Dusty Baker stepped down from managing the Astros to retire:

“Dusty Baker is a legend in this sport,” Houston shortstop Jeremy Pena said Monday night. “I’ve loved every single day that I’ve gotten to share with him on this ballclub. He’s been great for me. He’s shown so much confidence in me. He’s been a great manager.”

ESPN.com

Baker commanded the respect of his players, his great strength as a manager. He finishes with a .540 career winning percentage in the regular season, quite an accomplishment in an era when teams wax and wane frequently. Baker was often hired to take a good team to the top.

His first season as a manager might have been a microcosm of his career. Hired to manage the Giants and their new free agent acquisition Barry Bonds, Baker led the team to 103 wins. He also led them to blowing a 9 1/2 game lead and finishing second in the division before there was a wild card. That finish sparked the movement to expand the playoffs, because it was somehow unfair that a team that lost the division didn’t make the playoffs.

He got close to wining championships in consecutive years with the Giants and Cubs, but his poor management of the bullpens in crucial situations may have cost them wins.

He was certainly the right man for the Astros:

Baker was hired by Crane in the winter of 2020, after the sign-stealing scandal erupted and led to the firings of manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow.

Baker did exactly what Crane had hoped for, deflecting attention away from a group of players who were besieged by boos in all ballparks other than Houston’s Minute Maid Park, while fostering continued success. The Astros reached the ALCS in 2020, secured the league pennant in 2021 and won the World Series — Baker’s first as a manager — in 2022.

We will see if the retirement is final. His opponent in the ALCS, Bruce Bochy, retired as well. Baker likes the job, and at some point, a team might see him as the leader they need.