Washington Nationals: top 5 Dusty Baker quotes from May 2017
We countdown the top five quotes said by Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker during the month of May
Last month, we began a monthly series where I would rank the top five quotes said by Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker each month of the season. Hopefully, this will lead towards us picking at the end of the year what was the best quote for the entire season.
When you go back to April, the best Baker quote of the month was when he compared Bryce Harper to a bass fish and who doesn’t like when the manager make those comparisons?
As we look at the May quotes, one thing to keep in mind is that Baker managed three fewer this games this past month and for good reason. He missed the Padres series due to his son graduating high school and we congratulate Darren and the Baker family on that accomplishment.
During the month of May, the Nats went 16-11 and ended the month winning seven of their last nine games. Of course, this past month had its fair share of events for the Nats whether its Harper fighting with Hunter Strickland, Harper’s new deal, or Matt Wieters hitting a walk-off against his former team.
Remember, we want to hear from you. If we missed your favorite Baker quote from this month or want to name your favorite, please share with us in the comments section. Plus, as always, we thank the beat writers who do an excellent job gathering these quotes every day.
So, without further ado, let’s start the countdown:
Strategy Against A Knuckleball
Dusty, did you have a certain strategy against a knuckleballer? "Yeah, hope he throws me a fastball."
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 19, 2017
Since Baker was a former player, it’s always good to see him talk about the strategy that he gives his players today. On May 19, the Nats were at SunTrust Park to take on the Atlanta Braves and R.A. Dickey, who is one of the few knuckleball pitchers in the game today.
The irony of that night against Dickey was that all four runs scored against him last night by the offense were scored against the famous knuckleball. Trea Turner had a RBI single and Bryce Harper had a two-run double in the third. Two innings later, Daniel Murphy hit a two-run home run.
In two games against the Nats this season, Dickey doesn’t have a win and he’s given up seven runs in 12.1 innings, including a pair of home runs.
Over the course of his career, Baker had success against knuckleballers. Against Phil Niekro, he only hit .194, but nine of his 19 hits against him were for extra-bases, including six home runs. Also, he had two home runs and eight RBI’s in 72 at-bats against Joe Niekro (courtesy of Baseball Reference).
One of the benefits of having a former player as a manager is the ability for players to pick their brain and learn from the manager’s past experiences. By being able that, it allows the player to better adjust to that situation. It’s safe to say Baker has many stories about strategy to tell to his players now.
Harper Not A Punching Bag
Dusty: "What's a man supposed to do? He's not a punching bag."
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) May 29, 2017
Of course, this quote came after the Memorial Day brawl between Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland. There were many memorable quotes from the Nats after this 3-0 win, but this one stood out because it reflects what many fans might’ve thought during the fight.
It’s safe to say I agreed with Baker’s stance on this. If Harper doesn’t go out and charge the mound, then it’s possible Strickland doesn’t even get suspended for hitting him on purpose after Harper hit two home runs against him in the NLDS back in 2014.
Looking at this situation, it was good to see Baker be candid about the situation and I’m sure he understood why Harper did what he did. But, the helmet throw from Harper was probably unnecessary.
As everyone knows by now, Baker is always going to stick up for his player. It’s no surprise he stuck up for Harper, which is what most of baseball did when realizing the situation.
On a secondary note, it was good to see the Nats not retaliate in the rest of the series. They probably realized that Strickland was being a rogue reliever by carrying the grudge for three years. Plus, you can say the Nats got the ultimate revenge by sweeping the Giants and giving up a total of four runs in the three game series.
Scherzer Super Contact
Dusty pregame on why Scherzer's so good: "Mainly because he either avoids good contact or they make super contact."
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 10, 2017
One of the best pitchers in the National League during the month of May was Max Scherzer. This quote by Baker came after a May 9 game against the Baltimore Orioles. Yes, the Nats lost that game in 12 innings that night, but Scherzer’s dominance was the main story.
In that night’s ballgame, Scherzer was dominant, but got a no-decision thanks to the bullpen. He went eight innings, gave up two runs (both solo home runs) on four hits, struck out 11, and walked two on 113 pitches (78 strikes).
When Scherzer is at his best, any contact made against him by the opposition has to feel like super contact. For the entire month of May, Scherzer gave up 27 hits and six of those hits were home runs in six starts.
His final start of the month was a good example of any contact feeling super. Against the Giants on Wednesday, he threw a complete game on 100 pitches and many of the Giants hitters were swinging early in the count.
For a pitcher, Scherzer makes good contact as well at the plate. In 14 at-bats this past month, he had three hits and a RBI. True, he doesn’t have a home run this year like Stephen Strasburg does, but that’s still some good numbers.
When Scherzer is dominant, it’s tough for any team to mount a big rally against him. Those are the nights you just sit back, relax, and hope for history to happen as a fan.
Zimmerman A Bad Cat
Dusty on what it means for Zimmerman winning Player of the Month: "That means you the baddest cat in your league for the month."
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 3, 2017
For the second month in a row, an animal comparison appears on the top quotes of the month. It’s not as direct as Harper to a bass, but Zimmerman was definitely a bad cat and one of the best players in the month of April.
That production did not slow down in the month of May. In 26 games, Zimmerman hit .319 with four home runs and 15 RBI’s. Also, he led the team in doubles with nine and in hits with 30.
It had to be surprising to everyone in baseball that the April player of the month in the National League was Zimmerman. While he won’t win the award this month, his numbers were still consistent.
Two months into the season, Zimmerman has put himself into the MVP conversation and no one could’ve expected that. He is hitting the ball in the air more often and it is leading to great results.
Teams can pitch around Harper, but that means more run scoring opportunities for Zimmerman. It’s bad for opposing pitchers when they have to go up against the middle of the Washington Nationals lineup.
Baker is sure hoping that the bad cat known as Ryan Zimmerman is here to stay for the entire season. If he is, that can only mean great things for the Nats.
Strasburg A Bad Sweater
Dusty said Strasburg's left calf was cramping. "He's the worst sweater I've ever seen."
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 6, 2017
When I was talking about the choices for the top five with the staff, this quote was the consensus top pick for May. This quote came after a May 5 start by Stephen Strasburg against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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On the same night where he hit a home run at Citizens Bank Park, Strasburg battled throughout his outing. He went 5.2 innings, gave up five hits, struck out five, and walked four on a season high 119 pitches (73 strikes).
The sixth inning is where you can tell Strasburg was dealing with cramps and was struggling to complete the inning. He ended up throwing 29 pitches that inning (19 of them for strikes) and didn’t finish the inning.
It was odd to see Baker stretch Strasburg out that far considering how early it was in the season, but it spoke to how bad the bullpen had been at that point in time.
At the same time, it’s good to see Baker making light of a situation that didn’t end up being too serious in the end.
Well, that’s our top five for this month. We will be back next month to unveil our top Baker quotes for the month of June as the best ones will be in the running for best quotes of the year.