Renting Out Wrigley & Skipping Practice

[Bruce Miles]

Dusty never takes accountability for anything ... but I doubt he's the guy selling on-field BP to businesses. This is a Trib / front office issue that's interfering with the Cubs playing baseball.

 

Yeah, I know that's "not his department". But my point is he should be able to go to the higher ups and demand the space. I feel like if this was an issue in NY, Joe would have no problem demanding the space. Same with Ozzie on the southside. Dusty's department is the field, and if another department is interfering, he's got to press the issue. Same goes with Hendry, and you would think, MacPhail.

 

When I asked the question the other night, Dusty wanted no part of it. He should want every part of it. One of the Phillie writers asked us about it the other day. He said, "Doesn't this p*** the baseball department off?" I said, "It should."

[RichHillIsABeast]

I guess we know what the ultimate priority in the Cubs organization is and it isn't winning. I used to think they were just incompetent. I'm not too surprised though. This is the same organization that scalps it's own tickets.

 

edit:

 

Baker's quote also makes it seem like he isn't much of a leader. Leaders don't pass the buck and say, "it isn't my problem." Make it your fricking problem and get the issue resolved. It sounds like someone doesn't want to rock the boat, at least not in the media. Maybe someone could ask Andy about this. It sure as heck had better be in "his department."

[Laura]

I just hope this isn't the new focus of the offseason:

 

"We're going with the same guys, gonna be a little more aggressive, stretch a little more in the spring, and make sure the field is available 24/7 for practice."

 

I hope not, too ... but I will say that I wish they *would* invest a little $$ into revamping their health & conditioning (or injury prevention -- whatever you want to call it) throughout the organization. For obvious reasons, but also over past couple of years you keep hearing comments, particularly from pitchers, about how the Cubs don't require as much strenuous exercise as other organizations. Eyre said one of the reasons he was psyched to sign here was because Rothschild didn't make them run meaningless drills; Gwaltney said one change he noticed from the Phillies org to the Cubs is that the Cubs 'don't run you into the ground' ... it does make one wonder. But that's a whole 'nother topic.

 

As far as the excuse-making goes, part of the annoyance with this is that the Cubs *used* the opportunity to have more on-field practice time as one of the justifications for having more night games. Everyone knew the main reason was to generate more money and that the pure baseball considerations and player preferences were secondary, but it's still annoying to have had on-field practice time used as a rationale when it turns out they're selling it off, anyway.

[Laura]

When did this practice even start? I can't find any mention of it on Cubs.com or anywhere else for that matter.

 

Secondly, is this money going directly to the Cubs organization or to Cubs Care? I know a lot of the non-game related, on-field opportunities for fans go to Cubs Care (which it should in my estimation since we're paying enough for tickets).

 

Regardless, if this is interfering with on-field play, it needs to go.

 

They'll occasionally mention opportunities on Cubs.com to buy on-field time for special events (like father-son playing catch day, which was a Fathers' Day event) on travel dates -- which I have absolutely no problem with -- and if I recall correctly, that money went to charity. They'll also auction opportunities like throwing a first pitch out through the mlb.com aution pages, also for charities.

 

My impression is that these on-field day-of-game fantasy-type BP sessions aren't publicly advertised or sold. They're probably available as part of some sponsorship fee. I would guess that the $$ does not go to charity; if it did, they could at least mention that as partial cover for doing it at all.

[CheeseHead Cubs Fan]

This wouldn't even be an issue if the Cubs were a winning ball club. However, because of the horribly record and lack of playoff games played at Wrigley over the past 98 years, this is all of the sudden a big deal.

 

Bottom line, if you win press and others won't make such a big deal out of something that seems trivial.

[FergieJ31]

None of the asinine practices of this organization surprise me much anymore, but this one is particularly galling. Penny wise and baseball foolish.

[daske17]

This wouldn't even be an issue if the Cubs were a winning ball club. However, because of the horribly record and lack of playoff games played at Wrigley over the past 98 years, this is all of the sudden a big deal.

 

Bottom line, if you win press and others won't make such a big deal out of something that seems trivial.

 

I disagree. I think this still is an issue that needs to be addressed by Cubs management. Whenever there's anything resembling unique revenue streams (rooftops, the new addition to Wrigley, the bleachers, heck even their own scalping business), the sports media has taken it upon themselves to ask the right questions and get answers from the right people. Even if the Cubs don't stop the practice, they at least acknowledge its extistence.

 

If Wrigley and Cubs coaches are being rented out to the highest bidder, it should be publicly disclosed and not have this cloak and dagger feel to it.

 

I think Bruce is on to something by asking Dusty how it affects the team, but I think it goes higher to folks like MacPhail and John McDonough.

 

If the field is saved for the major Cubs sponsors like Square D, Budweiser, Cingular, etc., that's fine. But it is WAY too unseemly to have this go on without the fans knowing about it, especially if the money is going straight into Cubs coffers without improving the product on the field or the stadium itself.

[n l doormat]

 

Serena wrote:

 

Dusty never takes accountability for anything ... but I doubt he's the guy selling on-field BP to businesses. This is a Trib / front office issue that's interfering with the Cubs playing baseball.

 

goony's evil twin wrote:

 

 

Yeah, I know that's "not his department". But my point is he should be able to go to the higher ups and demand the space. I feel like if this was an issue in NY, Joe would have no problem demanding the space. Same with Ozzie on the southside. Dusty's department is the field, and if another department is interfering, he's got to press the issue. Same goes with Hendry, and you would think, MacPhail.

]

 

I agree with you goony. It seems like for his 14 million or so over the last 4 years, there's a lot Dusty doesn't do. He doesn't see half the things going on on the field because he "can't see" from the dugout, he doesn't argue bad calls, and now we see he doesn't push for extra practice time on his own playing field.

[soccer10k]

Have the players been asked about this situation?

[NCCubFan]

Have the players been asked about this situation?

There's only one person who posts on this board that I think would possibly know the answer to this question.

 

*Sends out Bruce signal*

[Laura]

*cough*

 

Bruce Miles / The Daily Herald[/url]"] The Pittsburgh Pirates did all they could to climb out of last place Tuesday.

 

Hours before their game against the Cubs, the Pirates commandeered Wrigley Field to take extra batting, infield and outfield practice, something the home team has done precious little of this season.

 

Nice observation, Bruce!

[d_money]

While I don't think this is as big a deal as it sounds...it just points to the many "things" that happen day to day w/in the Cubs org. The Trib has totally marketed every facet of the Cubs, in every way possible. There are too many distractions for all players (rookies looking to get better, veterans in their routines), which turns to lack of focus on winning.

 

Trib - sell the Cubs. Blow up Wrigley.

[Bruce Miles]

One of the things more night games at home was supposed to accomplish was to give the Cubs a chance to get some early work in. They always claimed that day games prevented them from doing this. So now they've got more night games, and still they don't do one of the things they said they'd been doing. It was just an interesting contrast yesterday, seeing the Pirates out there early and working hard on every aspect of the game and the Cubs getting ready for their team picture.

I recall former hitting coach Jeff Pentland requesting and getting the field on the road once a series. Not only has this team not taken advantage of the opportunities to get some early work done at home, it hasn't done it on the road, either.

[daske17]

One of the things more night games at home was supposed to accomplish was to give the Cubs a chance to get some early work in. They always claimed that day games prevented them from doing this. So now they've got more night games, and still they don't do one of the things they said they'd been doing. It was just an interesting contrast yesterday, seeing the Pirates out there early and working hard on every aspect of the game and the Cubs getting ready for their team picture.

I recall former hitting coach Jeff Pentland requesting and getting the field on the road once a series. Not only has this team not taken advantage of the opportunities to get some early work done at home, it hasn't done it on the road, either.

 

Bruce, do you think that's more indicative of coaching and managing styles, or disinterest from the players? If the latter, have coaches/manager tried to light a fire under the players' butts to get them onto the field?

[goonys evil twin]

One of the things more night games at home was supposed to accomplish was to give the Cubs a chance to get some early work in. They always claimed that day games prevented them from doing this. So now they've got more night games, and still they don't do one of the things they said they'd been doing. It was just an interesting contrast yesterday, seeing the Pirates out there early and working hard on every aspect of the game and the Cubs getting ready for their team picture.

I recall former hitting coach Jeff Pentland requesting and getting the field on the road once a series. Not only has this team not taken advantage of the opportunities to get some early work done at home, it hasn't done it on the road, either.

 

Which kind of goes back to my thought that it wasn't necessarily the corporate outings getting in the way, rather a lack of desire by the coaching staff to get on the field in the first place. I can't blame the business side for taking away the field time unless the baseball people are actually making an effort to use it and being denied.

 

Considering how frequently the same mistakes are made by so many players on this team, I don't think the coaching staff has made much of an in season effort to work on stuff. If I recall correctly, Dusty's standard answer to questions regarding fundamentals was that they'd "have to work on that next spring."

[Bruce Miles]

One of the things more night games at home was supposed to accomplish was to give the Cubs a chance to get some early work in. They always claimed that day games prevented them from doing this. So now they've got more night games, and still they don't do one of the things they said they'd been doing. It was just an interesting contrast yesterday, seeing the Pirates out there early and working hard on every aspect of the game and the Cubs getting ready for their team picture.

I recall former hitting coach Jeff Pentland requesting and getting the field on the road once a series. Not only has this team not taken advantage of the opportunities to get some early work done at home, it hasn't done it on the road, either.

 

Bruce, do you think that's more indicative of coaching and managing styles, or disinterest from the players? If the latter, have coaches/manager tried to light a fire under the players' butts to get them onto the field?

 

This has everything to do with coaching and managing styles.

[jmajew]

One of the things more night games at home was supposed to accomplish was to give the Cubs a chance to get some early work in. They always claimed that day games prevented them from doing this. So now they've got more night games, and still they don't do one of the things they said they'd been doing. It was just an interesting contrast yesterday, seeing the Pirates out there early and working hard on every aspect of the game and the Cubs getting ready for their team picture.

I recall former hitting coach Jeff Pentland requesting and getting the field on the road once a series. Not only has this team not taken advantage of the opportunities to get some early work done at home, it hasn't done it on the road, either.

 

Bruce, do you think that's more indicative of coaching and managing styles, or disinterest from the players? If the latter, have coaches/manager tried to light a fire under the players' butts to get them onto the field?

 

This has everything to do with coaching and managing styles.

 

This is simply apalling to me. I always thought the job of a manager and a coaching staff was to be teachers. If you don't have a staff that is willing to teach they don't belong in this business. That would explain why the players love Baker. He doesn't make them work as much as other managers do so their "jobs" are easier.

[BigbadB]

That would explain why the players love Baker. He doesn't make them work as much as other managers do so their "jobs" are easier.

 

Yep. They love that they don't ever have to break into a sweat. The ability to go straight from the field to a 4 star restaraunt without having to hit the showers is wonderful.

[YearofDaCubs]

And there's people and writers out there that still defend Baker the bum.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Another reason why we need new management.

[daske17]

And there's people and writers out there that still defend Baker the bum.

 

Oh, let's not leave out the hitting, pitching, fielding, baserunning, random injury-avoiding coaches either. Toss the lot of them out onto Waveland.

[ROBBY51]

Just what is the function of a manager? To sit in the dugout chewing his toothpick?

 

No, it is to make sure his team has all the fundamentals down pat and then to make the game decisions needed.

 

If Dusty had what is hurting on Michael, he would schedule PRACTICES for three or four hours before the game until the team got the fundamentals down pat. He is the one who should announce that Boys tomorrow we are going to have bunting drills for 4 hours or we are going to be in the cage for four hours only hitting to right field. The manager sets the tone and Dusty isn;t doing it!

[cubfan1955]

Just what is the function of a manager? To sit in the dugout chewing his toothpick?

 

No, it is to make sure his team has all the fundamentals down pat and then to make the game decisions needed.

 

If Dusty had what is hurting on Michael, he would schedule PRACTICES for three or four hours before the game until the team got the fundamentals down pat. He is the one who should announce that Boys tomorrow we are going to have bunting drills for 4 hours or we are going to be in the cage for four hours only hitting to right field. The manager sets the tone and Dusty isn;t doing it!

Trust me...Dusty has set the tone. And not in a good way.

[3Dog]

"I'm here to win, not develop." - Dusty Baker

 

Translation: I'm only here to ride an up-and-coming staff of power arms so I can pad my winning percentage and add a WS ring to my resume.