Former MLB Manager Offers Support For Albert Pujols
· Yahoo Sports
One of the greatest players in St. Louis Cardinals history is currently having his first audition as a manager.
Future National Baseball Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, who won two World Series with the Cardinals and retired in 2023, is currently serving as the skipper for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
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The Dominican Republic beat Korea 10-0 in the quarterfinal round of the WBC on Friday and will play Team USA in the semifinal round of the international tournament at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday at loanDepot Park in Miami.
It's been reported and rumored for months that Pujols is looking to eventually become a major league manager and he was rumored to receive some interest from various teams this offseason.
It's starting to seem like a matter of "when" rather than "if" the multi-time All-Star will get a shot at being a big league skipper. And at least one former manager with a notable resume is a believer in Pujols' abilities.
In a story written by Cody Stavenhagen for the Athletic, former San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker offered a sign of support for Pujols.
"It shouldn’t be someday. He should be managing right now," Baker said in the story. "There are a lot of guys that are managing that don’t have the experience on the field of Albert Pujols. I didn’t have much (managerial) experience either. I coached for a while, and then I had experience in the fall league. ... There are a lot of guys in the game that don’t have the experience that Albert Pujols has, that don’t have the knowledge that Albert Pujols has or don’t have the respect from the players."
It's been fascinating to watch Albert Pujols as a manager with Team Dominican Republic. He has MLB aspirations. But can a great player also become a great manager?
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) March 13, 2026
"It shouldn’t be someday," Dusty Baker said. "He should be managing right now."https://t.co/Svf0RrB7du
Baker managed Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic and was a major league manager for three decades from 1993-2023 and got a chance to see Pujols as both a player and, now, as a skipper.
Baker was a three-time National League Manager of the Year in '93, '97 and '00. All three of his Manager of the Year awards came with San Francisco.
Baker also won a World Series overseeing the Astros in '22.
Baker also made the successful transition from player-to-manager, like Pujols is attempting. Baker played in the major leagues from 1968-1986 with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Giants and then-Oakland Athletics. He was a two-time All-Star ('81-82) and won a World Series one time as a player with the Dodgers ('81).
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