Whenever you're the child of a famous athlete or coach, you might sometimes feel like there's a legacy to live up to.
No, this isn't the case for them all, but either way, Darren Baker, the son of current Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker, made an incredible play for the Washington Nationals' (a team Dusty used to manager) Triple-A squad, the Rochester Red Wings, this past Thursday in what could be the play of the minor league season so far.
It was one of the best instances of reactions you'll see on the diamond.
Darren Baker's Behind-The-Back Play
Darren Baker just did WHAT?! ?
The @Nationals prospect records a one-of-a-kind out for the @RocRedWings: pic.twitter.com/Qm5AjKUbZg
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 11, 2023
As you'll see in the video and understand after the excellent commentary job, Baker, who plays second base, made a behind-the-back scoop running toward first base after first baseman Matt Adams dove for the ball, clipped it with his glove, and caused it to redirect. The play was made on a ground ball from Worcester Red Sox player David Hamilton. Baker fields the ball and spins around before standing upright and firing it to the pitcher covering first base.
Darren's father, Dusty, played in Major League Baseball from 1968-1986, playing for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. After playing, Baker became a coach for the Giants from 1988-1992 before becoming the manager in 1993 and was there until 2002.
After this first managerial gig, he joined the following clubs as a manager:
- Chicago Cubs: 2003-2006
- Cincinnati Reds: 2008-2013
- Washington Nationals: 2016-2017
- Houston Astros: 2020-Present
Darren Baker, 24, was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 27th round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California. However, Baker opted to attend the University of California Berkeley and was then a candidate for the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft. That year, the Nationals selected him again, 17 rounds earlier in the 10th.
This year, in Triple-A, Baker has appeared in 32 games. In 121 at-bats, Baker has two home runs, 10 RBIs, five stolen bases, and has a line of .355/.422/.463.
If he keeps making plays like this, we could see him in the big leagues very soon.
