When Aroldis Chapman took the $30 million dollar offer from the Cincinnati Reds during the 2009 offseason, I couldn't help but think "Dusty Baker manages the Reds...he's going to ruin that kid."
While that may seem a bit harsh to a casual baseball fan, let's weigh the evidence against Mr. Baker for a moment.
In 2003 Baker took over as manager of the Chicago Cubs after a successful run as manager of the San Francisco Giants, which saw him lead the Giants to a World Series in 2002.
At the time, the Cubs had two of the most promising young pitchers in baseball in Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Both were considered potential aces, both threw gas, and both were strikeout pitchers.
Baker rode them hard for the entire season, sometimes allowing them to throw 120-125 pitches pe ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - MLB
Article written by Cody Nielsen
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