Houston Astros' Dusty Baker becomes first Black manager to win 2,000 games, 12th to do it overall

Dusty Baker became the 12th manager in major league history to win 2,000 games — and the first Black manager to reach the milestone — with the Astros' 4-0 victory Tuesday night over the Seattle Mariners in Houston.

The 72-year-old Baker began his managerial career in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants and has led five different teams — the Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Astros — to the postseason, the only manager to achieve that feat. He's also one of nine managers to win pennants in both leagues, guiding the Giants to the World Series in 2002 and the Astros in 2021. His 40 career postseason wins are tied for eighth all time with Terry Francona.

With his iconic toothpick and wristbands, Baker has been one of the most vivid personalities in the game over the past three decades — on top of a 19-year career as a player that saw him finish with 1,981 hits and 242 home runs.

Despite the 2,000 wins, his Hall of Fame case remains a contentious debate. Of the 11 managers with more wins than Baker, 10 are in the Hall of Fame, with Bruce Bochy viewed as a lock to get elected when he's eligible for the ballot in December 2023. All 10 Hall of Fame managers with more wins than Baker, however, also have at least one World Series championship, while Bochy won three with the Giants.

Baker's teams fell short in both of his World Series appearances and suffered some heartbreaking playoff defeats along the way, notably Game 6 of the 2002 World Series with the Giants, Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS with the Cubs and Game of the 2015 NLDS with the Nationals, all potential clinching games that Baker's teams led in the seventh inning or later.

Still, Baker's regular-season success makes him a strong Hall candidate,