Dusty Baker pays homage to fellow World Series winner Bruce Bochy before ALCS clash: "He's got a lot of brains in the head"

Dusty Baker will be headlining the ALCS for a seventh year in a row, and this time his opponent is Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers, who absolutely decimated the AL East champions in the ALDS.

This year, the ALCS pairs two division rivals in addition. It also represents the third intrastate playoff matchup in MLB history and, more significantly, the first postseason matchup between Houston and its northern neighbor.

The Rangers will play their first postseason series against an opponent from the AL West when they take on the Astros, among other notables. Texas had additionally faced AL East opponents in 14 straight postseason contests.

Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy have been longtime friends and fierce competitors in the sport. Bruce has a tally of three World Series, which he won with the Giants, while Dusty won his first pennant as a manager with the Astros last year. The veteran recently spoke about his counterpart, as per a twitter source.

D. Baker praises B. Bochy ahead of their ALCS clash

"Dusty Baker on Texas manager Bruce Bochy: "I've always said that it's harder to manage against the person than it is against analytics or a computer, because a lot of times the computer and analytics will tell you.. I respect Bruce. He's got a lot of brains in the head up there.'" - BNightengale

The Astros want to add a third championship to their resume as one of the greatest dynasties in sports. The Rangers are battling their way to the team's first championship, which would help them forget the agonizing memories of their heartbreaking loss to St. Louis in 2011.

Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy share a rich history in the MLB

Bochy and Baker both have more than 2,000 career victories, placing them among the greatest managers of all time. Bruce Bochy has won three World Series titles with the San Francisco Giants in the years 2010, 2012, and 2014. With the Astros last year, Baker captured his first title as a manager.

Baker is excited to face Bochy's unit in the 2023 ALCS

"Dusty Baker on FS1: “Now me and Bruce Bochy need to battle…They know us and we know them. I know Bruce and he knows me..It’s gonna be a heck of a series" - MarkBerman_

Bochy, 68, is obviously having fun with Texas during the game. He, too, came out of retirement to lead a Rangers squad that hadn't had a postseason victory since 2011. The Astros manager, who is 74 years old, is excited about the game as well. The 2012 playoffs saw Bochy's Giants defeat Dusty Baker's Cincinnati Reds.