Dusty Baker Suffered a Stroke On Friday

Chris Speier has been handed the keys to the New Red Machine as manager Dusty Baker recuperates from a mini-stroke on Friday as he was about to be discharged from Northwestern Memorial Hospital from atrial fibrillation..

"While at Wrigley Field, I was blessed to have our trainer, Paul Lessard," Baker said through a statement released by the Reds today.  "He had the good sense to call in Cubs' team physician, Dr. Stephen Adams, who examined me in the clubhouse, immediately determined how serious it was and personally rushed me to Northwest Memorial Hospital."

His neurologist, Dr. Joseph Broderick, cardiologists, Dr. Dean Kereiakes and Dr. Daniel Beyerbach expect Baker to make a full recovery and return to the dugout, possibly as soon as the season's final series in St. Louis.

Acting manager, Chris Speier will continue the on field management of the Reds until Baker returns.

"He addressed the team and looked great.  He lost a lot of water weight," Speier said.  "It was great to see him.  We are all anxious to get him back in charge."

Bronson Arroyo echoed that Baker lost weight.

"He looked like he was in good spirits.  It looked like he'd been on a diet and been to Jenny Craig for the last two months," Arroyo said.  "It's obviously a situation had it occurred on a plane it would have been a lot worse. We are going to have him back which is nice to know.  It would have been a little strange going into playoff time without the skipper you've had for the last five years."

Milwaukee Brewers' manager Ron Roenicke spoke to Baker 10 minutes before his daily media conference.

"I left him a text a couple days ago, telling him I'd see him in a couple days," Roenicke said.  "He called me a little bit ago.  He sounded good.  He was a mentor of mine.  When I came to the big leagues (with the Los Angeles Dodgers) he and Rick Monday and Terry Forrester really broke me in the right way."

Managing a major league team is a stressful job.

"It can be," Roenicke said.  "It's a stressful job.  It is but he's been doing it a long time and he has the right temperament for it.  It's probably not as stressful to him as it is to some other people.  It is hard on these guys.  They like back. And when you're without him it's different.   But hopefully he'll get back and be fine and take these guys into the playoffs."