Baker WILL not be fired, will finish season

[UK1679666180]

He's a 21 year old holding his own at AAA. The age appropriate level for some one like Pie is in the Florida State League, where I believe the average age is ~21.5 years old.

 

The Midwest League is about 21.9, so it has to be higher in the FSL.

[gflore34]

As dismal as the thought of Baker finishing the season is, I found some hope in this Hendry quote towards the end of the article in the Trib:

 

"Maybe by [Monday's trading deadline] if a couple of guys aren't here anymore, then it'll open up some playing time for somebody else," Hendry said.

 

Perhaps, Hendry' going to remove some of Baker' toys thereby, leaving him no choice but, to play the youngsters.

[louisvillecub]

As dismal as the thought of Baker finishing the season is, I found some hope in this Hendry quote towards the end of the article in the Trib:

 

"Maybe by [Monday's trading deadline] if a couple of guys aren't here anymore, then it'll open up some playing time for somebody else," Hendry said.

 

Perhaps, Hendry' going to remove some of Baker' toys thereby, leaving him no choice but, to play the youngsters.

 

Hummph...guess I"m more pessimistic. I read that as Baker taking an opportunity to insert Neifi permanently in the line-up.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

As dismal as the thought of Baker finishing the season is, I found some hope in this Hendry quote towards the end of the article in the Trib:

 

"Maybe by [Monday's trading deadline] if a couple of guys aren't here anymore, then it'll open up some playing time for somebody else," Hendry said.

 

Perhaps, Hendry' going to remove some of Baker' toys thereby, leaving him no choice but, to play the youngsters.

 

Perhaps Hendry shouldn't have given him broken toys in the first place.

[Soul]

We did know this was going to happen. Or rather, we did know that *nothing* was going to happen...

[goonys evil twin]

As dismal as the thought of Baker finishing the season is, I found some hope in this Hendry quote towards the end of the article in the Trib:

 

"Maybe by [Monday's trading deadline] if a couple of guys aren't here anymore, then it'll open up some playing time for somebody else," Hendry said.

 

Perhaps, Hendry' going to remove some of Baker' toys thereby, leaving him no choice but, to play the youngsters.

 

They shouldn't have to trade guys to open up some playing time for somebody else. This isn't a fraternity house where seniority determines everything. This is a professional organization that should make any and all decisions based on what is best for the team. What is best for the team is working for next year, so if Rusch, Neifi, Nevin etc. need to sit for a kid, then that is what should be done. You don't sacrifice your team's development simply because you feel obligated to play older players. The be nice to veterans strategy has done absolutely nothing to attract impact free agents to this team.

[goonys evil twin]

We did know this was going to happen. Or rather, we did know that *nothing* was going to happen...

 

I think my brain knew, but my heart was really trying to convince me something would be done to make this team better.

[gflore34]

We did know this was going to happen. Or rather, we did know that *nothing* was going to happen...

 

I think my brain knew, but my heart was really trying to convince me something would be done to make this team better.

 

I felt the same way goony, all in all, a terrible way to begin prepartions for 2007.

[NCCubFan]

Perhaps, Hendry' going to remove some of Baker' toys thereby, leaving him no choice but, to play the youngsters.

 

Perhaps Hendry shouldn't have given him broken toys in the first place.

Especially given the fact that the toys were already broken before Hendry went to Broken Toys 'R' Us to buy them in the first place. :D

[nick23]

Which makes Cedeno's numbers look even worse. I agree Neifi is not the answer, but the more Cedeno plays the more it is evident that he is not the answer either.

 

Unless you stop to remember that Ronny has a whopping 422 major league at bats to Neifi's 4955. Neifi has been proving for over a decade now how horrible of an offensive player he is. Judging by the last 2-3 years, Ronny is still improving.

 

Furthermore, stories of Neifi's defense are greatly exaggerated.

I really don't want to hijack this thread, but did anyone hear Joe Morgan last night say that Neifi Perez was once one of the best shortstops in baseball? The cubs/cards game was on 3 stations last night but I couldn't turn off Berman and Morgan. They are so bad at what they do that I'm just drawn to them. It's very entertaining.

[Outshined_One]

He's a 21 year old holding his own at AAA. The age appropriate level for some one like Pie is in the Florida State League, where I believe the average age is ~21.5 years old.

 

The Midwest League is about 21.9, so it has to be higher in the FSL.

 

Was that the average age before or after this year's draft?

[ZipDog]

You are ABSOLUTELY correct in your analysis of the situation, "get".....too bac dumb asstro Cubs fans dont' get it!

 

--Zip

 

What's firing him now going to do?

 

How many times does this question have to be asked and answered?

 

The answer is simple. First, you get rid of the cancer that is Dusty and his staff, which has done nothing but tear down this team and it's players for years now. You get rid of his philosophies and coaching styles. The excuses stop, the attitude changes and you basically just clean-up the huge mess he made. 2nd, you stop wasting time with pieces of trash like Rusch and Neifi consstantly being used because they are the manager's pets. 3rd, you reliever the strain on overworked arms because the manager is so desperate to win today that he'll risk the health of any pitcher he has at his disposal. 4th, you start evaluating for next year, something that cannot be done with Dusty, because he is stuck in the past and refuses to think about next year.

 

 

When you decide to make a change (which the Cubs should have done a long time ago), you make that change immediately, so the lame duck authority figure cannot do anymore damage and you can start fresh.

[soccer10k]

Which makes Cedeno's numbers look even worse. I agree Neifi is not the answer, but the more Cedeno plays the more it is evident that he is not the answer either.

 

Unless you stop to remember that Ronny has a whopping 422 major league at bats to Neifi's 4955. Neifi has been proving for over a decade now how horrible of an offensive player he is. Judging by the last 2-3 years, Ronny is still improving.

 

Furthermore, stories of Neifi's defense are greatly exaggerated.

I really don't want to hijack this thread, but did anyone hear Joe Morgan last night say that Neifi Perez was once one of the best shortstops in baseball? The cubs/cards game was on 3 stations last night but I couldn't turn off Berman and Morgan. They are so bad at what they do that I'm just drawn to them. It's very entertaining.

 

I heard it as well. Morgan said he was one of the best shortstops in the NL in 1999/2000 when he was with Colorado and that what killed his career was going to Kansas City.

[bhogg]

A friend and I (he's a cardinal fan, but now keeps an eye on the cubs) were talking about Dusty today.

 

Our theory, and it may have been covered here, is this:

 

The Cubs may well have a plan --- shocking and unlikely, I know.

 

What if they fire Baker now? This team does have talent, so what if Joe Schmuck is brought in as interim manager and the team does really well, but the sucess has little or nothing to do with the new manager. Now, the Cubs are stuck with a(nother) manager they don't want at the helm.

 

I feel certain that if Hendry has a candidate in mind, that candidate realizes that he won't be managing the team that we see right now. It would do him no good to take over during the middle of the year --- regardless of how this particular team responds, this particular team will not be the same one that takes the field on opening day 2007.

 

 

Is it too far fetched to think that Hendry has been in contact with prospective managers?

 

Could he be planning somewhat of a rebuilding project?

 

 

I don't know, but stranger things have happened.

[Laura]

A deeper and more dastardly conspiracy that I've heard mentioned is that the Trib is planning to cut payroll (and expenses in general) given the debacle this year (why spend a lot of money and lose when you can spend less money and lose) and overall financial problems. Since payroll and losing don't seem to affect the attendance, there's no need to maintain the first and avoid the second.

 

Hendry was already extended and they aren't going to fire him and eat the contract. So why not let him bumble about, preside over the payroll cutbacks, serve out his time and leave as a fall guy? Who cares who he hires as manager -- just let him know that whoever he hires he can't hire beyond his own tenure.

 

Not saying I buy, just saying that I've heard it as a theory.

[E.J.]

A deeper and more dastardly conspiracy that I've heard mentioned is that the Trib is planning to cut payroll (and expenses in general) given the debacle this year (why spend a lot of money and lose when you can spend less money and lose) and overall financial problems. Since payroll and losing don't seem to affect the attendance, there's no need to maintain the first and avoid the second.

 

Hendry was already extended and they aren't going to fire him and eat the contract. So why not let him bumble about, preside over the payroll cutbacks, serve out his time and leave as a fall guy? Who cares who he hires as manager -- just let him know that whoever he hires he can't hire beyond his own tenure.

 

Not saying I buy, just saying that I've heard it as a theory.

 

Wow. Way to ruin a weekend Serena. :cry:

[Sammy Sofa]

I've been dreading the lower payroll theory since last year, too. It makes too much sense given how much money this team has proven it makes when it sucks...why should the owners spend approx. $100 million in payroll each year if they make a ginormous profit winning season or not?

 

The Cubs being awful is nothing new...it's the norm for the overwhelming bulk of the Tribune's owning of the team. It would take several season of baseball as bad as it is now before you'd start seeing significant dropoff in ratings and ticket sales, but that's not going to happen.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see them try and settle back into a comfortable zone right below or at .500 for a payroll of $50-$75 million...what's the motivating factor to do otherwise? They come within 5 outs of a WS, the Red Sox finally win, the White Sox finally win...what could possibly motivate the owners and management to go into a serious tear to try and win if what's already happened didn't?

[Laura]

Nice job, Hendry.

 

Northwest Herald[/url]"] "I let him know that for the next couple of months, it's best for the club that he complete the season, not have to worry about that," Hendry said Thursday night. "I felt like we should put that to bed for now. I just think that for the good of the organization, this is the best decision right now."

 

But how could it be? The team's record is still 41-61. If Baker isn't part of the Cubs' long-term vision, why is he still here? To win a few games and make himself more marketable to potential employers?

 

Or maybe win a few games and confuse Hendry even more when it comes time to deal with Baker's status at the end of the season?

 

That's the last thing Hendry needs. The whole thing smacks of the indecisive management that has plagued the Cubs the past few years.

 

Just tell us what the plan is, Jim.

 

If you're going to eventually make a change, why not make it now?

 

Why not change the clubhouse culture today instead of forcing the players to assimilate next spring?

 

And if you're going to risk life and limb by re-signing Baker – the fans sure wouldn't like that one – why wait?

 

Instead, Hendry and the Cubs have become that guy who dates the girl up until the week of Christmas, then breaks up with her, just so he doesn't have to buy her a gift.

[goonys evil twin]

The Cubs being awful is nothing new...it's the norm for the overwhelming bulk of the Tribune's owning of the team. It would take several season of baseball as bad as it is now before you'd start seeing significant dropoff in ratings and ticket sales, but that's not going to happen.

 

I doubt that. Attendance is up this year because there are more tickets available to be sold. And they were sold in the preseason, when some people were fooled into thinking 2005 was the fluke year. Remember, the Cubs enjoyed a huge spike in ratings and attendance after 1998, but when the team went back in the tank, that shrunk considerably. 2003 provided an enormous boost, and 2004's much played up achievement of back to back winning seasons convinced the vast majority that this was the group that was going to change everything. Contrary to popular opinion, the Cubs have not always sold out despite the record. Back in the 70's and early 80's, I believe, attendance was pathetic. They got boosts following the 1984 and 89 teams. But in the 90's it was very easy to walk up and get good seats for almost any game, including bleachers. It was also very easy to buy tickets when they went on sale in February over the phone or internet. The preseason sell-out phenomenon is very new. But it won't last if the losing continues. The tickets were already sold for this year, so people are going to use them. But ratings and attendance will fall if this continues. A drastic cut in payroll will also lead to a reduction in faith by fans that things will get better. Something they can't afford. The whole thing is based on people not wanting to miss out on the team that finally wins it. They saw how hard it is to get seats when they are winning, so they don't want to risk giving them up. But if ownership gives up, the fans will as well, and eyeballs will wander.

[halplm]

At some point we're going to have to realize this team won't win as long as the owner cares more about the bottom line than winning.

 

And the owners won't sell the team as long as it's making them money.

 

AND the fans won't stop going to the games as long as they believe "this year will be the year!" Come to think of it, the White Sox and Red Sox winning, probably bought the Trib 20 more years of "If they could do it, WE can too!" marketing...

[UK1679666180]

He's a 21 year old holding his own at AAA. The age appropriate level for some one like Pie is in the Florida State League, where I believe the average age is ~21.5 years old.

 

The Midwest League is about 21.9, so it has to be higher in the FSL.

 

Was that the average age before or after this year's draft?

 

O-O, sorry it took me so long to respond...

 

http://mwlguide.com/years/2006/season/teamage.html

 

Start of the year & they mention that it has been increasing in age (I assume b/c of the increase of college draftees).

[CuseCubFan69]

A deeper and more dastardly conspiracy that I've heard mentioned is that the Trib is planning to cut payroll (and expenses in general) given the debacle this year (why spend a lot of money and lose when you can spend less money and lose) and overall financial problems. Since payroll and losing don't seem to affect the attendance, there's no need to maintain the first and avoid the second.

 

Hendry was already extended and they aren't going to fire him and eat the contract. So why not let him bumble about, preside over the payroll cutbacks, serve out his time and leave as a fall guy? Who cares who he hires as manager -- just let him know that whoever he hires he can't hire beyond his own tenure.

 

Not saying I buy, just saying that I've heard it as a theory.

 

Then Baker will be too expensive to extend a contract too. Right? God I hope I'm right if your senerio is true.

 

What are the Cubs payroll numbers for contracts in 2007?

 

If Baker runs Z into the ground before he leaves (if he really does go) than this move will be like the stroke of genius of pitching Wood from the pen. It's the little things like this that wears and eats at the health of the players and when the horses get driven into the ground Baker just blames bad luck. I believe that Baker sticks his toothpicks into a Hendry VooDoo doll and controls his mind.