CITO GASTON

Houston's Dusty Baker and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Dave Roberts are the only Black managers in Major League Baseball.

For now and forever, Dusty Baker, the epic storyteller, first-class name-dropper, toothpick chewer and baseball lifer will bear a most distinguished title.

After guiding the Philadelphia Phillies to their first playoff series victory since 2010, manager Rob Thomson had the interim removed from his title.

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker Jr. signals as he walks to the mound to change pitchers during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)LOS ANGELES – If there’s a universally recognized good guy among the generally reviled Houston Astros, it’s Dusty Baker. Next up, starting Sunday in San Diego, is either the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays with a berth in the World Series at stake. If the Astros get that far, Baker would have a shot at being the second Black manager to win a World Series, joining Cito Gaston. As manager, Baker has been made to answer for the Astros' past transgressions, even though he wasn't around.