Dodgers induct Dusty Baker into Legends of Dodger Baseball

[Music] time for tonight's Legends of Dodger baseball induction ceremony here to serve as tonight's MC Dodgers play byplay broadcaster Joe Davis thank you Todd and hello everybody Welcome to alumni weekend presented by Bank of America for the next 3 days we'll be celebrating six Decades of Dodger great and it begins with tonight's induction to the newest Legend of Dodger baseball he was a member of the 81 world champion Dodgers he spent more than a half century in this game of course as a player and as a manager and as a friend to so many from Riverside to the big leagues and soon to Cooper toown his name is Dustin Baker please turn your attention to Dodger Vision this after Anthony Anderson shares with us the story of the newest Dodger Legend This is Where I always wanted to play cuz as a kid I was a Dodger fan and always had my radio listening to Vince SC and really sort of imagining myself on day playing in Dodge State today we celebrate the story career at and enduring Dodger Legacy of Johnny B Baker universally known in the baseball world as Dy as a youngster growing up in Riverside the thought of playing at Dodger Stadium was an early dream as he followed the local team during the early 1960s his favorite player was Tommy Davis the two-time National League batting champion whose primary position was left field little did Baker realized that one day he would not only play the same position as Davis at Dodger Stadium but he would also inherit his Hero's uniform number 12 after beginning his major league career with the Atlanta Braves a trade to Los Angeles after the 1975 season brought Dusty home to Dodger State the left field Pavilion at Dodger Stadium became Baker's feet it didn't take long for Baker to become a man favored in Southern California when he trotted to the Outfield before games the patrons tossed packs of chewing gum and Baker signaled a wave of appreciation he fit in like he'd been here all along thus he's the type of player that played hard knew how to play the game he's going to play it right and he was going to do what he could do for the betterman of this ball Club he really was one of the first guys I saw that kind of owned that area where he played out of the left field that was Baker's field and you can see it an injury field 1976 season burst his bubble but his fans kept their unwavering support so did his new manager Tommy Lort who announced at the start of spring training in 1977 that Baker was his left fielder despite only hitting four home runs in 1976 both the Dodgers and their fans celebrated a healthy Baker's comeback that allowed the big blue Wrecking Crew to regain control of the National League West standings on the final day of the 1977 regular season Baker homered against intimidating Houston Astros Ace Jr Richard making the Dodgers the first team in major league history to have four players to each hit at least 30 home runs in the same season Baker Reggie SMI Ron SE and Steve G said look I know you're going to hit 30 because would not make you hit 29 not hit the 30th B didn't want you to hit the 30th he would have made his stop on the last day at 27 that's how I felt but Baker reserves his biggest clout of 1977 the following week in the National League Championship Series after losing the opener of the best of Five series the Dodgers were desperate for a victory before the scene shifted to Philadelphia's veteran State Baker's fourth inning Grand Slam sparked the Dodgers to a 7 to1 Victory and well the left field R slim home on Dusty Baker Los Angeles eventually won the pened in four games and Baker became the first most valuable player of a National League Championship Series well when dusy came into the locker room you knew it uh he was all business as far as playing baseball and wanting to win he just loved his job he loved what he did he loved playing the game and all that energy was something that we going off you Baker in 1977 would make the first of three World Series appearances with the Dodgers During the 5e period all against the New York Ys during that era Baker remained a key member in both the starting lineup and in the clubhouse the allstar left fielder won both Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors while providing feturing leadership my first time we traveled back in the day in' 77 when we Trav you travel in sups or you wore tie and slacks and I come to the big I didn't have any of that we went to Atlanta and Dusty took me to a place in Atlanta bought my first suit bought my first pair of animal shoes alligators I remember and a belt and from that point on he helped me to learn how to dress at the major league of G but it was Dusty that took me on the shop in spr I would always remember that allthough Los Angeles suffer consecutive postseason and heartbreaks in 1977 and 1978 against the Yankees the Dodgers quest for a championship finally succeeded in 1981 Baker and his teammates could finally pop the champagne after winning the 1981 World Series at Yankee Stadium Baker left the Dodgers after the 1983 season but he remained a familiar face in Southern California whether as an opposing player or during his 26 year managerial career being young in 21 22 when I was coming up you know he just was there to support try to help you know nurtur my career from the beginning and he did the same when I was done playing you know and trying to you know nurture me in my transition from playing uh and encouraged me to get into coaching and and stay involved in baseball a lot of where I've been in my career is because I was fortunate to play for Dusty nearly a half century after he first downed the Los Angeles Dodgers uniform the former out Builder returns among the legends of Dodger baseball welcome home Dusty Legends of Dodger baseball is a recognition of Dodger Grace for their impacts on the field and off the inaugural class that went in in 2019 included the great Don New 2 years ago the mouse that Roar myy Wills was inducted there have been seven total players inducted we have five of them here with us today please welcome from last year's legends class Manny Moda also from last year's class oral Hershiser inducted into the legends of Dodger baseball in 2022 Kirk Gibson the only Legend who is also in the Ring of Honor number 34 Fernando Valenzuela and our first Speaker of the evening one of the first inductees Steve Garvey thank you so much it's an honor to be with all of you this evening it's an honor to welcome our friend and our brother this wonderful fraternity you know it's been said it's amazing what You' can accomplish if you don't care about who takes the credit for it and I think that is the epitom of Dusty Baker Through The Years many of us have paragraphs Dy now is a CH a chapter on and off the field on the field the accomplishments in The Dugout his manager but if life is God's gift to us what we do with it is our gift to him let see Baker he even ra and that's as a man as a husband as a father as a celebrated baseball player as an americ but as somebody who now epitomizes the great Dodger history and I think all of us who have been inducted feel the same way that we love you Dusty and CH congratulations dsee there are a few people who couldn't be here today but wanted to make sure they were still able to send their best wishes to you so let's take a look at Dodger [Music] Vision congratulations Dusty on being inducted into the legends of Dodgers baseball you were certainly a legend when I first met you and now you're even more of a legend for the influence and the personality that you EX to and the care that you sent out to me in my younger years and is still there in my older years I appreciate you and congratulations well dy I just wanted to say congratulations in being inducted to the legends of Dodger baseball man you deserve it my friend and uh love you a lot just congratulations Dusty it's Mike soer I want to congratulate you on the great honor of being inducted into the legends of Dodger baseball well deserved Dusty thank you for everything you did for me and everything you did for all of us that came up and uh and uh and played in those early years of our careers and it's a it's an honor welld deserved the legends of Dodger baseball has got to be honored to have you in it and you deserve it you earned it you earned the right to be there and I'm happy to say that I'm very proud for the fact that I was one of your teammates and I enjoyed every year every moment we had on and off the field you're deserving congratulations I love you man Dusty congratulations on being inducted into the legends of Dodger baseball thank you for everything that you've done for me personally and professionally in my baseball career I wouldn't be standing here today without your support and love all the best hey Dusty congratulations you deserve this uh you were my mentor coming up I think uh having an opportunity to come up when I was a rookie and play with you and you were the Kirk Gibson of of that era and uh you know it was a joy uh you always took me in and chewed me out when you needed to and uh you just been a great friend and you know you deserve everything that you can in life and and it comes because you're such a great person he gave G right and always give you 100% he was a winner he hate to lose so my co than you to D Baker We than you in honor at lady because in my heart D is a do Legend good friend good teammate and very human being and God bless you our next speaker was another one of dy's teammates on the championship team of 19 1981 and of course a few years before that he was part of the sports first 30 home run quartet along with Dusty and Garvey and say he's a kid that grew up in Los Angeles and went on to be a seven time Major League Go star please welcome back to do Stadium Reggie Smith thank you first we can say is trly an honor humbl to be able to uh speak Dusty and my good friend it's so much that I can say but they only give us a few minutes so I'm going to indulge myself a little here just to let you know that the things that you accomplish uh in the do epitomizes into the things of Legend and it's so important to me to know that I had an opportunity to play with you they say that a superstar is someone that makes the people around them play better Dusty is a superstar on the field and he a superstar as a manager's gr and for those attributes I am so proud and feel so good that what you were able to accomplish as a manager to bring together teams that were winning teams something that I'm sure you learned from a lot of the great that you had an opportunity to be a part of and I know Hank Aaron was one of them but more importantly the Legacy that is left for African-American players like ourselves guy out there with a statue that said doesn't important of a life nothing is more important than the life than the effect that you have on other people and I think of Roy Camp Don new and Bankhead Tim Gillian mroy Roy uh Joe Black when I think of those guys and the path and the opportunity that was opened to them by both Branch Ricky and your Mali family to allow African-Americans to start flying that if we had a chance to honor Jackie's leg we are Jackie's Legend thank you Dusty we have one more video to share with you one more mess you're going to have to bear with one more nice message we're hearing all these people that are talking about the impact that Dusty has had on them and it's across baseball you'll find people like this the guy that's felt that more than anybody obviously your son D hey Dad uh I just want to say congratulations on being inducted into the legends of Dodger baseball and um you know obviously a huge accomplishment and I know how much playing for the Dodgers meant to you being from the area and um you know how many people you affected you know on and off the field in uh in you know California in general and you you're you're my biggest role model in the reason I play so um you know nobody deserves it more I'm sorry I can't be there tonight but um you know there's plenty of people there for me I love you and I'll see you soon so we have one more special guest joining us tonight like Dusty a former Dodger outfielder and now World Series winning manager ladies and gentlemen the manager of the Dodgers Dave Roberts man Dusty Baker back at Dodger Stadium come on man this is the way it's supposed to be this man is a legend yes um you know just watching Darren right there you know and uh what Reggie said about Legacy Dusty you created a legacy and I think something that I talk to my players about all the time is that this game is bigger than all of us you have to play for things that are bigger your teammates the fans the organization the game of baseball and it's entirety this game is going to be here longer than all of us are here and that's something that Dusty Baker instilled in me and every single player that played for him and that played with him and so for me Dusty I salute you and we're trying to do our part to keep that fire burning and keep your legacy to living so uh steeve and Reggie talked a little about Dusty's impact as a player um as a current as a as a former outfielder current manager I'd like to take a step forward Dusty helped carve a path for black managers that only began during his playing career and still barely existed by the time he became a manager for his first job in 1993 Dusty took a team over that had finished 72 and 90 the year before and then the following year LED them to 103 59 record a 31 game improvement so tell me that leadership doesn't matter before 2016 only 8 years ago no major League team had hired a black manager to take over a winning team Dusty and I became the first two and I am very proud and honored to be linked with you couple more great nuggets here guys Baker is only one of two managers in the 21st century and only one of only 12 all time with at least 2,000 wins three penants and a world series title that's a Hall of Famer cting next to me so to the Hall of Fame this Hall of Famer Dusty I truly what you I truly appreciate what you've done for the Dodgers what what you've done for me and most importantly what you have done for baseball congratulations you are a Dodger Ledger all right so as handsome as you guys all are as good good as you all look and there's no disputing that we figured we should make it a little more official a little more uniform so tonight we're going to unveil a special official Blazer of Legends of Dodger baseball we've got some of the current Dodgers who are going to present our current members our existing members with their Blazers Oscar Hernandez coming out here River Ryan Miguel Roos fry Freeman and Joe Kelly [Music] and Doc we're going to leave it up to you to present the official jacket to the newest Dodger Legend Dusty Baker [Music] I think you're ready for the podium my friend let's hear it for Dusty Baker hello well first let me say thank you uh to all the fans and uh to most uh fanaticos they Mexico and uh you know I just want to say thank you to my teammates because I I'm hoping that I help make them better because they definitely help me be be a better ball player and a better person you know I came over from the grav as a young player I couldn't wait to get to La cuz I know the LA Dodgers were about winning and I was right up my alley to try to win and we had a lot of help uh you know the guys that really helped us when I think about it were were Sandy copax Jim Gilliam um Roy Campanella uh luk Johnson you can name it on on with the guys that that helped us and uh you know they gave us the the godri tradition and the will to to win and succeed on a daily basis and I have to thank Tom bort for believing to me because when I was with the braid Thomas S told me he goes Dusty uh he third base coach he says man I you need to be on the dod I said really why he says well cuz you got that DOD body the doctors are always the best looking guys on the field so I like wow wow maybe I maybe I'm one of them and so they came and got me a year later you know that was a the turning point in my life a turning point of my career and um you know I really got to thank the fans here uh as a kid growing up in Riverside what are the chances of me playing for the Dodgers at that time is called shz Rine and I used to listen to Ben Scully on my transist radio every day pretend that I was Tommy Davis wearing number 12 and there's some kids out there that I know have done the same thing grew up wanted to be Reggie Smith Steve Garvey uh uh Bill Russell Dave L and now you got new Heroes to to emulate and to be like and we're all witnesses that if you really want it and you have the desire to win that you can achieve that goal that every one of you out there have a chance to be whatever you want to be in life and I just want to say thank you very much um I love you I mean this I don't feel like a legend these guys may be a legend whatever that is okay well thank you all right only one thing left to do we got our jackets we've heard from everybody last year's inductees oral and Manny are going to unveil the Legends flag [Music] thank you again everybody for joining us for what is just the start of what is going to be a special weekend here at Dodger Stadium but right now most importantly once again congratulations to Dusty Baker baseball's best body and the newest Legend of Dodger baseball [Music] e [Music] I I want to