston and Dave Roberts as the only African American managers to win the top prize.
