Darren Baker earned his first hit on the very first pitch he was thrown in an MLB game on Sunday. Although Darren was newly promoted to the Washington Nationals, he is no stranger to stepping up to the plate given he is the son of acclaimed manager Dusty Baker.
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Baker spent much of his childhood in ballparks around the country thanks to his father, Dusty. In 2002, when Dusty was a member of the San Francisco Giants, the outfielder was informed that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Dusty’s diagnosis encouraged him to take his son along with the team to as many games as possible. One of the many games included the 2002 World Series where the Giants took on the Angels.
SAN FRANCISCO – OCTOBER 23: Bengie Molina #1 of the Anaheim Angels and J.T. Snow #6 of the San Francisco Giants try to get bat boy Darren Baker out of harms way as he runs… SAN FRANCISCO – OCTOBER 23: Bengie Molina #1 of the Anaheim Angels and J.T. Snow #6 of the San Francisco Giants try to get bat boy Darren Baker out of harms way as he runs on the field during play in game four of the World Series on October 23, 2002 at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 4-3 and tied the series 2-2. Darren Baker experiences full-circle moment in MLB debut on Sunday.
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Baker served as a bat boy in Game 5 of the series and made an accidental appearance at the plate.
Baker wandered to home plate in the middle of a two-run triple by Kenny Lofton. First baseman J.T. Snow saved Darren from potentially being involved in a collision at home plate as he swooped in and carried Darren away from the action.
“That’s something he doesn’t even remember, and he’s reminded of it constantly,” Dusty told Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. “… That’s quite a story. At the time, it seemed kind of funny or embarrassing or whatever, but in the full circle of life, maybe it was supposed to happen.”
Flash forward to 2024, Baker stepped up to the plate as a grown man, a full-circle moment from when he wandered to the plate as a three-year-old.
“I always thought he was going to be [a big league player] because that’s what he wanted,” Dusty said. “He put in the time and the effort. I thought he had the talent to do it. … He’s not in awe being out there. He’s thankful, but he feels comfortable, like home.
The 25-year-old was one of the September call-ups for Washington following a stellar season with Triple-A Rochester. Baker slashed .285/.348/.340 with 20 doubles, two triples, and 49 RBIs in 112 games.
“The kids of ballplayers, I like to think like the kids of actors — all the Estevezes, all the Sutherlands — these guys are on the set with their dads when they were this big,” Dusty continued. “And the same thing with Darren. That third deck, I don’t think is going to awe him.”
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