re: Dusty Baker officially agrees to become the next manager of the Houston Astros

Alright, I'm gonna defend Dusty Baker for a minute. I think one way to measure a manager is to look at what a team was expected to do before a season started, and look at how many games they actually won when the season is over.

So let's look at Dusty Baker's last 4 seasons managing:



2017 Washington Nationals:

Bleacher Report predicted 93-69
Team Rankings predicted 90-72

Actual finish: 97-65

Exceeded expectations.



2016 Washington Nationals:

Bleacher Report predicted 85-77
Team Rankings predicted 88-74

Actual finish: 95-67

Exceeded expectations.



2013 Cincinnati Reds:

Bleacher Report predicted 95-67
Team Rankings predicted 84-78

Actual finish: 90-72

Mixed



2012 Cincinnati Reds:

Beyond the Boxscore predicted 80-82
Grantland predicted 85-77
Team Rankings predicted 83-79

Actual: 97-65

Exceeded expectations.








And I could do more, but you get the point. His teams do seem to beat expectations. And really, that's what you want... a guy who can get the most out of the team he's given.