I've never been fired in the middle of the season" - Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker stumped by recent sacking of Phillies and Angels' skippers, considers it 'premature'

Dusty Baker is in his third season with the Houston Astros and has a record of 160-118. Baker was a former player for multiple teams. He had a successful career that lasted from 1968-1986. He has also managed five teams over the course of his career.

The Houston Astros manager knows just about everything about the business of baseball, especially when it comes to hiring and firing managers. Baker spoke to the media about the recent firings of Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi and Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon.

"Dusty Baker on Joe Girardi and Joe Maddon: 'I think it was a premature firing. I've never been fired in the middle of a season.'"-@Mark Berman

Baker believes the two franchises did not give the two veteran managers enough time to try and turn their seasons around with only 1/3 of the season complete.

Houston Astros manager bio: Dusty Baker

World Series - Atlanta Braves v Houston Astros - Game Six

Before Dusty Baker became an MLB manager, he was a player in the MLB. Baker had a 19-year career that spanned from 1968 to 1986 with four different teams.

Dusty Baker was born on June 15, 1949, in Riverside, California. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and would develop into one of the top baseball players in the region. After high school, Baker was drafted in the 26th round of the 1967 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves.

At the age of 19, Baker made his MLB debut for the Braves on September 7, 1968. Over the course of his playing career, Baker was a two-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove winner, two-time Silver Slugger, and 1981 World Series Champion (Dodgers). He has 1,981 career hits, 242 home runs, and a .278 batting average. Baker delivered in the clutch with a grand slam in the World Series.

Following his playing career, Baker became the San Francisco Giants' hitting coach. By 1993, at the young age of 44, Dusty Baker had become manager of the San Francisco Giants. Baker managed the Giants from 1993 to 2002. In 2002, he led the Giants to the World Series, ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Angels.

Baker would go on to manage the Chicago Cubs (2003-2006), Cincinnati Reds (2008-2013), Washington Nationals (2016-2017), and now the Houston Astros (2020-present).

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