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The only real memory I have of Dusty Baker's kid, Darren, is of him nearly getting killed during the 2002 World Series when he went out to grab a bat while J.T. Snow and David Bell were barreling in to home. Luckily Snow grabbed Darren just in time so Darren didn't get decapitated. By the way, Darren was 3 1/2 at the time. So, in other words, Dusty's about as focused a manager as he is a father.And now, it seems that the rudderless Reds are being run by Darren. Which would come as absolutely no shock to me.
Last night Ken Griffey Jr. arrived to the park planning on playing, so when he saw the lineup card without his name on it, he asked Dusty Baker's nine-year-old son Darren why his dad wasn't playing him. Darren's response was about as classic as it gets.
“Why am I not playing tonight, Darren?” asked Griffey.Ouch. Thing is, Darren isn't wrong. Griffey is about the equivalent of 50 now with all his injuries and he's hitting a pathetic .200 against lefties this season. Of course, Griffey did come in and hit a walk off home run, but - you guessed it - it came off right hander Matt Capps. Hey, Darren obviously helped motivate Griffey, and that's what good managers, er, batboys do.
“Because you can’t hit lefthanders,” said Darren, son of manager Dusty Baker. “And you’re old.”
“How old am I?”
“Fifty.”
Of course, if a nine-year-old is in charge of a club, it might also help explain the bizarre move in last night's game to have one of the Reds' biggest bats attempt to bunt with men on first and second with no one out in the eighth. From LOT D:
In the eighth inning, the first two batters got on base when Adam Dunn walked and Brandon Phillips singled off left-handed reliever Damaso Marte. Baker put Corey Patterson in to run for Dunn after his walk and then with the two on, asked Joey Votto -- whose only career sacrifice came in Class A Sarasota in 2005 -- to bunt. Votto couldn't get the bunt down and struck out. Edwin Encarnacion then struck out.You know what, I don't even think Darren would make moves that are this dumb. He really should stop listening to his father and just manage the team himself.
Instead of letting the left-handed Jay Bruce face Marte, Baker summoned switch-hitter Javier Valentin to bat for Bruce. Valentin, batting .167 against lefties this season, grounded out to end the inning.
[HT: Fanhouse]
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