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WASHINGTON -- Just before noon Tuesday, Dusty Baker strolled out of the Nationals Park home dugout and made his rounds during his clubs first workout ahead of its NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.He started in the outfield, chatting with Ryan Zimmerman while the first baseman stretched. Baker ambled toward the infield and spoke to first-base coach Davey Lopes. Then the skipper set up shop behind the batting cage during BP, keeping an eye on his hitters while talking to GM Mike Rizzo.After sitting out two major league seasons, Baker is back in baseball. Hes also back in the postseason, leading the Nationals to the NL East title in his first year.When I was sitting home, I was like, `I should be there, because Im pretty used to going to the playoffs, Baker said, resting his cheek on his right hand during a news conference about 75 hours before Washington hosts Game 1 on Friday.This is his eighth trip to the postseason in 21 years as a manager. Each of his four clubs -- the Giants, Cubs, Reds and Nationals -- improved its win total in his debut season, including a 12-victory jump in 2016.Baker was asked Tuesday whether he worried he might not get another shot at managing after the Reds fired him, despite three playoff trips in his last four years.I was more bewildered than I was worried, and I wondered if I was on the `blacklist or not, Baker said. Sometimes theres an unwritten list that sometimes your name is at the top of, being one of the `unwanted, for whatever reason. Because I was sitting at home, watching guys that hadnt done what I had done.He continued, That doesnt happen very often: A guy goes to the playoffs, and all of a sudden he cant get a job. Or he cant even get a call back. But thats OK. I found out who my friends were.Baker didnt just sit around the house.His daughter got married in his back yard. He spent time with his son. He traveled. He worked on business ventures.But Baker acknowledged he was down for about three days.My dad used to tell me, `Its OK to be down. Just dont stay down. And I was like, `Man, is that what depression is? Ive never had depression. All I know is, I didnt like that feeling, Baker recounted.Always quick with a quip or a good story, Baker draws high praise for his ability to communicate with players.His decades of experience as a player and a manager also drew immediate respect in the clubhouse.He could have very easily gone into politics, Lopes, Bakers teammate for six seasons with the Dodgers, said with a chuckle. He figures out what makes each player tick.Zimmerman figures a managers most important task is to handle personalities.You have so many coaches and all the scouting and analytics, so the baseball part is taken care of. The best managers are people that keep everyone together, when things are going bad or good, Zimmerman said. The biggest thing I like about Dusty is that hes honest with you, whether its good or bad. Im the kind of guy who -- I wasnt when I was younger, but now that Im a little bit older -- Id rather just someone tell me, because Im a big boy. And Dusty does that great. ... He doesnt ever really hold anything in.Bakers 1,766 wins rank 17th in history among MLB managers, ahead of Tommy Lasorda, Earl Weaver, Whitey Herzog and other Hall of Famers.He said that as he began climbing the all-time list, he started thinking about the possibility of making it to Cooperstown: Yeah, Id like to be the first African-American in the Hall of Fame (as a) manager.First things first, though.Right now, Johnnie B. Dusty Baker has more tales to tell and more games to win.Game notesRizzo confirmed that RHP Stephen Strasburg would not be available for the NLDS but could return if Washington advances. ... Baker officially announced RHP Max Scherzer would start Game 1 against LHP Clayton Kershaw. ... Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy, who hasnt started since Sept. 17 because of a strained glute muscle, participated in the workout, taking BP and infield practice, and did extra running afterward. Baker wouldnt commit to having Murphy in the lineup Friday, saying a true evaluation would come no sooner than after Wednesdays workout. ... OF Michael A. Taylor had his left thumb heavily taped -- he jammed it on a steal of second base last week -- and is not well, Baker said.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrichAir Max 90 Uomo Saldi . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Air Max 97 Uomo Scontate . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. http://www.outletscarpesaldi.it/balenciaga-prezzo-basso.html . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Air Max 95 Saldi . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Air Max 95 Italia . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite.LOS ANGELES -- Sylvia Fowles had 21 points and nine rebounds, Maya Moore scored 12 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 77-74 on Tuesday night for sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.Fowles and Moore combined to score Minnesotas first 18 points of the fourth.Moore hit a 3-pointer in transition to extend Minnesotas lead to 61-54. She knocked down another 3 with the shot clock winding down and after a Los Angeles miss, Moore made a fast-break layup for a 68-58 lead with 3:53 left.Minnesota was up by 12 with 1:47 left but Los Angeles charged back and Chelsea Gray hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 2.1 seconds left to pull the Sparks to 76-74. With a second left, Lindsay Whalen made tthe first free throw and intentionally missed the second to run out the clock.ddddddddddddWhalen finished with 10 points and Rebekkah Brunson had 11 rebounds for Minnesota (25-5), the top-ranked team in the AP power poll. The Lynx earned a double bye to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs.Gray scored a career-high 20 points and Nneka Ogwumike had 19 points and eight rebounds for second-ranked Los Angeles (24-6). Candace Parker added 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.The Sparks didnt make their first basket of the third quarter until the 3:21 mark but only trailed 54-50 entering the fourth after closing on a 10-4 run. ' ' '