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Bat boy to prospect: Dusty Baker's son signs with respected college baseball program

Mark Townsend
Yahoo Sports Contributor
J.T. Snow drags a then 3-year-old Darren Baker out of harms way during the 2002 World Series. The son of Dusty Baker will play baseball at the University of California, Berkeley. (AP)
J.T. Snow drags a then 3-year-old Darren Baker out of harms way during the 2002 World Series. The son of Dusty Baker will play baseball at the University of California, Berkeley. (AP)

We’ll never forget the image of J.T. Snow scooping up and saving a then 3-year-old Darren Baker during Game 5 of the 2002 World Series. Now the son of former San Francisco Giants and current Washington National manager Dusty Baker is looking to create a few more iconic images on the field, this time as a Division I baseball player.

On Thursday, Baker signed his National Letter of Intent to play baseball at the University of California in Berkeley with his legendary father by his side and a message that dreams do come true.

Baker is currently a senior at Jesuit High School in Granite Bay. He’s touted as a second base prospect with top flight speed, having posted a 6.63 60-yard dash. According to CSN Bay Area, Baker hit .386/.448/.435 last season with 39 hits, 30 runs scored and 16 successful steals in 19 attempts. He also played solid defense, committing just two errors.

The Golden Bears are coming off a solid season that saw them win 36 games and advance to the College Station Regional Final where they lost two straight to Texas A&M. That he drew interest and ultimately signed with a school like California, which plays in the always competitive PAC 12, confirms that he’s impressed beyond what the numbers show.

Now he’ll have a chance to develop his skills against solid competition at the collegiate level, which will only help him realize the ultimate dream of following in his father’s footsteps in the big leagues. Of course, that’s assuming his stock doesn’t rise enough next season to make him a notable draft prospect.

Whatever the case, Darren Baker is creating a legacy of his own that will go beyond being the young bat boy whose enthusiasm put him in harm’s way. A legacy that will even go beyond being the son of Dusty Baker. He’s worked hard and made his own place in baseball now, and we’re sure his family couldn’t be prouder.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!