Dusty's new paper is officially for 2 years.
Baker, Reds agree on two-year extensionhttp://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... b&c_id=mlbCINCINNATI -- On the heels of their National League Central title and just before starting the playoffs, Reds manager Dusty Baker received a two-year contract extension on Monday.
Terms of the deal, which will keep Baker in Cincinnati through the 2012 season, were not immediately known. An offer was initially tendered in August and the two sides have been close for several weeks.
General manager Walt Jocketty said during a news conference that all of the Reds' coaches also received extensions.
"I think we got here sooner than a lot of people thought, getting to the playoffs, a lot of it is due in part to Dusty's leadership," Jocketty said. "I think it's a great situation for this organization to be in the postseason after a long absence. .... We want Dusty to lead our troops in that battle through the years and in this postseason."
Baker, 61, was hired in 2008 with a three-year contract believed to be worth $10.5 million. Cincinnati was 74-88 in his first season and 78-84 in 2009.
The Reds, Baker and Jocketty put it all together this season as they went 91-71. It gave the club the NL Central, its first playoff berth since 1995 and its most wins since Jack McKeon notched 96 wins in 1999.
Many believe that Baker and Padres skipper Bud Black are the two top contenders for NL Manager of the Year.
"I'm happy, my family's happy, my coaches are happy," Baker said. "To me this is just the first step in a long line of wins and a long line of excellent years."
While the players were responsible for the on-field success, Baker deserves credit for creating the environment for that success. He lived up to his reputation of being one of the best at managing personalities and relating to his players.
At the same time, Baker dispelled a long-held belief that he prefers older veterans over young players. He showed patience with the less-experienced players and they rewarded him with important production.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of Baker's even hand was right fielder Jay Bruce, who endured a miserable month of July amid calls he should be sent down. Bruce came on strong the final two months and it was his ninth-inning, walk-off home run last Tuesday against the Astros that clinched the division for the Reds.
Baker stuck with struggling center fielder Drew Stubbs, who was prone to deep slumps before finding a groove. Stubbs finished his first full season with 20 home runs and 30 steals.
Setup reliever Nick Masset had an ERA near 11.00 in May but got a vote of confidence during a private meeting with the manager. Masset returned to form and helped make the bullpen one of the big strengths of the Reds down the stretch.
The Reds started the season with a 7-11 record but started to gain traction following an April 24 team meeting held by Baker. They endured other gut-check moments -- after being swept in four games by the Phillies rolling into the All-Star break, the Reds went unbeaten over the next seven series.
Following an embarrassing three-game sweep at home by the Cardinals on Aug. 9-11, the Reds won seven in a row and finished the month 19-8 to all but lock up the division and put away fading St. Louis.
Baker is the sixth manager to take three different teams to a division championship after he also did it with the Giants in 1997 and 2000 and the Cubs in 2003. He is 25th on the all-time list with 1,405 career victories as a manager.
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