National media pushing UNSOURCED Astros, Dusty Baker narrative in part by revising history

uh Bob Nightingale in his latest column had some interesting comments connected to former Astros manager Dusty Baker um I'm gon to read you this quote because I I think this chunk of of text here is uh is interesting I'll put it on the screen um quote it was the constant media criticism and interference from the ashers analytics Department that ultimately LED Dusty Baker to retire as manager after last season well after enduring their worst start in 55 years the Astros now are recognizing just how much they miss the future Hall of Famer Baker was a Master with a calming influence when times were rough leading the Astros to the American League Championship Series in each of His Four Seasons with a world series title and two Al pennants the Astros sure could use his influence now so jent I a lot to unpack from that um and and we'll we'll do that here but right off the bat I guess I want to know Charlie are you buying that Dusty got ran off by the baseball nerds well look uh a lot of layers to go with here uh Bob Nale is a really good baseball Rider but uh who exactly on the record or off has suggested the Astros boy we're really missing Dusty we start at seven and 19 because we don't have Dusty's firm hand uh steering the ship you know Joe as spot is like a substitute teacher we're all firing off spitballs and showing up late for class and there's no discipline where where's any of that the Astros have played garbage baseball injuries to the rotation multiple hitters who just been awful I mean was Dusty Baker Alex bregman's personal Binky I mean come on Alex bregman has been sorry so far this season right Mr slow starts never like this one game left in April Alex bregman 555 Ops 2 16 batting average Mr pop fly weak rollover ground ball um Lazy Fly ball to right field is that because Dusty Baker's not here Chaz McCormack is he is he just have a like berry berry scurvy level of banana pudding deficiency and that's why Chaz McCormack has an Ops of 603 and it's bit a terrible player um look Dusty beloved figure within the game very very distinguished career ultimately probably going to go into the Hall of Fame as a manager but let's call crapola on one narrative that every time Dusty leaves a team that team goes right down the toilet Dusty Baker when he left the San Francisco Giants the next year the Giants won more games in 2002 as a wild card they got in and went to the World Series um lost it to the angel a series they blew at a 6-1 lead leading 3-2 in game six blew it then lost game seven am I putting that on Dusty no but that Dusty left and that's why the Giants collapsed BS they won 101 games under Felipe Aloo the next season so people thinking Dusty oh he's he's the the Panacea that cures all well Felipe Aloo was an idiot I thought Felipe Aloo was a pretty respected guy uh Dusty Baker Chicago Cubs his last season with the Cubs they went 66 and 96 the Cubs got worse after that stop this Cincinnati Reds okay they fell off you know what if you're if you're going to a gunfight don't bring a knife I'm ready Dusty Bakers last season with the Reds they had three stud offensive players the at that point great Joey vad uh the outfielder shin suu and uh now Astros spring training staff for at least uh Jay Bruce shout out bman well the season after Dusty left shinsu was gone the Texas Rangers gave him an idiotic free agent contract Joey VOD missed a 100 games injured and Jay Bruce collapsed I mean maybe Jay Bruce was an emotional wreck because Dusty left as the manager I mean scratch at least a little below the surface on this garbage then the Washington Nationals yeah when Dusty left the year after they took a step back the year after that they won the World Series I believe Houston specifically recalls that in 2019 so that if Dusty leaves organizations become instantly W be gone this would be the first if the Astros are going to go on to be 59 and 103 and if that's the case it's not because Dusty left it's because overall team performance went glug glug glug I thought the other funny part was saying that he left because of the media and because of pressure from the Astros Analytics team I'm paraphrasing but I'm like he wasn't listening to those guys he wasn't listening to Dana Brown telling him to play Diaz he was saying no we're rolling we're rolling with maldi I don't care how terrible he is as a hitter and we're going to keep a Bru bat and cleanup or fifth for the whole season even though he's ninth worst Ops in all of baseball so didn't doesn't seem like much pressure from the Astros analytics department since Dana Brown has said that the lineup was dusties that the managers make those calls and all the analytics DEC ision that were being pushed on him he looked the other way so I don't see how that would have been a reason to leave and because he gets questions about Chaz McCormick and pudding and you know basically he's just getting treated like a a manager in any other bigger media Market it's pretty tame in Houston if you can't handle the heat in Houston Texas this is not for you so I think a lot of this stuff with nigh Andale like are these just your opinions or are these based on anything I I buy that war on Dusty right the the analytics Guys these mosquitoes always buzzing giving me this data point and that data point and Dusty was always wanting to point out you know I value numbers going back before it was called analytics not at the depth certainly that they've evolved to in this era of baseball um and while he had autonomy to make that lineup out and obviously fully used it just that every day you know he felt like they were just flicking him in the head or his ear just annoying him with why hey give give this thought or how about that leave me alone uh but just to double down on where Josh is on the meet the notoriously vicious Houston media other than if Dusty was just old and tired and you know what at 74 years old if that was the case understandable that he was harrassed and bager Dusty Baker was run off because of media criticism police if true that's just weak and if Dusty no longer had the stomach for it he was smart to retire you know the and I guess before I get into my other point here was you know let's look at what the calming hand of Dusty you know really did I mean it's not like he walked into a team and turned it around he came after a sign stealing Scandal cost Houston both their manager and GM but they had just been eliminated they came out of a really tough World Series a game seven of a World Series so um how did they finish with the calming force of Dusty coming in well they finished under 500 in that Co shorten season and went down 03 in the ALCS to the rays which they you know to their credit came back and forced a game seven but they didn't credit Brandon to Dusty what's that to Dusty's credit they rally resolve and and Leadership to Dusty's full credit and literally not the players one bit but it's just it's just interesting that you know players's fault when fall behind Dusty's Magic Touch when things go well yeah and and look we we've read also that Dusty vetoed at least one trade uh by James click and you know by all circumstantial evidence it appears as if James click lost a power battle to Dusty Baker and maybe that uh you know think tank of uh you know retired players that now seems to be dominating the front office decisions at least if you believe uh what Reggie Jackson says um but one of the things I I do wanna I do want to give um I want to give a thought to this I want to get your your guys opinions on this one of the things that we attributed to Dusty was the incessant use of Jake Meyers in spite in you know kind of ins spite of performance in spite of results they kept running Jake Myers out there we thought that was a Dusty bundled into an anti- Chaz M cormi thing that's that's kind of the narrative was that Dusty didn't like Chaz that's one of the things that was attributed to uh Chandler Rome was that Chandler Rome had talked to people on the inside they said Dusty had something against Chaz well so you go okay well Dusty bounces it's a clean slate you can do whatever he wants it well one of the first thing Joe spot announces that they're going to Play Jake Meyers out in center field so we thought we were going to see Chaz MC corick play there fulltime nope they're gonna put Chaz MCC so like kind of looking back at that now what do we think that that was a Dusty thing or do we think some of those decisions were being pressured by a greater analytics department and maybe that was a concession that Dusty Baker was making well certainly on the analytics side they have been steadfast that Jake Myers is absolutely their best overall defensive center fielder and so give him a chance to hit and if he's at the bottom of the lineup he'll net out as a as a positive well he's just never been able to sustain enough offense to net out as a positive and it's why McCormack Wanted playing more center field and duban emerged as as an alternative uh I will say in Dusty's behalf the two things one he was a terrific Handler of people just a very interesting man who guys like talking with and and playing for um and I also think it is natural when you are the manager the areas of which you have control and if someone is telling you do this do this do this and not only do you not have to do this you disagree with this you're going to lean to that right even if it's not necessarily the clear better option it's no no one likes to be told what to do um and if you have genuine strength in your convictions right even if those convictions are wrong um I think most people and that type of spot are gonna say I'm gonna Sinatra here my way right this this is my call uh isata when he pulled Verlander 95 pitches at Wrigley Field Justin Verlander acutely aware of his place in history I'm chasing 300 wins what do you mean you're taking me out two I'll get out of this let me qualify for the win but as spot hey we're playing the long game here and even with the Astros a mess you know each game feels more important and it otherwise would the end of April when you're seven and 18 or whatever they were at at that time um but it's about taking Verlander out is the right decision his rookie manager goes out and pulls the 41y old Shire Hall of Famer because he felt that was the right thing to do right agree or disagree credit a spotter for doing what he felt was the right thing to do and I think Dusty was in similar vein but I do think a little bit of it also became personal for Dusty don't tell me to stay off your lawn I'm the old guy here you get the hell off my lawn I think the Myer stuff maybe coming from the Astros analytics Department's interesting Brandon I also it was one of our concerns that we had a little bit right with the asata hiring I think we were all happy with it but we also knew like this is gonna be kind of Dana Brown's guy like what Dana wants to get done asot is probably gonna do that for him right that that was one of the concerns that maybe be kind of a yes man happy to get the opportunity whatever you need me to do Dana you know I'll be your eyes and ears you know on the field and to see that they they push Meers early in the year but what did asata do very early in the season when they started Myers and then Myers was coming up to the plate late in games ESP spata was pinch hitting for him and taking him out in some critical situation so it makes you wonder if yeah there is a little bit from the front office going yeah Jake Myers Jake Myers but when it's on the field and it it's an important time win or lose the ball game the manager is going no get him out of there and but Singleton sometimes was the option that was coming in for him to pinch hit you know I guess they just love that righty Lefty matchup that's something that's man that Astros stick to that as spot seems to love it so yeah I think it's interesting maybe there is a little bit of push for Jake Myers from the front office when Dusty was there and with the spot and then when it comes to having to win a ball game he's finding himself on the bench and uh just in terms of branching out and L peredo gets the the call up this week because beyond all Reasonable Doubt at this point abu's washed up right he's washed up until or unless he proves otherwise Jasmine cormack was a really good player last year really really good Jake Meers was not Jake Myers this so far this season is not where is the timeline on those guys right and and Sugarland triaa stats be a little sketchy in terms of valuing them but patri Leone's been strong there gu Astro spent Millions on signing him out of Cuba slow trip up through the miners but 25 years old now I mean if you're looking to shuffle the deck a little bit get a little energy infusion maybe run into someone who gets off to a hot start offensively can Pedro Leon creep onto the radar as an outfield option because duban as the Swiss army knife is Stellar but he starts the week as a sub 700 Ops guy right last year in his career year he was a 720 Ops guy the upside is limited on Mauricio duan's offense so I'm not clamoring for Pedro Leon to get to the major leagues but at some point what's Gonna Hurt No completely uh and I look it's you Josh going back to your point it's it's tough for me to even say that Joe spot is Dana Brown's guy or because I I don't know how much power and autonomy Dana Brown really has as a decision maker within this organization and not that we know anything obviously not but like we're just judging off of context of Optics and statements that we're getting from the front office but if I'm playing Devil's Advocate Dusty even Pitch hit for Jeremy Pea in the postseason uh in in the previous year and I don't think that was an indictment on him as a player it just was like this kid could not you know hit the broadside of a barn so in in a situation which they needed wins they they did pinch it for him so I can Dro Tucker away in the lineup too when he was scuffling yeah exactly so and again I don't think that's indictment of of the players necessarily or their their trust in the players it's just like they it's a admission that they're scuffling and they need a win especially in the postseason but I do want to soften my preceding snark by just saying I admit 100% Dusty Baker is deservedly a Hall of Famer he deserves a ton of credit for what he did in 2022 pushing all the right buttons I'm on record and maintain the opinion that they do not win a World Series in 2022 without Dusty Baker being a part of that chemistry uh that helped them do it I I think um we've seen it now with two championships everything has to fall in your flavor favor you have to get a lot of Lucky bounces and a lot of times it is like those decisions that get made there's that one in 2019 that didn't get made that we all look at and I don't think we we uh or at least at least we can't say in 2022 that there were any of those decisions that you go man If Only They had did x uh Dusty Baker got the Asos maybe their most important Championship which was the one that revalidated 17 so uh I I just want to I'm not a Dusty hater by any means I just think this comment um from Bob Nightingale appears to be a defense of maybe the guy who was kind of his inside source while he was managing in Houston jent I'll give you the final word before we go um I understand it right people like Clarity hero versus villain good versus bad but baseball manager performances aren't binary right you push buttons if they work you're a mastermind you push buttons they don't work you're a duns it's just it's just way too simplistic and in the end with specific rare exceptions it's about the player performance right even 2019 we don't know with absolute certainty if AJ hinch leaves grank in a little bit longer or goes to Garrett Cole out of the pen that it's over the Astros absolutely win that World Series right seems highly probable certainly infinitely more likely than how it played out going to a seemingly close to have not spent Will Harris but even with that will Harris gives up a ball to hoe Kendrick that slices and hits the foul Pole Corner barely a home run um sometimes things just don't work out bad decisions well we fell into that one in a good way good wellth thought out decisions if the players don't deliver is that the end on the manager yes in terms of we judge results and the one lost record is is their resume um that's it for me I think all the stuff from Nightingale a lot of this is about timing right now because I think it's part of what you said I think he probably was one of his sources but I also think Astros I mean he writes for the media right Astros are scuffling dusty Baker's going and and receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award the same week and so I mean it's kind of convenient timing to be like here's Dusty getting his Lifetime Achievement Award the Astros are you know historically terrible this year without him maybe this is a good time to talk about the Astros and Dusty a little bit and get some page views uh indeed we'll close it there that's another episode of stone cold stros in the books if you enjoyed the show uh please hit like on the video if you're watching on YouTube and if you're listening on podcast consider giving us a f star rating and review us uh Charlie Josh and I will be back here next week but you don't have to wait that long to get your Houston sports fix all you have to do is subscribe to this channel sports map Houston and our sister channel sports map Texans to get all the latest Astros and Texans covered maybe one day some Rockets coverage uh one day uh but until then go Astros oh I said that wrong ghost Ros [Music]