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| As pitchers and catchers begin work, Dusty Baker is in his element again | As pitchers and catchers begin work, Dusty Baker is in his element again |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| VIERA, Fla. — This is Dusty Baker, leaning on the bat he never puts down, one foot tucked behind the other, gnawing on a toothpick. This, a spring training complex full of optimism, an organization in need of rejuvenation — a baseball field — is Dusty Baker’s element. | VIERA, Fla. — This is Dusty Baker, leaning on the bat he never puts down, one foot tucked behind the other, gnawing on a toothpick. This, a spring training complex full of optimism, an organization in need of rejuvenation — a baseball field — is Dusty Baker’s element. |
| “I kind of belong here,” Baker said Friday. “I was trying not to miss it. You can make yourself not miss something. Now that I’m back, I really did truly indeed miss it.” | “I kind of belong here,” Baker said Friday. “I was trying not to miss it. You can make yourself not miss something. Now that I’m back, I really did truly indeed miss it.” |
| As Nationals pitchers and catchers maneuvered through their first workout of spring training Saturday, Baker oversaw his first day of baseball since 2013, his last season with the Reds. People have told him he looks happier than he did in the interim. Coaches who have coached with Baker, players who have played for him, and those who know him well say he is comfortable in any situation. Here, with his trademark toothpick back where it was in San Francisco and Chicago and Cincinnati, wearing batting gloves and baseball pants, Baker emanated ease. | As Nationals pitchers and catchers maneuvered through their first workout of spring training Saturday, Baker oversaw his first day of baseball since 2013, his last season with the Reds. People have told him he looks happier than he did in the interim. Coaches who have coached with Baker, players who have played for him, and those who know him well say he is comfortable in any situation. Here, with his trademark toothpick back where it was in San Francisco and Chicago and Cincinnati, wearing batting gloves and baseball pants, Baker emanated ease. |
| [Dusty Baker survived ruin and humiliation. Now he wants to go out on top.] | [Dusty Baker survived ruin and humiliation. Now he wants to go out on top.] |
| He admitted he doesn’t know everyone yet, so he carries a laminated roster card. | He admitted he doesn’t know everyone yet, so he carries a laminated roster card. |
| “Sometimes I gotta let ’em walk past me,” said Baker, pretending to look after an invisible player. “Then I can say, ‘Hey, Mike, what’s going on!’ ” | |
| He will get to know them all in time, he says, some with in-office conversations, some over dinner. He may take others fishing, he said, or out for beers, if they’re old enough. | He will get to know them all in time, he says, some with in-office conversations, some over dinner. He may take others fishing, he said, or out for beers, if they’re old enough. |
| “Is Bryce old enough?” he asked. (At 23, Harper is.) | “Is Bryce old enough?” he asked. (At 23, Harper is.) |
| Baker’s first day in uniform began with a meeting. He said he doesn’t plan his addresses, “just prays on it,” says what comes to mind and “reads the crowd.” Saturday, he relayed messages like “work hard” and “be honest” and inspired a few laughs, too. Players said Baker told them he loves his pitchers, that they set the tone, that as they go, so does his team. | Baker’s first day in uniform began with a meeting. He said he doesn’t plan his addresses, “just prays on it,” says what comes to mind and “reads the crowd.” Saturday, he relayed messages like “work hard” and “be honest” and inspired a few laughs, too. Players said Baker told them he loves his pitchers, that they set the tone, that as they go, so does his team. |
| “When you hear that, any one of the pitchers, you feel good when you have that kind of support,” left-hander Gio Gonzalez said. “I love the way he came about it, nice and loose, relaxed, have fun, know when to turn it on. That kind of mentality is the way baseball should be.” | “When you hear that, any one of the pitchers, you feel good when you have that kind of support,” left-hander Gio Gonzalez said. “I love the way he came about it, nice and loose, relaxed, have fun, know when to turn it on. That kind of mentality is the way baseball should be.” |
| On Friday, Baker joked that the long trek from Space Coast Stadium to the fields down the road would either make him “real skinny” or make him “ride a lot.” On Saturday, he chose a golf cart and found time to chat with seemingly every executive he encountered on his way. | On Friday, Baker joked that the long trek from Space Coast Stadium to the fields down the road would either make him “real skinny” or make him “ride a lot.” On Saturday, he chose a golf cart and found time to chat with seemingly every executive he encountered on his way. |
| When he reached the 40 or so players working out, he paced the stretching lines, tapping Yusmeiro Petit on the rear with his bat, pointing to something on Stephen Strasburg’s shoe that eventually made the ace chuckle. He engaged in what looked like a jovially heated discussion with Max Scherzer and Jonathan Papelbon that included a lot of pointing and ended with Baker wagging his finger at his smiling stars. | When he reached the 40 or so players working out, he paced the stretching lines, tapping Yusmeiro Petit on the rear with his bat, pointing to something on Stephen Strasburg’s shoe that eventually made the ace chuckle. He engaged in what looked like a jovially heated discussion with Max Scherzer and Jonathan Papelbon that included a lot of pointing and ended with Baker wagging his finger at his smiling stars. |
| “He’s going to be closer to a player than any manager you’ve probably played for,” said Bronson Arroyo, who played for Baker during his Cincinnati tenure. “He walks and talks and treats himself still as if he’s in uniform.” | “He’s going to be closer to a player than any manager you’ve probably played for,” said Bronson Arroyo, who played for Baker during his Cincinnati tenure. “He walks and talks and treats himself still as if he’s in uniform.” |
| Baker wandered the 10-pack, the high-volume bullpen where Scherzer, Joe Ross and others impressed him during their 10-minute sessions. | |
| [Dusty Baker called Joe Gibbs for advice] | [Dusty Baker called Joe Gibbs for advice] |
| Fans sought autographs as Baker walked from field to field. Unsurprised and unperturbed, he signed for all of them, offering unsolicited fist bumps to eager young fans. | Fans sought autographs as Baker walked from field to field. Unsurprised and unperturbed, he signed for all of them, offering unsolicited fist bumps to eager young fans. |
| “He doesn’t really look to a lot of people to make his decisions for him,” Arroyo said. “He’s going to do what his gut tells him to do.” | “He doesn’t really look to a lot of people to make his decisions for him,” Arroyo said. “He’s going to do what his gut tells him to do.” |
| On one field, where promising youngsters such as Felipe Rivero, Trevor Gott and others were working on throwing to bases, Baker headed out to the mound to talk them through it. | On one field, where promising youngsters such as Felipe Rivero, Trevor Gott and others were working on throwing to bases, Baker headed out to the mound to talk them through it. |
| “He’s just giving little things, like ‘Greg Maddux did it this way when he did this drill,’ ” Gott said. “You just soak it in.” | |
| Baker stayed on the field until the catchers, whose double duties mean they are usually the last to be done for the day, wrapped up their workouts. He headed to the clubhouse, passed up the buffet, and instead sliced his own mango, peach and plum for a fruit salad he nibbled while chatting with catcher Wilson Ramos, then the media. | Baker stayed on the field until the catchers, whose double duties mean they are usually the last to be done for the day, wrapped up their workouts. He headed to the clubhouse, passed up the buffet, and instead sliced his own mango, peach and plum for a fruit salad he nibbled while chatting with catcher Wilson Ramos, then the media. |
| For most of that session, Baker leaned back in his rolling chair in front of a red Nationals backdrop, next to a bookcase full of baseball books and a desk full of cards from other organizations offering congratulations on his new job. He slid right back into his media duties, too, running down a brief injury report, reciting résumés of new acquisitions and earning a few laughs. | For most of that session, Baker leaned back in his rolling chair in front of a red Nationals backdrop, next to a bookcase full of baseball books and a desk full of cards from other organizations offering congratulations on his new job. He slid right back into his media duties, too, running down a brief injury report, reciting résumés of new acquisitions and earning a few laughs. |
| Both of Baker’s inaugural media sessions have been delayed a few minutes while he finished conversations with players and coaches — the only time his office door has been closed. Players and coaches file in and out, visiting with their manager, who seems right at home. | Both of Baker’s inaugural media sessions have been delayed a few minutes while he finished conversations with players and coaches — the only time his office door has been closed. Players and coaches file in and out, visiting with their manager, who seems right at home. |