Darren Baker has already led in a World Series game. He is now a major leaguer with a career batting average of 1.000.
Darren, the son of two-time All-Star and veteran manager Dusty Baker, was one of the additions to the Washington Nationals’ roster when he was selected from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday.
“I didn’t need any alarm bells today,” said Darren Baker, who learned of his call-up on Saturday.
The 25-year-old’s first two calls were to his parents, who flew into Washington from the West Coast early Sunday morning and arrived in time for the end of the Nationals’ series against the Chicago Cubs.
Darren was not in the starting lineup on Sunday, but he did hit a pinch-hit single in his first MLB at-bat. In fact, Darren singled on the first pitch he saw, driving a slider off Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts into the middle of the field en route to a 14-1 Nationals loss.
Washington Nationals’ Darren Baker #10 celebrates with first base coach Gerardo Parra
Washington Nationals’ Darren Baker gets his first major league hit during the ninth inning
Giants manager Dusty Baker answers questions while holding his son Darren in 2000
Dusty was on hand in Washington, where the World Series-winning manager exchanged greetings with his wife, Melissa.
Darren, Washington’s 10th-round pick in 2021, hit .285 with 49 RBIs and 38 stolen bases in Rochester, and could play some outfield in addition during his time in Washington.
“He was raised as a baseball player,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “He understands the game and knows how to play it. He steals bases when he needs to. He puts the ball in play to get guys ahead and drives in big runs. All that. He’s just a baseball player.”
Darren is best remembered for a moment in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series when, as a 3-year-old batboy, he prematurely left the dugout to retrieve the bat from Giants outfielder Kenny Lofton in the seventh inning.
What Darren didn’t realize was that Giants first baseman JT Snow was running toward home plate.
Fortunately for Darren and his father Dusty, who was managing the Giants at the time, Snow reacted quickly and picked up the unsuspecting bat boy and returned him to the dugout.
JT Snow holds Dusty Baker’s 3-year-old son, Darren, during Game 5 of the 2002 World Series
Batboy Darren Baker sits in the dugout in Game 6 after playing a starring role in Game 5
Had it not been for Snow, Darren might have been trampled by Giants infielder David Bell, who also scored on the play. Bell is now the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, another position previously held by Baker.
“It’s something he doesn’t even remember,” Dusty Baker said. “He’s constantly reminded of it, but he doesn’t remember it. It’s a very interesting story. At the time, it seemed like something funny or embarrassing or whatever, but in the full circle of life, maybe it was just supposed to happen.”
One of Dusty Baker’s managerial stops was in Washington in 2016 and 2017, and Darren Baker spent time in those summers with the Nationals. The younger Baker said Sunday that he felt comfortable in the clubhouse, particularly Washington’s, as he knew exactly how to get there.
Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker and his son Darren wait for a television interview (left). Darren, 3, (right), gathers some equipment while working as a bat boy in 2002.
Giants’ Barry Bonds The Giants talk to Darren Baker, son of manager Dusty Baker in 2003
That’s just one facet of an already rich baseball life that Baker will build on as he begins his major league career.
“I’ve been through a lot of experiences and met a lot of different people to get to this point, and I’m still just getting started,” Baker said. “We’ll see where it takes us, but I’m grateful for it.”
Darren Baker was nearly drafted out of high school but opted to join the Cal Bears instead, where he hit .327 in 55 games this season. He started 123 consecutive games for the school.
“Darren is one of those players that every coach or manager wants on their team,” Wareham coach Jerry Weinstein, a longtime player development leader in the Colorado organization, told The Athletic in 2019. “He’s worked hard to achieve everything he’s accomplished, and I think he’s still a long way from being the player he could become. I would never ask for anything because he’s Dusty Baker’s son.”
