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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Andrew Joseph

Dusty Baker was so proud as his son Darren got a hit on the first pitch he saw in his MLB debut

Dusty Baker MLB Darren Baker Nationals

The Nationals won’t look back on Sunday’s game against the Cubs with many fond memories, but a notable exception to that will live on in the Baker household.

Nearly 22 years after a young Darren Baker — the son of then-Giants manager Dusty Baker — was saved from a home-plate collision in the 2002 World Series, the now-25-year-old was back on a big-league diamond to make his own MLB debut.

And really, the moment had to be so cool for Dusty — who was on hand to watch his son.

Darren made his first MLB appearance as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. With the Nationals already down 13 runs, Darren went up there with the mindset to get his pitch and swing. And, well, he didn’t have to wait long at all for that first MLB hit.

On the very first pitch he saw of his MLB career, Darren hit a hard grounder up the middle for a base hit.

In a lopsided game, there wasn’t much to smile about for the Nationals. But that certainly changed with Dusty’s reaction in the stands. That was one proud father.

Fans also loved that moment for the Baker family.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

More MLB

ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball ump cam gave fans the coolest shot of Bryce Harper's line drive

The Mariners turned the weirdest double play after the Angels horribly botched the bunt on a squeeze play

Darren Baker, son of Dusty, called up to majors 22 years after his World Series bat boy moment

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