On November 6, 2022, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker became the third African American manager to win a World Series title.

He joined former Toronto Blue Jays skipper Cito Gaston who did it back-to-back years (1992 & 93), and current Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts who accomplished the feat in 2020.

Baker also made team history by being the first African American manager to win a title for the Astros.

Houston owner Jim Crane made all that possible by going against the norm and hiring Baker after firing former manager A.J. Hinch, who was suspended for a year for his involvement in the 2017 cheating scandal. At the time, Roberts was the only black manager in the majors.

On Thursday, Crane turned heads again when he hired former Atlanta Braves Vice President of Scouting Dana Brown as the Astros' new general manager, making him the only African American in the MLB to hold that title.

With the hire, Baker and Brown became only the second Black general manager-manager combination in baseball history. Former Chicago White Sox GM Ken Williams and manager Jerry Manuel were the first to do it from 2000-03.

"It is pretty special," said Brown during his introductory press conference about being the only black GM in the majors. "I have had a few opportunities to interview for GM jobs, and I remember Rob Manfred (MLB Commissioner) told me to 'Stay positive.' There are a lot of qualified African Americans in the game that knows baseball and be a big part of an organization. They can lead an organization and baseball operations."

"So, at the end of the day, I think it's good for our sport to have diversity, and I am really excited for this opportunity. I am especially grateful that Jim Crane took an opportunity and said, 'Hey, I like this guy. I like what he is all about, and he is rolling with me.'"

Even though the MLB lacks diversity regarding African Americans getting opportunities for front-office positions, this hire was not meant to make any statement except that Brown has the résumé needed to help lead the Astros back to the World Series.

He was an intricate part of putting together the talent needed for the Atlanta Braves to defeat the Astros in six games in the 2021 World Series. He helped the Toronto Blue Jays return to the postseason in 2015 after a 22-year drought.

Since being hired, Brown has talked to Baker, someone he knew before becoming GM, and he likes the fact that Baker doesn't mince words when it comes to baseball.

"Dusty is old school," Brown said about Baker. "He cuts it straight, and I like it. So that means I can cut it straight with him, and he can cut it with me, and we can get right down to the nitty-gritty. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Dusty and his whole career and everything he has done."