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Baker makes managerial debut for Reds

Mar 31, 2008 - 4:23 PM Arizona (0-0) at Cincinnati (0-0) 2:10 pm EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Dusty Baker makes his managerial debut for the Cincinnati Reds on Monday when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in their season opener.

Baker returns to the dugout after not managing last season. In 2006, he was fired after four seasons as manager of the Chicago Cubs.

In 2003, he got the Cubs within one game of their first World Series appearance since 1945, but Chicago blew a three games to lead to the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins in the NLCS.

With the Reds, he replaces interim manager Peter Mackanin, who took over in Cincinnati after Jerry Narron was fired last year.

The Reds finished fifth in the NL Central last season with a 72-90 record - 13 games behind the division-winning Cubs. Cincinnati has endured seven straight losing seasons.

Durable Aaron Harang, who has worked more than 200 innings in each of the last three seasons, gets the Opening Day assignment for the Reds. Harang pitched 231 2/3 innings last season, the second-best mark in the NL.

Opposing Harang will be 2006 Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb, the only pitcher to throw more innings in the NL last year.

Webb tossed 236 1/3 innings last season for the West Division-winning Diamondbacks, who were swept by the Colorado Rockies in the NLCS.

Despite winning the division, the Diamondbacks scored only 712 runs - the fifth-fewest total in the major leagues.

Last season, Eric Byrnes became the 11th player to record 20 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same campaign while Chris Young became the first rookie in history to hit 30 homers and steal 25 bases.

While Cincinnati's offense has finished in the top half of the majors in runs scored in two of the last three seasons, its team ERA has ranked no higher than 27th in four of the last five campaigns.

The Reds hope the addition of free agent closer Francisco Cordero can help make them more competitive.

Cordero, who signed a four-year, $49 million contract to leave the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, is coming off a 44-save campaign and will be counted on heavily to improve a bullpen that blew 28 saves in 2007.