Baker vs. Thomson a redemption duel between managers

Regardless of which team wins the 2022 Major League Baseball World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros, the champion manager will get a little piece of history and, at the same time, some almost heavenly redemption.

In the red corner we have Rob Thomson, the first Canadian to manage in the Fall Classic, and just the eighth manager to reach the final battle for the title after taking the reins of his team in the middle of the season.

Thomson, 59, received his first opportunity to manage after the Phillies fired Joe Girardi, 22-29, on June 3. With more than three decades as a coach, most of that time in the New York Yankees organization, Thomson was interviewed several times for the manager’s job, previously, but, painfully, was always passed over.

In the blue corner we have Dusty Baker, who has been in the major leagues since before man walked on the moon. A winner of 2,093 games in 25 years with five teams, Baker is seeking his first ring in his third trip to the World Series (he lost in 2002 to the San Francisco Giants and last year to the Astros) at age 73.

Except for the Commissioner’s Trophy, Baker has won everything as a manager: Three Manager of the Year awards, three league championships and 12 playoff appearances with five different clubs. He is one of 12 managers with more than 2,000 regular-season wins and the fourth most (48) in the postseason.

All that, after a fine 19-year playing career.

Because of their ages and the paternal tone with which they talk about their players, many would automatically place them on the list of “old-school managers,” but, in reality, that would be a hasty and incomplete analysis.

Both are baseball men trained in an era when instincts and hunches controlled a large portion of decision-making, but who have had to adapt to the changes generated by the large amount of information that teams gather to make their decisions more efficient and increase the probabilities of winning games and, therefore, championships.

“Well, that’s why I’m here,” Baker said Saturday, before the Astros tied the World Series at one win apiece at Minute Maid Park.

“That’s why I’m glad Jim Crane brought me back to a place that, because most places I’ve been I’ve had to rebuild the team, but this team was already built and I had to go through the process and try to improve on what we already have here,” he added.

“I don’t believe in old school or new school. I believe in the right school,” Baker told the Atlanta Journal Constitution recently.

“And no matter what school or side you’re on, nothing works all the time. There are no absolutes in sports, not as long as you’re playing against someone on the other side who can screw up your game plan,” the future Cooperstown member added.

“Just unbelievable. I don’t know if there’s any other word to describe it,” Thomson said after the Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres in five games in the National League Championship Series to advance to the World Series for the first time in 13 years.

After posting a 65-46 record and punching a ticket as the third wild card to join Jim Trayce, Cito Gaston and Dick Howser as the only ones to host clubs with seven or more games below .500 and lead them to the playoffs, Thomson received a two-year contract (2023-24) as Philadelphia’s starting manager.

“Personally it’s special, but there are so many guys in this club that have never even been to the playoffs. JT Realmuto, all our young guys, all the guys that have been in this organization. It’s just unbelievable. So I’m very happy for them as well. I’m probably happier for them than I am for anyone else,” Thomson said.

“We have a lot of respect for Thomson for what he’s done for us. He loves this game, he works hard and he understands what his players need,” said stellar outfielder and designated hitter Bryce Harper.

It’s the close bond with his players that is the main commonality between Baker and Thomson, but not the only one.

Baker’s Astros reached the World Series for the second straight year and for the fourth time since 2017. Thomson’s Phillies qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2011 after spending aggressively in free agency and raising their payroll above $255 million, the 4th most expensive in MLB

Both organizations have large analytics departments that assist the baseball operations office and coaching staff, as most clubs in the league are doing these days. After several years of disdaining veterans and opting for young men more prone to the use of advanced statistics, some clubs have looked a bit to the past to move into the future.