According to the numbers, beloved former Dodger and current Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker is a very good manager. In fact, over his 21-year managerial career he is 1,766 – 1,571 (.529). But during his 21 years of managing the Giants (10), Reds (6), Cubs (4) and Nationals (1), he has won exactly one more National League pennant than has first-year Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. That’s it. One.

Although Nationals manager Dusty Baker has a history of making poor managerial decisions in extremely crucial situations, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that some of the decisions he made during the final road trip of the season weren’t among his best. (Photos courtesy of Fox Sports and USA Today)

No one – especially Dusty Baker himself – will ever forget Game-6 of the 2002 World Series when the then 53-year-old Riverside, California native handed Giants right-hander Russ Ortiz the game ball when he pulled him with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Giants holding a commanding 5-0 lead over the Anaheim Angels. The Giants were eight outs away from winning their first-ever World Series title since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

With one out, Troy Glaus and Brad Fullmer both singled. In spite of Ortiz’s overwhelming performance to that point, Baker elected to go to his bullpen and brought in veteran right-hander Felix Rodriguez, also a former Dodger. In perhaps one of the greatest at-bats in World Series history, Scott Spiezio fouled off several very good pitches before launching a three-run home run into the right field corner.

The next inning, Darin Erstad homered off Giants right-hander Tim Worrell and just like that the lead was down to one run. Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson then singled, forcing Baker to bring in his closer, right-hander Robb Nen. Glaus greeted Nen with an RBI double to give the Angels a 6-5 lead heading into the top of the ninth. As he had done many times throughout his brilliant career, Angels closer Troy Percival retired the Giants in order in the ninth (with two strikeouts) to give the Angels the epic come-from-behind and extremely improbable win, thus tying the series at three games apiece. The Angels, of course, went on to win Game-7 to give them their one and only World Series title. Never before had a team blown such a big lead in a potential World Series-clinching game. It also led to Baker being fired as the Giants manager shortly thereafter.

Dave Roberts just completed his first season as the Dodgers manager with a record of 91-71 (.562) – the third best record in the National League behind Joe Maddon’s Cubs (103-58) and Baker’s Nationals (95-67). The Dodgers finished the regular season with a team batting average of .249 (11th best) and the Nationals .256 (eighth best). Dodgers starting pitchers finished with a 59-49 record (4th best) and an ERA of 3.95 (sixth best) compared to the Nationals record of 72-44 and 3.60 ERA – second best in the league in both categories. However, the Dodgers bullpen posted an NL-best 32-22 record and an NL-best 3.35 ERA compared to the Nationals 23-23 record (11th best) and 3.37 ERA (second best).

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen finished the regular season with 47 saves – tied with Nationals closer Mark Melancon. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

What all of this means – or at least suggests – is that although Baker’s Nationals have a (very) slight edge over the Dodgers in offense and starting pitching, Roberts and the Dodgers have the edge when it comes to bullpens; and make no mistake about it, this series will boil down to how each manager utilizes their respective bullpens. As history has repeatedly taught us – good pitching trumps good hitting every time.

All of this said, the thing to remember – and it’s a very big thing – is that the Dodgers were without Clayton Kershaw, who is often referred to as the best pitcher on the planet, for eleven weeks; that’s just one week shy of roughly half of the entire regular season. Yet Kershaw still managed to post a 12-4 record and the best ERA in all of baseball among all starting pitchers with at least 149 innings pitched. Like I said, the best pitcher on the planet.

But as Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said before nearly every game at Dodger Stadium: “Those are the numbers. But the important thing is for you to sit back, relax and enjoy the game.”

Play Ball!