Paul Sullivan's article on Baker's future

[Irrelevant Dude]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060619cubsbaker,1,4078401.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

My favorite line...

 

Baker said his players have not underachieved this year, but he also said he doesn't believe there's an overall shortage of talent in the clubhouse.

[Andy]

"We're a young team," he said. "We've been young for two years. We were young in the bullpen last year and we're young in the starting staff this year.

 

"Everybody says Dusty doesn't like young guys, but we been young for two years. We're young at short. We're young in left. It's up to me to make them better, and it's up to me to keep teaching, and keep training. It's up to me and my staff, and that's what we do every day."

Good job, Dusty, you're playing 3 position players and a few pitchers off and on out of 25 players.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I caught a moment of Phil on the radio earlier (I believe 720), and he said it was too bad Hendry "got caught without" another 5-10 million this past offseason to work with. Got caught?!?!?! Brilliant!

[da bears]

I loved Dusty's comment today about how he just "wants his guys back." Oh wait a minute, I hated that comment. I took comfort in the fact that Boers and Bernstein (love em or hate em, they really bash Baker) ripped Baker apart today.

[abuck1220]

I caught a moment of Phil on the radio earlier (I believe 720), and he said it was too bad Hendry "got caught without" another 5-10 million this past offseason to work with. Got caught?!?!?! Brilliant!

 

yeah, because it's just unrealistic to ask a guy to put together a non-last place team w/ a mere 95 mil.

[Outshined_One]

I loved Dusty's comment today about how he just "wants his guys back." Oh wait a minute, I hated that comment. I took comfort in the fact that Boers and Bernstein (love em or hate em, they really bash Baker) ripped Baker apart today.

 

Quick, assemble every crappy veteran who's played under Baker since he became manager! We can assemble one heck of a roster!!! Cripes, the Cubs alone could field this:

 

RF Troy O'Leary

CF Tom Goodwin

LF Jose Macias

3B Lenny Harris

SS Neifi Perez

2B Damian Jackson

1B John Mabry

C Henry Blanco

Bench Enrique Wilson

Bench Randall Simon

Bench Jose Hernandez

Bench Paul Bako

Bench Todd Hollandsworth

 

SP Glendon Rusch

SP Shawn Estes

SP

SP

SP

CL LaTroy Hawkins

RP Dave Veres

RP Cliff Bartosh

RP Mike Remlinger

RP Mark Guthrie

RP Antonio Alfonseca

RP Jimmy Anderson

 

We gotta call in the Giants' reserves to fill up those SP holes!

[Andy]

I loved Dusty's comment today about how he just "wants his guys back." Oh wait a minute, I hated that comment. I took comfort in the fact that Boers and Bernstein (love em or hate em, they really bash Baker) ripped Baker apart today.

 

Quick, assemble every crappy veteran who's played under Baker since he became manager! We can assemble one heck of a roster!!! Cripes, the Cubs alone could field this:

 

RF Troy O'Leary

CF Tom Goodwin

LF Jose Macias

3B Lenny Harris

SS Neifi Perez

2B Damian Jackson

1B John Mabry

C Henry Blanco

Bench Enrique Wilson

Bench Randall Simon

Bench Jose Hernandez

Bench Paul Bako

Bench Todd Hollandsworth

 

SP Glendon Rusch

SP Shawn Estes

SP

SP

SP

CL LaTroy Hawkins

RP Dave Veres

RP Cliff Bartosh

RP Mike Remlinger

RP Mark Guthrie

RP Antonio Alfonseca

RP Jimmy Anderson

 

We gotta call in the Giants' reserves to fill up those SP holes!

Fassero could be moved into the rotation, since he started in SF last year. If you wanted to be blunt you could put Maddux in there too since he's been average at best since arriving.

[illiniguy]

Once we pick up Russ Ortiz for the playoff push we can add one more name to the list.

[moorecg]

I caught a moment of Phil on the radio earlier (I believe 720), and he said it was too bad Hendry "got caught without" another 5-10 million this past offseason to work with. Got caught?!?!?! Brilliant!

 

yeah, because it's just unrealistic to ask a guy to put together a non-last place team w/ a mere 95 mil.

 

I can find that money Hendry got "caught" without...

 

Perez

Blanco

Rusch

Jones' 3rd year (although I'll give him credit, he's playing very well now)

[Soul]

I caught a moment of Phil on the radio earlier (I believe 720), and he said it was too bad Hendry "got caught without" another 5-10 million this past offseason to work with. Got caught?!?!?! Brilliant!

 

yeah, because it's just unrealistic to ask a guy to put together a non-last place team w/ a mere 95 mil.

 

I can find that money Hendry got "caught" without...

 

Perez

Blanco

Rusch

Jones' 3rd year (although I'll give him credit, he's playing very well now)

 

Won't last. He's a free-swinger, prone to the K and streaky. He'll slump again. Might not be this year, but trust me next season when we need him he'll be K'ing up a storm.

 

Thing to beware of for the rest of '06: players who put up good numbers now that it doesn't matter anymore. Don't be sucked in Cubbie fans.

[RynoRules]

To be fair, I don't think we can reasonaly include Holly on the junky vet list. He had a very good year for us as a 4th OF in 04'. Predictably, he was "promoted" last year, got hurt again, and was missused.

[moorecg]

I caught a moment of Phil on the radio earlier (I believe 720), and he said it was too bad Hendry "got caught without" another 5-10 million this past offseason to work with. Got caught?!?!?! Brilliant!

 

yeah, because it's just unrealistic to ask a guy to put together a non-last place team w/ a mere 95 mil.

 

I can find that money Hendry got "caught" without...

 

Perez

Blanco

Rusch

Jones' 3rd year (although I'll give him credit, he's playing very well now)

 

Won't last. He's a free-swinger, prone to the K and streaky. He'll slump again. Might not be this year, but trust me next season when we need him he'll be K'ing up a storm.

 

Thing to beware of for the rest of '06: players who put up good numbers now that it doesn't matter anymore. Don't be sucked in Cubbie fans.

 

Don't get me wrong...I think Jacque Jones would make a teriffic yankee about right now...he's playing well, they are very thin in the outfield...if we can get a prospect or two AND get rid of the contract...amen brother. do it.

[CubinNY]

What gets me is that all the so called baseball experts do nothing but defend Baker. They talk about the injuries, the talk about not hitting, they talk about poor pitching, they talk about the lack of run scoring. It's as if Baker has no control over those things when in fact nobody has more control over them than Baker. Everybody in the media wants to give Dusty a free pass because he is a likeable guy.

 

It kills me. He continues to put out inferior lineups on a daily basis. He continutes to abuse the starters with high pitch counts and the relivers with usage patterns. He has demonstrated that although he may be a good guy in the clubhouse and can really turn a parabale, he's a poor in-game decision maker, and that's where it counts.

 

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

[biittner77]

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

The wheel of excuses turn and turn

when it stops, the blame we learn

 

Dusty Baker Wrote:

"We're a young team," he said. "We've been young for two years. We were young in the bullpen last year and we're young in the starting staff this year.

 

 

Whoever had "Blame the kids" wins the pool.

 

Everyone else is a loser.

[halplm]

Well, I have something to root for again... 12 games further under .500 before Baker gets canned... assuming that happens... then Baker won't have a winning record managing the Cubs... which he doesn't deserve to have...

 

Assuming he finishes out the season, that would mean a final record of 67 and 95... which at this point sounds about right...

[Flames24Rulz]

What gets me is that all the so called baseball experts do nothing but defend Baker. They talk about the injuries, the talk about not hitting, they talk about poor pitching, they talk about the lack of run scoring. It's as if Baker has no control over those things when in fact nobody has more control over them than Baker. Everybody in the media wants to give Dusty a free pass because he is a likeable guy.

 

It kills me. He continues to put out inferior lineups on a daily basis. He continutes to abuse the starters with high pitch counts and the relivers with usage patterns. He has demonstrated that although he may be a good guy in the clubhouse and can really turn a parabale, he's a poor in-game decision maker, and that's where it counts.

 

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

Steve Stone was on the Score yesterday and he brought up the point that the Dodgers have had a ton of injuries and are still in 1st place behind Grady Little. You don't hear Grady complaining much about injuries, do you? You can only use that stupid injury excuse for so long. I really don't know how you can defend Baker with a $95 million payroll that has a team 15 games under .500 on June 20th. That is absolutely unacceptable.

[RynoRules]

What gets me is that all the so called baseball experts do nothing but defend Baker. They talk about the injuries, the talk about not hitting, they talk about poor pitching, they talk about the lack of run scoring. It's as if Baker has no control over those things when in fact nobody has more control over them than Baker. Everybody in the media wants to give Dusty a free pass because he is a likeable guy.

 

It kills me. He continues to put out inferior lineups on a daily basis. He continutes to abuse the starters with high pitch counts and the relivers with usage patterns. He has demonstrated that although he may be a good guy in the clubhouse and can really turn a parabale, he's a poor in-game decision maker, and that's where it counts.

 

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

Steve Stone was on the Score yesterday and he brought up the point that the Dodgers have had a ton of injuries and are still in 1st place behind Grady Little. You don't hear Grady complaining much about injuries, do you? You can only use that stupid injury excuse for so long. I really don't know how you can defend Baker with a $95 million payroll that has a team 15 games under .500 on June 20th. That is absolutely unacceptable.

 

Good point re Grady. Had we kept him around, we might have found out that he is actually a decent manager who got scapegoated in Boston. I love how people think Francona was the difference-maker there.

[daske17]

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

The wheel of excuses turn and turn

when it stops, the blame we learn

 

Dusty Baker Wrote:

"We're a young team," he said. "We've been young for two years. We were young in the bullpen last year and we're young in the starting staff this year.

 

 

Whoever had "Blame the kids" wins the pool.

 

Everyone else is a loser.

 

Let me get this straight: in 2003 Dusty won with two starters who were both 22 and several relievers who were considered "young." Hee Sop played regularly (at the beginning) and was considered "young." So it wasn't a problem then, was it?

 

And can someone PLEASE explain to me how we were a young team last year? I hate Dusty. I hate his excuses. I hate how the minute you put ONE player younger than 55 on his roster, the team is officially young.

 

Need help packing? I'm your man.

[moorecg]

What gets me is that all the so called baseball experts do nothing but defend Baker. They talk about the injuries, the talk about not hitting, they talk about poor pitching, they talk about the lack of run scoring. It's as if Baker has no control over those things when in fact nobody has more control over them than Baker. Everybody in the media wants to give Dusty a free pass because he is a likeable guy.

 

It kills me. He continues to put out inferior lineups on a daily basis. He continutes to abuse the starters with high pitch counts and the relivers with usage patterns. He has demonstrated that although he may be a good guy in the clubhouse and can really turn a parabale, he's a poor in-game decision maker, and that's where it counts.

 

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

I echo these statements....one thing I really can't believe is that it is only us that see the lineups he puts out every day over the past two years and thinks that he's just a bafoon for constucting them the way he does. I've never heard a comentator say.."man...why does Dusty keep putting Neifi in the 2 hole"...or "why don't Nevin, Walker, Barrett and Murton ever play on the same day....or "why does freddy bynum ever start"....surely we can' t be the only ones that think that's dumb.

[soapy]

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

The wheel of excuses turn and turn

when it stops, the blame we learn

 

Dusty Baker Wrote:

"We're a young team," he said. "We've been young for two years. We were young in the bullpen last year and we're young in the starting staff this year.

 

 

Whoever had "Blame the kids" wins the pool.

 

Everyone else is a loser.

 

Let me get this straight: in 2003 Dusty won with two starters who were both 22 and several relievers who were considered "young." Hee Sop played regularly (at the beginning) and was considered "young." So it wasn't a problem then, was it?

 

And can someone PLEASE explain to me how we were a young team last year? I hate Dusty. I hate his excuses. I hate how the minute you put ONE player younger than 55 on his roster, the team is officially young.

 

Need help packing? I'm your man.

 

Not to mention that Dusty had ample oppurtunity to play Cedeno and Murton last year and chose not to. Besides, Pierre, Ramirez and Neifi are not "young" and they're all doing a pretty good job of hurting the team with their lack of production right now (with Dusty's help).

[abuck1220]

Dusty Baker Wrote:

"We're a young team," he said. "We've been young for two years. We were young in the bullpen last year and we're young in the starting staff this year.

 

yeah, because it's been the young guys that have killed the team. veterans like rusch, ramirez, pierre, and neifi have been holding this team together.

[MustangMike]

What gets me is that all the so called baseball experts do nothing but defend Baker. They talk about the injuries, the talk about not hitting, they talk about poor pitching, they talk about the lack of run scoring. It's as if Baker has no control over those things when in fact nobody has more control over them than Baker. Everybody in the media wants to give Dusty a free pass because he is a likeable guy.

 

It kills me. He continues to put out inferior lineups on a daily basis. He continutes to abuse the starters with high pitch counts and the relivers with usage patterns. He has demonstrated that although he may be a good guy in the clubhouse and can really turn a parabale, he's a poor in-game decision maker, and that's where it counts.

 

What is the excuse going to be when Lee comes back and hits a bunch of one run HRs and the Cubs approach a hundred loses?

 

Steve Stone was on the Score yesterday and he brought up the point that the Dodgers have had a ton of injuries and are still in 1st place behind Grady Little. You don't hear Grady complaining much about injuries, do you? You can only use that stupid injury excuse for so long. I really don't know how you can defend Baker with a $95 million payroll that has a team 15 games under .500 on June 20th. That is absolutely unacceptable.

 

what's the point of paying a guy 4 Million dollars if he can't give you something extra over a guy making a million. Might as well use that extra 3 on a player

[biittner77]

The Marlins are a young team and they have a better record than the Cubs. I'd go so far as to say that there are at least 4 teams that are young er than the Cubs that have better records.

[Irrelevant Dude]

I'd go so far as to say that there are at least 4 teams that are young er than the Cubs that have better records.

I'd go so far as to say that there are at least 14.