"I've lived in various cultures," the Astros manager said. "I was in a predominately Black and Mexican situation as a kid. I was the only Black dude in high school with my brother, then I went to the South during the tumultuous '60s, and then I played in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Mexico."
Those experiences made Baker say one of the easiest parts of his job is managing the different cultures on the roster.
There are 26 men on the Astros ALCS roster, and 11 of them were born in the United States. The team's two catchers, Martin Maldonado and Christian Vazquez, are from Puerto Rico.
There are six Dominican players, including pitcher Framber Valdez, and three Cuban players, such as slugger Yordan Alvarez. Pitcher Jose Urquidy is from Mexico, and utility player Mauricio Dubon is only the second player in Major League Baseball history to hail from Honduras.
Baker's key to making these players come together as a team is quite simple.
"Taking people at face value, and accepting them for who they are," Baker said.
More Astros 2022 postseason stories:
- Astros pitchers Framber Valdez and Luis Garcia rock hair extensions for MLB postseason hairdos
- Astros' star Yordan Alvarez family sees him play in postseason for the first time
- Rally nuns return to Minute Maid Park to cheer on Houston Astros
- Astros-Yankees predictions: Who will rule the ALCS?
- Houston restaurant's potty humor comes at Yankees' expense
- Bronx Bombers vs. Bayou City: Looking at the Astros-Yankees rivalry
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