Interesting Dusty Quote.

[Shavo]

"Anybody that's been in baseball knows the toughest guys to pitch against are Minor League guys," Baker said. "Those kids are out there swinging."

 

Uhhhh yeahh this really makes you wonder.

[treebird]

"Anybody that's been in baseball knows the toughest guys to pitch against are Minor League guys," Baker said. "Those kids are out there swinging."

 

Uhhhh yeahh this really makes you wonder.

 

the cubs look like a minor league team, why aren't they great?

[srbin84]

"Anybody that's been in baseball knows the toughest guys to pitch against are Minor League guys," Baker said. "Those kids are out there swinging."

 

Uhhhh yeahh this really makes you wonder.

 

If that's true, then why aren't the Cubs scoring more runs?

Edited June 3, 2006 by srbin84

[treebird]

i won

[srbin84]

i won

 

Mine was better though.

[treebird]

thats simply not true

[Careless]

This got me thinking that I might start categorizing quotes from baker under "stupid" and "crazy"

This one is hard to figure out since it's a combination of the two. Yes, it's stupid, but it's so clearly false that it's crazy...

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

This is so sad, it isnt even funny.

 

Guessing here, you dont have a book against Minor League hitters so you dont know what thier out pitch is. They arent adjusted yet so will hack more than have an at bat?

 

Yea, yea, I know.

[A New Era]

I'll be Dusty's translator from now on. .

 

This quote = "Yeah um. . I'm just Dumb?"

[David]

I'm just guessing...but does the context have something to do with rehab stints (probably because Prior got hit pretty hard)?

 

In that context, it SORT OF makes sense. They're all excited to face an ML pitcher and they go out there and swing away...meanwhile Prior (or whatever pitcher) is just trying to throw strikes.

Edited June 3, 2006 by David

[UMFan83]

If thats true, half of our team needs to get sent to AAA so they can "come out swinging" and be rewarded for it. Oh wait they already do get rewarded for it.

[BigbadB]

Sort of related.

 

The Dodgers had, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman all in their line up at the same time yesterday.

 

Here come the kids!

[KW34]

It seems to me that this is Dusty sticking up for his players (Prior, in this case). I think that's one of the great qualities of Baker.

[Shavo]

It seems to me that this is Dusty sticking up for his players (Prior, in this case). I think that's one of the great qualities of Baker.

 

If only he knew the value of a walk/knew how to fill out a lineup card without penciling in "Perez".

[Bruce Miles]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

[Balsa]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

I can sympathize with this. Last night I played poker with someone new, and was giving out massive strong hand signals when I was bluffing, but he wasn't used to thinking along with me and called my bluff, robbing me of a pot I could have won from anyone else at the table who knew me.

[Bruce Miles]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

I can sympathize with this. Last night I played poker with someone new, and was giving out massive strong hand signals when I was bluffing, but he wasn't used to thinking along with me and called my bluff, robbing me of a pot I could have won from anyone else at the table who knew me.

 

Like I said, it sounds crazy, but there's something to it. Now the second time a big-league pitcher faces a minor-leaguer, chances are he'll blow him away with an overpowering fastball or throw him some hellacious breaking pitch he simply can't hit.

[dalgreen]

You'll have to forgive some of the posters on here, Bruce. Some love to search for Dusty quotes so they can be the first to put them up, especially if they don't understand it so they can call it "crazy" or "stupid." Baker does say some things that don't make sense, but not everything. Some people despise every fiber that's Dusty and can't get past that emotion.

[stitchface]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

 

 

I am going to have to completely disagree with this. Minor league hitters are not better than major league hitters. This is just an excuse. Now if you want to say that Prior struggled because he threw mostly fastballs and his fastball isn't up to speed yet, that would make sense since most minor leaguers can hit fastballs (or they would be out of baseball by now). The argument that they swing more is preposterous.

Edited June 3, 2006 by stitchface

[stitchface]

You'll have to forgive some of the posters on here, Bruce. Some love to search for Dusty quotes so they can be the first to put them up, especially if they don't understand it so they can call it "crazy" or "stupid." Baker does say some things that don't make sense, but not everything. Some people despise every fiber that's Dusty and can't get past that emotion.

 

Many of the things being said by dusty, hendry and MacPhail indicate a frightening lack of understanding of how to win baseball games and they should be questioned. For instance, blaming losing solely on not hitting with runners in scoring position when the team is last in nearly every offensive category - or near last. I think the questioning of every one of his comments is the result of his long track record of silly comments.

[KW34]

You'll have to forgive some of the posters on here, Bruce. Some love to search for Dusty quotes so they can be the first to put them up, especially if they don't understand it so they can call it "crazy" or "stupid." Baker does say some things that don't make sense, but not everything. Some people despise every fiber that's Dusty and can't get past that emotion.

 

Many of the things being said by dusty, hendry and MacPhail indicate a frightening lack of understanding of how to win baseball games and they should be questioned. For instance, blaming losing solely on not hitting with runners in scoring position when the team is last in nearly every offensive category - or near last. I think the questioning of every one of his comments is the result of his long track record of silly comments.

 

Think about it - instead of talking about Prior's start in Peoria you're talking about a perceived assinine Dusty quote. I may be off base but it seems that Dusty takes the heat off of his players quite a bit.

[dalgreen]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

 

 

I am going to have to completely disagree with this. Minor league hitters are not better than major league hitters. This is just an excuse. Now if you want to say that Prior struggled because he threw mostly fastballs and his fastball isn't up to speed yet, that would make sense since most minor leaguers can't hit fastballs (or they would be out of baseball by now). The argument that they swing more is preposterous.

 

Where did someone say that minor league hitters are better than major league hitters?

 

Also, I don't know if it was a typo or not, but you wrote that minor leaguers can't hit fastballs. I don't understand. If there's a pitch minor leaguers can hit it is the fastball. It's whether or not they can hit the breaking pitch that determines if they'll be successful in the majors or spend most of their career in the minors.

[CubinNY]

If the theory is:

 

Minor league hitters are more dangerous then major league hitters, becuase they don't think, they just hack.

 

Then, I would have to disagree with Dusty and Bruce.

 

It presuposes a number of things, the two most important being;

 

1. Minor league hitters have no discipline. This might be true of the Cubs, but not necessarily true.

 

2. If a guy doesn't know he's being set up, he can't be set up. Awareness of being set up is the very thing that would make setting up someone impossible.

 

To me this is either an excuse for poor performance or conventional baseball wisdom passed down from old-timers. I wouldn't call it dumb though.

 

If a pitcher is hitting the corners (i.e, staying away from the middle of the plate) and has good movement on his breaking pitches he will get guys out more often then not regardless of what level of competition he is facing.

[Careless]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

So the best strategy would be a revolving door of minor league players. For some reason, no one does this. If Dusty really believed this, you wouldn't see rookies sitting on the bench their entire callup.

[Bruce Miles]

Baker's comment is neither crazy nor stupid. Most major-league hitters "think" along with the pitcher, making them easier to set up. When a big-league pitcher rehabs in the minors, he has a hard time "setting up" hitters because they don't know they're being set up. Hence, they hit a lot of pitches they shouldn't hit. I've heard this from many a big-league pitcher whose gone down to rehab or tried to resurrect his career in the minors. Yes, it sounds crazy and people like to jump on everything Baker says, but there's some truth to it.

So the best strategy would be a revolving door of minor league players. For some reason, no one does this. If Dusty really believed this, you wouldn't see rookies sitting on the bench their entire callup.

 

Believe what you will, but I'll take it from pitchers like Rod Beck, Greg Maddux (who has faced minor-leaguers in spring training games), Ryan Dempster who say that minor-leaguers are tough to face, especially when you're trying to work on stuff. It does not mean that minor-leaguers can't hit good pitches or that they are better hitters or that teams should stock their bench with minor leaguers. If a guy like Greg Maddux tells me it's difficult (and you should see him when he faces minor leaguers _ he takes it seriously), then it's good enough for me. All I'm trying to do is add a dose of perspective.