National grumblings about Baker's future

[J.R.]

There is no way that happens this year. Cubs are averaging 39,000/game, Sox 32,400/game. Most Cubs tickets are already sold, I don't think the Sox could get to the level that the Cubs are at AND make up the difference that we've already seen through the first 1/5 of the season. And I mean: I wouldn't be surprised if it's not even mathematically possible, not to mention the unlikelihood of that happening.

 

Right.

[AllStarMe]

Jones has picked it up lately (a little) but that signing fits the Baker mold perfectly - speedy veteran with good fundamentals, poor plate discipline and a decent glove.

 

Seeing Jones get doubled off on fly balls, picked off bases, and make two-bounce throws to the cutoff man doesn't strike me as fundamentally sound.

[oldstyle81]

I always thought the White Sox were underacheivers for years. Then they got Ozzie.

 

 

Fire Baker. Today.

 

In all fairness, there's a lot that Ozzie gets wrong. He still calls for way too many sac bunts, for example.

 

He does handle his pitching staff pretty well. He lets his starters work themselves out of jams but he does monitor pitch counts. Don Cooper, of course, deserves much praise for his work with Sox pitchers.

 

he might get it wrong but he has a pretty ring on his finger

[oldstyle81]

People who i wouldnt mind seeing manage

 

Spier

Sandberg

Brenley

 

get rid of Matthews, Clines and Rothschild also, the biggest mistake we made this past offseason was not even attempting to get leo mazzone

[JC]

I have been down on Hendry since I can't remember. He put together a highly suspect roster, and has repeatedly seemed clueless when it comes to the long range health of the organization. Pierre's signing, IMO, is the epitome of this management team's ineptitude. Even if Pierre didn't suck so far, it never made sense to me to go after him with Patterson on the roster and Pie in the wings. Financially, personnel wise, and resource wise, it was stupid.

 

That being said, Baker shouldn't be captaining this team to its 4th 6 game losing streak in a year. He obvioulsy can't motivate this team. His reputation for "getting the best" out of his players doesn't ring true with any regularity.

 

Its time for Baker to go. Yesterday, for that matter. He isn't a good manager, motivator or applier of Eastern Philosphy. (See, divulging weaknesses during war time.) Should Hendry go too? Absolutely. But, I've been hollering about that forever, seemingly. Unless MacPhail gets cut loose (which won't happen), he ain't going anywhere. So, start where you can. Jettison Baker, his toothpicks and armbands before Kerry Wood returns for him to further abuse.

 

BTW, does anyone know the terms of Hendry's extension? Sorry if that has previously been posted, but I don't remember seeing it.

[Derwood]

I wouldn't mind seeing te return of Jim Riggleman. He never really had a great team to manage (not that this team qualifies)

[oldstyle81]

 

BTW, does anyone know the terms of Hendry's extension? Sorry if that has previously been posted, but I don't remember seeing it.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060408&content_id=1390030&vkey=pr_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[oldstyle81]

and another thing, why is it that everyone slumps at the exact same time, this has happened every year since 2004.

[JC]

 

BTW, does anyone know the terms of Hendry's extension? Sorry if that has previously been posted, but I don't remember seeing it.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060408&content_id=1390030&vkey=pr_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

Gracias. However, I was more interested to see what he was making for his efforts. For some reason, I think info is usually kept pretty tightly under wraps for GMs.

[BigbadB]

I want to say Theo Epstein's recent contract squabbles with Boston were well documented. But, that's Boston.

[JC]

I want to say Theo Epstein's recent contract squabbles with Boston were well documented. But, that's Boston.

 

Yeah, I figured guys like Epstein, Beane and Cashmen were exceptions to the rule.

[Careless]

For much of the past 3 years, I blamed the Cubs struggles on Baker and bad luck, primarily.

 

I was well aware of short comings on the roster, and risky gambles with signings/trades.

 

But when last offseason began progressing, I knew where the problem lay. It's Jim Hendry. The guy changes his "philosophy" every offseason. One year, he wants athletes. The next, it's lefty power. The next year, it's "team" guys. Last offseason, it was "guys who can catch."

 

He artificially created a market for guys like Rusch and Perez when there was no market for them, thereby forcing himself to pay them about twice what they're worth. For the second straight year, he settled on a terrible right fielder, and this time locked the team into the guy for THREE YEARS. He continued after the center fielder/leadoff guy he'd been fantasizing about for 3 years, despite the fact that the guy had an awful leadoff season last year and throws the ball about as hard as a 3 year old girl. All this weakened our farm system and tied our hands financially. That's not even including the previous 2 years of roster bungling where we lost a couple of our better prospects to RULE FRICKIN FIVE.

 

I have no misconception that Baker is a good manager. He isn't. He's terrible (which is another Hendry failing), but at this point, our season is squarely on Hendry's shoulders. We haven't improved our lineup for 3 years. In fact, we've got consistantly worse. We haven't improved our rotation for three years. In fact, it's got worse.

 

It was clear last winter that this team was heading for a gut check. In response to a 3rd straight miserable failure of an offseason, Hendry got an extension. And THAT signing is the reason we'll stink again next year.

 

I generally agree with Wastra, but on this I have to disagree.

 

Hendry coveted Baker from day 1 in his tenure. He brought in his guy to manage the team. I believe (admittedly a guess on my part) that Hendry is just fabricating the team that Dusty wants. Dusty wants a veteran lineup, he gets it. Dusty wants a speedy lineup, he gets it. With a few notable exceptions (Murton/Cedeno) Baker has gotten the rosters he's asked for. The exceptions were the guys that Hendry feels strongly in favor of.

 

No question on the rule 5 goofs, I completely agree.

 

Jones has picked it up lately (a little) but that signing fits the Baker mold perfectly - speedy veteran with good fundamentals, poor plate discipline and a decent glove. To me that is a Baker signing more than Hendry. I honestly believe that Hendry believes in Dusty so strongly that he'll deliver the roster that he asks for, with a very few exceptions. Look at how things have changed regarding young players - the knock has always been that Baker won't play kids. It's was only when Hendry stepped in and forced Murton and Cedeno into the lineup that they played consistently.

 

I don't mean to put all the blame on Dusty, and Hendry certainly does deserve some shots, but most of the failures are Dusty forcing Corey to hit leadoff, and putting Neifi in the 2 hole, or sac bunting unecessarily. It starts with Dusty. I think Hendry is beginning to see this which is why Dusty hasn't been signed to an extension.

 

By the end of the year I honestly think we'll be looking for a new manager.

Who's the more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him? Blaming the bad performance on Dusty's ideal roster does not diminish Hendry's culpability

[Sosa21MVP]

Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN radio were talking about Dusty Baker just a little while ago. Mike Greenberg thinks Baker could be fired soon and had Buster Olney on and asked him about it. Olney agreed that if things don't turn around quickly, Hendry could fire Baker. They cited the lack of a contract beyond this year for Baker and the abysmal showing the past couple of weeks in the face of adversity.

 

Greenberg and Olney also felt Baker was a "west coast guy" and that he wasn't handling the second guessing and criticism that comes with a high profile job very well.

 

Greenberg went on to say the Cubs could be in danger of "losing the City" much the way the Mets did in New York. He said New York was a Met town in the '80's, but the Yankees started playing well when the Mets were slumping and they've never gotten the city back. Keep in mind, he (Greenberg) doesn't feel die-hard fans will turn away from the Cubs, just that the casual fan will start following the Sox if things keep going the way they are now.

 

Anyway, it's the first national talk I've heard about Baker's job being in jeopardy.

 

Dusty Baker is by no means the perfect manager but Jim Hendry is to blame for this current mess. If Baker goes, Hendry should go as well.

[LoneStarCubFan]

Mike Scioscia anyone? We know he's a better manager than Baker. He's got the WS ring to prove it.

 

How about Bud Black for pitching coach?

[goonys evil twin]

The fact that Hendry got an extension he did not come close to earning does not mean the Cubs should extend Baker the same opportunity. We're not talking about trying to treat your children the same way with equal sized presents. This is a business. People have to pay for failure.

[oldstyle81]

Mike Scioscia anyone? We know he's a better manager than Baker. He's got the WS ring to prove it.

 

How about Bud Black for pitching coach?

 

id rather have his right fielder, if we could trade dusty for scioscia and vlad id do it in a second ha