Dusty Baker was all smiles as he watched his son, Darren Baker, make his major league debut with the Washington Nationals on Sunday and get his first major league hit.
Darren Baker was promoted Sunday as part of MLB's roster expansion and took his first turn at bat in the ninth inning of a 14-1 loss to the Cubs.
Dusty Baker's son is, of course, best remembered for serving as a batboy when his father managed the Giants and JT Snow rescued him from peril in Game 5 of the 2003 World Series.
This time, he stepped up to bat and hit a single to center field on the first pitch, delighting his parents in the stadium.
Dusty Baker was all smiles as he watched the memorable moment, and Darren Baker also couldn't help but smile as he raised his arms in celebration after reaching first base.
“He was raised as a baseball player,” Washington manager Dave Martinez told reporters. According to the Washington Post“He understands baseball, he knows how to play the game. He'll steal bases when he needs to. He'll hit the ball to send guys home and score a ton of runs. He does all that stuff. He's just a baseball player.”
“I didn't need an alarm clock today,” Baker joked to reporters ahead of the afternoon game against the Cubs.
The Darren Baker/Snow incident has been brought up many times by Baker's brother, but Dusty Baker told media that it's something he doesn't really remember.
Snow caught Darren Baker, who was just three years old at the time, at the last moment as he ran out to grab the bat while the game was still in progress.
“He doesn't remember it,” Dusty Baker says, “and he brings it up all the time, and he doesn't remember it. It's a great story. At the time it was kind of funny and embarrassing and all that, but maybe in the cycle of life it's just meant to happen.”
Dusty Baker retired as manager after last season and is now working as a special assistant to the Giants.
