There was a moment Tuesday night that reminded everyone how much Alex Bregman still respects the man who managed him through some of the most intense years of his career. The Cubs had just blown the doors off the Cardinals, 10-2, and Bregman was sitting in the TNT Sports booth alongside a familiar face. That would be Dusty Baker, one of the four voices in the studio. And when Lauren Shehadi asked Bregman about Baker, he didn’t just answer. He went all in.
“He gave me so much advice. Honestly, playing for him was incredible. Hall of Fame manager. Can’t say enough good things about him,” Bregman said. “He’s given me a lot of good advice. But when he was our manager, just staying the course every single day. Steady heartbeat. Hard work. And love for the game of baseball.”
Bregman also mentioned how Baker used to push him to use the whole field, a lesson that clearly stuck. The interaction felt genuine, the kind of respect that doesn’t fade after a player leaves a team.
Why this moment matters more than you think
Baker took over the Astros in 2020, right when the team was dealing with the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal. He didn’t just steady the ship. He kept them competitive, and in 2023, Houston won the World Series again. That title quieted a lot of the noise around their 2017 championship, and Baker was a big part of that.
Now Baker is up for Hall of Fame consideration. If he gets in, he’ll be the first Black manager inducted into Cooperstown. That’s a big deal, and conversations around his candidacy have been building.
Bregman left the Astros after the 2024 season, signing with the Red Sox for 2025 and then opting out for a bigger contract with the Cubs. But the way he talks about Baker makes it clear that his time in Houston left a mark beyond wins and losses.
On the season, Bregman has 11 home runs and 46 RBIs with a .713 OPS. He’s still one of the better defenders at third base. But games like Tuesday, where he went 3-for-5 in a blowout, show he’s still got plenty of pop in his bat.
The whole exchange on TNT was quick, maybe thirty seconds. But for anyone paying attention, it was another reminder that Baker’s impact on players isn’t just a talking point. It’s real.
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