Remember that Giants bat boy who had to be scooped up for gathering the Giants’ bats too early in the 2002 World Series? Soon he’ll be playing in the majors.
Darren Baker, son of Astros manager Dusty Baker and famed bat boy, was drafted by the Nationals in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft Monday. Baker was the No. 293 pick.
The second baseman, who played for the University of California, Berkeley, served as San Francisco’s bat boy 19 years ago. As a three-year-old, he cemented himself in baseball history when he went to retrieve a bat in the midst of a run-scoring play during the seventh inning.
First baseman J.T. Snow picked up the young Baker as he approached home base to prevent a collision.
“That play is always the first thing I get asked about,” Darren told The Athletic in 2019. “We could have won an important game, maybe I did something to help the team win, and it’s always the first thing I get asked about.”
While San Francisco defeated the then-Anaheim Angels 16-4 in that Game 5 win, the Giants fell in Games 6 and 7.
Baker was initially projected as high as a fifth-round pick after his best season at Berkeley and an All-Pac-12 First Team selection where he compiled a .327 average and 28 stolen bases in 55 games. He graduated with 123 consecutive starts for the Bears.
Dusty Baker managed the Nationals between 2016-17, bringing them to back-to-back Game 5 exits in the National League Divisional Series. He joined the Astros in 2020.