The Dustypocalypse

Now that everyone in DC is done freaking out, eight thoughts on the reality of Dusty Baker as manager

1. Yes, he blew out Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. By the time he got to the Reds, he'd visibly changed his usage patterns on starters, and the young Johnny Cueto seems to have survived Dusty just fine.
2. The comment about walks clogging the bases was idiotic. It was also a long time ago. Maybe he's learned something. 
3. Dusty is very, very good at handling transcendent talent. He managed Bonds, he managed Sosa, he managed Griffey and Votto. One suspects he will do better with Bryce Harper than Matt Williams did. Then again, Skeleton would probably do better with Bryce Harper than Matt Williams did.
4. Having Mike Maddux as your pitching coach is a great way to make yourself look smarter as a manager.
5. Having Trea Turner in your infield instead of shambling zombie Ian Desmond is also a great way to look smarter as a manager.
6. Dusty is very much a veterans' manager. For all the yammering about the Nationals' youth, they're actually a veteran team. It's not a coincidence that the incident everyone points to when they talk about Williams losing the team was when he lost clubhouse elder statesman (and senior beard-bro) Jayson Werth. It's a given Baker will have a better rapport with players like that, which at the very least means less drama. 
7. Really, is there anything left to do to Stephen Strasburg that hasn't been done already?
8. It could be worse. They could have hired Ryne Sandberg.