Baker receives cheers and star treatment in Bay Area return

4/25/2008 8:58 PM

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Dusty Baker has been gone from the Bay Area baseball scene for five years, though you would never know it.

Baker returned to San Francisco as new manager of the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night and received the same kind of love he did during a 10-year stint managing the Giants that ended after the club's World Series run in 2002.

``It's fun but I have wondered why, after tough games, why'd I come back? I'm glad I'm back. This is where I belong right now at this point of time in my life,'' Baker said, sitting in the visitor's dugout before the game with 9-year-old son Darren on his lap. ``It's challenging and it's fun. This is the joy of life right here, being on a baseball field.''

As popular as Baker was in his return, Darren - the skipper's ``Mini Me'' in a matching No. 12 Cincinnati jersey - had a blast, too. He did television interviews, shook hands with fans near the Reds' dugout and waved before rejoining his father behind the cage during batting practice.

At age 3 1/2 and working as a bat boy, Darren ran onto the field near home plate during the World Series and was quickly scooped up by J.T. Snow to avoid being run over.

The Bakers expected more than 30 family and friends for all three weekend games against the Giants, so many that Baker had to buy his fair share of tickets on top of the comps he receives for each game.

Baker's previous return as a manager came with the Chicago Cubs, who fired him after the 2006 season on the heels of an NL-worst 66-96 finish in his fourth year. That's after the Cubs came within five outs of reaching the World Series in his first season.

They replaced him with Lou Piniella. Baker managed the Giants for 10 years from 1993 through their World Series loss to the wild-card Angels in '02.

He had plenty of socializing to do before the game, with former players and Giants coaches he worked with during his time. Not to mention the security guards, clubhouse staff and stadium ushers who he still thinks of so fondly.

``I love them. I love the city. I've been coming to the city since I was 12 years old with my folks,'' he said.

The three-time NL Manager of the Year spent last year working on his new home near Sacramento and for ESPN - his first time out of uniform since a brief stint as a stockbroker in 1987 after retiring from his 19-year playing career. He became a coach with San Francisco the following season.

He still wishes things had gone differently in Chicago, where he faced constant scrutiny during his tenure.

``You learn from that. You learn from every experience,'' he said. ``It's different (in Cincinnati). I wish I'd left a hero, a winner. I really wish that.''

The Reds headed into the weekend at 9-14 and in last place in the NL Central. On Wednesday, they fired general manager Wayne Krivsky and replaced him with former St. Louis Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty.

Baker, who kept his home in nearby San Bruno so he has a place to stay when he's in San Francisco, has said his best days as a manager are still ahead of him.

``I believe that big time. You learn to control your emotions a little better. You learn to trust your insides and your instincts a little more,'' he said. ``I think you're in tune with yourself and the game and everything else.''

He has heard from many people that ``you have to continually recreate yourself.''

These days, he cherishes the little things about his job and life all the more. Baker turns 59 in June.

``I always appreciated the game,'' he said. ``I appreciate every facet of the game even more now, whether it's the front office, the media, what it takes to make this game go round and make it go smooth.''