He manages October with a sense of calculated urgency. He seizes opportunity. Sources familiar with the Giants organization say Baker enjoys his well-insulated position in San Francisco. He is a popular figure, as well he should be. The Bay Area media, as expertly observed by esteemed Chronicle writer Bruce Jenkins, are not given to intense criticism.
Every move is questioned, sometimes for baseless reasons.
In October, there are no free passes. Then Baker works under the microscope of the national media. One of the many beauties of baseball is that it opens so many paths of strategy. If we grant papal infallibility to a manager strictly on the basis of his uniform we cut off those paths of interest that connect fans to the game. Tommy Lasorda pitching to Jack Clark with first base open in 1985.