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Retired manager Dusty Baker's son Darren gets a hit in his FIRST MLB at-bat 22 years after becoming a World Series legend as a 3-year-old bat boy
Darren Baker has already headlined a World Series game. Now he's a Major Leaguer with a 1.000 lifetime batting average.
The son of two-time All-Star and longtime manager Dusty Baker, Darren was one of the Washington Nationals' roster additions when he had his contract selected from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday.
'I didn't need an alarm today,' said Darren Baker, who learned of his callup Saturday.
The 25-year-old's first two calls were to his parents, who arrived in Washington from the West Coast early Sunday morning and arrived in time for the Nationals' series finale against the Chicago Cubs.
Darren was not in the starting lineup Sunday, but did get a pinch-hit single in his first MLB at-bat. In fact, Darren singled on the very first pitch he saw, driving a slider off Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts up the middle en route to a 14-1 Nationals defeat.
Darren Baker #10 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with first base coach Gerardo Parra
Washington Nationals' Darren Baker get his first major league hit during the ninth inning
Giants manager Dusty Baker responds to questions while holding his son Darren in 2000
Dusty was on hand in Washington, where the World Series-winning manager exchanged a high five with his wife, Melissa.
Darren, Washington's 10th-round pick in 2021, hit .285 with 49 RBIs and 38 stolen bases at Rochester, could play some outfield in addition during his time in Washington.
'He was brought up a baseball player,' Washington manager Dave Martinez said. 'He understands the game and knows how to play the game. He steals bases when you need him to. He puts the ball in play to get guys over and knocks in some big runs. All that stuff. 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 bat boy, he prematurely left the dugout to retrieve the bat of Giants outfielder Kenny Lofton in the seventh inning.
What Darren didn't realize was that Giants first baseman JT Snow was barreling down at home plate.
Thankfully for Darren and his father Dusty, who was managing the Giants at the time, the quick-thinking Snow scooped up the unsuspecting bat boy and returned him to the dugout.
J.T. Snow grabs a hold of Dusty Baker's 3-year old son Darren during Game 5 of the 2002 WS
Bat boy Darren Baker sits in the dugout in Game 6 after playing a starring role in Game 5
Had it not been for Snow, Darren could have been trampled by Giants infielder David Bell, who also scored on the play. Bell is now the manager for the Cincinnati Reds, another position previously held by Baker.
'That's something he doesn't even remember,' Dusty Baker said. 'He's reminded of it constantly, but he doesn't remember. That's quite a story. At the time, it seemed kind of funny or embarrassing or whatever, but in the full circle of life, maybe it was 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 around the Nationals. The younger Baker said Sunday he felt comfortable in the clubhouse, particularly Washington's since he knew exactly how to get there.
Manager Dusty Baker of the Chicago Cubs and his son Darren wait for a television interview (left). A 3-year-old Darren (right) picks up some gear while working as a bat boy in 2002
Barry Bonds of the Giants Giants talks with Darren Baker, son of manager Dusty Baker in 2003
That's just one facet of an already-rich baseball life Baker will build on as he begins his major league career.
'I've had a lot of different experiences and people I've crossed paths with to get to this point, and I'm still just getting started,' Baker said. 'We'll see where it goes, but I'm grateful for it.'
Darren Baker was nearly drafted out of high school, but opted to instead join the Cal Bears, batting .327 over 55 games this season. He started 123 consecutive games for the school.
'Darren's one of those players every coach or manager wants on his 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 achieved, and I think he's still a long way from being the player he could become. He would never ask for anything because he's Dusty Baker's son.'