Baker settles in with Astros in second season in Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — Dusty Baker never felt quite right while navigating his first season as manager of the Houston Astros during last year’s pandemic-shortened campaign.

“I felt like a substitute teacher,” Baker said.

Now, halfway through his second season in Houston, he has settled in, and the Astros are tied for the second-best record in the American League as they come out of the All-Star break.

“This year I feel like the teacher,” he said. “I feel like I’m one of them.”

Baker was already playing catch-up in getting to know his team last season before the pandemic hit. He was hired only about two weeks before the start of spring training to replace A.J. Hinch, who was fired after being a suspended by Major League Baseball for a year for his role in the team’s sign-stealing scandal.

“We had spring training, I was learning them, they were learning me and then we had the stoppage,” Baker said. “Then we had to come back right quick and then we only had 60 games and there wasn’t time for that switch to flip.”

Baker can’t point to a single moment when he began to feel at home with the team. It was more of a gradual progression that was helped by having an entire offseason to check up on his players and get to know them a bit off the field.

The whirlwind of last season not only made it difficult for Baker to settle in, it also made it tougher for the players to really get comfortable with him. Now that they’ve already played more games than they did all last season, the players are finally getting to get to know their manager.

And they love what they’re seeing from Baker.

“He’s bringing a lot to the team,” All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve said. “Not just his energy, but his commitment to the team, the passion he has about...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Baker-settles-in-with-Astros-in-second-season-in-16317969.php