Dusty Baker Not Scared of Dying

The musical group Blood, Sweat and Tears sang it, "I'm not scared of dying. And I don't really care.  If it's peace you find in dying, well then let the time be near."

Late last season Dusty Baker's health took a downturn.

Baker was hospitalized in Chicago with an irregular heart beat.  As he was about to be discharged he suffered a mini-stroke.

"It didn't scare me because it happened in the hospital," Baker said.  "It would have scared me if I left the hospital and it happened 10 minutes later. I'm not scared of too much."

The job as baseball manager was not Baker's main concern.

"I've always appreciated my job," Baker said.  "It made me appreciate life itself, the family, just things. The job I wanted to win.  We always put the job way at the top.  It lets you know the job isn't as important as you thought it was when it comes to your family and health."

Baker turned the team over to bench coach Chris Speier.  The Reds' leader and manager was in the hospital when Homer Bailey pitched the no-hitter and the Reds' clinching game for the NL Central Division title.

"It was hard to be in bed then," Baker said.  "It was hard to have my son (Darren 14) see me in bed.  My son had never seen me sick at all.  I was sick I had cancer but he was three years old.  I never saw my dad sick.  Only at the end.  My dad never missed a day of work.  I didn't think my dad got sick. I thought the flu skipped over our house."

Baker was given a contract extension and the team waited for Baker's return to hold a victory celebration.

"I appreciate Mr. Castellini giving me an extension when he didn't have to," Baker said.  "I appreciate my team. I appreciated how they reacted and responded."

Baker admitted that he wasn't feeling well when he returned to the Reds' dugout.

"I didn't really know how to feel.  All I know is I wasn't myself but I was better than most," Baker said.

Baker returned home after the playoff loss to the San Francisco Giants for a long winter of tests for his health.

"I always took care of myself but now you're really aware of what you eat, how you sleep and stuff like that," Baker said.  "I lost weight by being sick but once you do lose weight by being sick, it's up to you to keep it off."

Baker works out every day.  He is consciously eating less and getting plenty of rest.

"I'm really not scared of dying," Baker said.  "I am scared of leaving my son and my wife."

"And when I die and when I'm gone.  There'll be on child born in this world to carry on," Blood Sweat and Tears.

Professionally edited by ML Schirmer
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