Baker signs two-year extension with Giants

SAN FRANCISCO - Somewhere during a fishing trip and a long talk with his father, Dusty Baker decided his heart is still in the right place.

After a tense two-week negotiation during which the San Francisco Giants manager publicly wondered whether he had overstayed his welcome, Baker and the Giants reached agreement Thursday on a two-year contract extension that makes Baker the game's second highest-paid manager.

In agreeing to the deal, Baker said he realized that longevity is a luxury many managers never enjoy. After eight seasons, Baker has it in San Francisco - and now he has the money to show for it as well.

''That's an important part of this, the fact I've been able to stay here,'' Baker said. ''That's a tough thing to do these days. We're all proud of what we've done here.''

Baker spent the week fishing and thinking near his boyhood home in Sacramento. He talked over his future with his father and his wife's mother, both of whom live within a short drive in Northern California, before deciding he was determined to return.

Baker led the Giants to baseball's best record at 97-65 and the NL West title this season. A two-time NL Manager of the Year in San Francisco who's widely respected as a communicator and clubhouse leader, Baker is a frontrunner for the award again this year.

But the Giants were knocked out of the playoffs in a four-game division series with the New York Mets, and Baker said the resulting fan criticism of his moves during the series forced him to think about his decision to return.

Terms weren't disclosed, but a source close to the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Baker will make more than $2 million per year, second only to Joe Torre of the New York Yankees, who makes $3 million. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is scheduled to make $1.9 million next season.

Baker is the Giants' winningest manager since the club moved to San Francisco. He's third in franchise history in games managed and wins, trailing John McGraw and Bill Terry.

''We had no doubt we wanted Dusty back here, and we were able to get it done,'' said general manager Brian Sabean, whose face-to-face meeting Thursday with Baker sealed the deal. It was completed 90 minutes before a hasty news conference Thursday night.

Giants owner Peter Magowan said Baker chose a two-year deal over three- or four-year contract options offered by the team. Asked to explain his choice, Baker noted that this will be his fourth two-year contract, and that Sabean also is working with a two-year deal.

''Maybe I'll be looking at a fifth (two-year) contract before too long,'' Baker said.

The Giants and Baker's agent, Jeff Moorad, set a deadline of Friday for the completion of a deal. If an extension hadn't been agreed upon, Giants owner Peter Magowan would have allowed Baker to speak to other teams.

Arizona, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Toronto all have managerial openings. The Diamondbacks and the Dodgers had indicated Baker would have been a candidate for their openings if he was available.

Since Baker enjoys working with Sabean, has a strong rapport with his talented team and loves living in San Francisco, the only hurdle appeared to be money.

Though Baker's salary doesn't reach the level of Torre's contract, it's a hefty raise from the $750,000 annual salary under his current contract.

Asked how money figured in the deal, Moorad said: ''A good chunk of it fell into place early, and a little bit of it came late.''

''Dusty and I are really pleased with the outcome,'' Moorad said. ''His preference all along was to stay in San Francisco.''

Baker has a 655-577 record in eight seasons with the Giants, though his postseason record is 1-6. His tenure is the fourth-longest in the major leagues behind Tom Kelly of Minnesota (entering his 15th season), Atlanta's Bobby Cox (12) and Montreal's Felipe Alou (10).

San Francisco has won two division titles in the last four seasons under Baker, and nearly every component of last year's team already is under contract for next year.

''It takes a long time to build this sort of team,'' Baker said. ''In my 33 years in baseball, I can name on one hand the teams I've seen like this.''