From smoking weed with Jimi Hendrix to starring in major leagues, documentary looks back on life of baseball great Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker holds a unique place in baseball lore.

He had a close-up vantage point for the two greatest home run chases in history: the on-deck circle in 1974 with the Atlanta Braves when idol and friend Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth for the then-all-time record with his 715th, and in the dugout in 2001 as the Giants’ manager when Barry Bonds set the season record with 73.

As an All-Star outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baker was part of the first high-five exchange. During his managerial career, he has enjoyed highs (three-time Manager of the Year) and endured lows (the Giants’ 2002 World Series loss to the Anaheim Angels and the Chicago Cubs’ 2003 National League Championship Series loss to the Florida Marlins).

A one-hour documentary about Baker on MLB Network tells those stories and his formative years at Del Campo High School, his association with rock guitar great Jimi Hendrix (Baker said he smoked marijuana with him on the streets of San Francisco in 1968) and his rebirth as the Washington Nationals’ new manager.

“Dusty: A Baseball Journey” includes interviews with childhood friends, relatives, Aaron, former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda and athletes Baker managed. Baker spoke candidly of racism and what he and Aaron faced, especially Aaron when he chased Ruth’s hallowed mark, and how his relationship with his demanding father moulded him.

“It’s been a great ride,” Baker, 66, said in the documentary. “Has it been up and down? Oh, heck yeah, it’s been up and down. But when I look back, I wouldn’t trade anything. I know the best is yet to come.”