great excuse for baker not playing the 9/1 callups

[abuck1220]

talking is not this man's strong point.

 

Whether they'll get a chance to play is questionable. The Cubs aren't likely to audition kids, even if they're out of the wild-card race.

 

"September is tough to evaluate because you see guys coming up and nobody knows them," Baker said. "They usually kill it, just like that young man [Victor Diaz] who beat us in New York [last September]. You come up in September and nobody knows you. That's really the easiest time to play. Nobody has a book on you. Nobody has a scouting report. After that, it depends on how you adjust."

 

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[Mad Ducks]

I feel like I am watching the MLB's version of the New York Rangers....play the vets, sit the rooks...

[Mike Aller]

Haha.

 

"WEHLL, THEY MITE DU 2 GUD SO WEEL HAVVE TO W8 TILL NEHXT YEER."

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

God, I want Dusty gone so badly.

[Chris]

:(

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Victor Diaz of the .264/.360/.497/.857 line in nearly 200 PA's this year? Good thing they got the word out on him.

[frostwyrm]

So Dusty won't audition kids in the middle of a playoff race, and he has also has reasons for not doing it after the race is over. So when do the kids play? Do we have to fall out of the race in July in order to develop a position player?

[Mark Priors Calves]

So Dusty won't audition kids in the middle of a playoff race, and he has also has reasons for not doing it after the race is over. So when do the kids play? Do we have to fall out of the race in July in order to develop a position player?

 

C'mon, dude, I play more young guys in spring training than anybody else, dude.

[Jon]

Victor Diaz of the .264/.360/.497/.857 line in nearly 200 PA's this year? Good thing they got the word out on him.

Hmm. The opposing teams must have sent some sort of illegal spies before hand to figure him out.

[abuck1220]

Victor Diaz of the .264/.360/.497/.857 line in nearly 200 PA's this year? Good thing they got the word out on him.

 

those #'s don't count since the teams still don't have 'the book' out on him yet. oh, but when they do....!

[AAApittsburgh]

So Dusty won't audition kids in the middle of a playoff race, and he has also has reasons for not doing it after the race is over. So when do the kids play? Do we have to fall out of the race in July in order to develop a position player?

 

C'mon, dude, I play more young guys in spring training than anybody else, dude.

Half my roster is rookies, dude. You haven't seen my track record.

[Crash]

Day by day I am just getting sicker about this manager. It is one thing for a manager to help destroy a season because of poor performance (Dusty isn't the major reason the Cubs are where they are but he has done nothing to improve the situation and has actively hurt the team many times). But we now have a manager that wants to help ruin future seasons.

 

Dusty always cries about how his rap about playing young guys is a fiction. But every time there is an opportunity to play a young player he is there with an excuse for not playing them. What is a september with no playoff chances but a testing ground for young players. If nothing else they let you rest your important vets (Lee, Ramirez, Prior, Zambrano) so you reduce the chance of major injury during meaningless games.

[Brian]

wait..... so dusty won't play the rookies in september because they'll do to well. :evil:

[Crash]

wait..... so dusty won't play the rookies in september because they'll do to well. :evil:

 

Yeah, I didn't even make that connection because of the other obvious stupidity in his statment. He is essentially saying he doesn't want to give playing time to players because they would have too much success.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

wait..... so dusty won't play the rookies in september because they'll do to well. :evil:

 

Yes, just think. If he plays a rookie and he does well, then people will expect him to actually let said rookie win a job in the spring. Dusty doesn't want to have to answer those questions in the spring when he starts retread vet over young guy with 50-75 September AB's, so he solves such a problem by not playing them in the fall either.

[Chris]

Since they won't be playing even if they do get called up, let the guys on the Jaxx stay in Jackson and win the Southern League Championship!

[Brian]

I mean dude look at Dubois last year, I had to play him when Sammy left and he hit a dinger and a triple, and all winter all the dudes were like dude are you going to play that kid. So I put him out there this year in a situation to succed, and they were still weren't happy. Look what happened to that dude.

[dalgreen]

Man, some of you take this September stuff too seriously. Any of you football fans? I don't generally watch a lot of baseball in September if the Cubs aren't in it, since it's football season. Okay, so you give Murton and Cedeno 25 starts in September and they do well. Does that mean you only pursue two outfielders instead of three in the off-season? If Cedeno does well, do you automatically give him the SS job next year? What if they do well in September then bust in spring training? I can see it in Milwaukee or Pittsburgh where they have seemed to get good, ready to play young guys like Bay, Duffy, Weeks, Hall, etc. But I'm not sure I'd put Cedeno or Murton in that class yet. Call me a cynic, but I am not impressed with our development of young position players in the minors. I could name the laundry list of players over the years to back up my doubt, but at least I'm hopeful in Murton only because he wasn't developed in the Cub system. I think Murton and Cedeno should be on the 25-man roster, but if we start them both next year, I'm telling you that would mean a bad offseason for the Cubs.

[YearofDaCubs]

It's to the point where I'm not surprised with Baker anymore. He has stepped over so many boundaries that it is beyond ridiculous. The Cubs organization are fools for having a manager like this on the team.

[MembersOnlyJacket]

Man, some of you take this September stuff too seriously. Any of you football fans? I don't generally watch a lot of baseball in September if the Cubs aren't in it, since it's football season. Okay, so you give Murton and Cedeno 25 starts in September and they do well. Does that mean you only pursue two outfielders instead of three in the off-season? If Cedeno does well, do you automatically give him the SS job next year? What if they do well in September then bust in spring training? I can see it in Milwaukee or Pittsburgh where they have seemed to get good, ready to play young guys like Bay, Duffy, Weeks, Hall, etc. But I'm not sure I'd put Cedeno or Murton in that class yet. Call me a cynic, but I am not impressed with our development of young position players in the minors. I could name the laundry list of players over the years to back up my doubt, but at least I'm hopeful in Murton only because he wasn't developed in the Cub system. I think Murton and Cedeno should be on the 25-man roster, but if we start them both next year, I'm telling you that would mean a bad offseason for the Cubs.

 

I don't think September performance changes the offseason approach at all. You still make the offseason a time to align the club to where you think you are procuring the best players you can for each position. Whether they come from the minor league system or through free agency should make no difference if they are ready to play at this level. The Cubs should know right now if they think Murton or Cedeno are ready to play every day next season. And, by the same token, there is no reason to call the kids up in September unless they are going to play everyday.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I interpret Dusty's comments to be completely self-serving (what's new ?). The young players are brought up (Murton, Cedeno, Hill, Brownlie, etc), he is instructed to play them every day, and they play well. At that point, he must answer the many questions that are sure to come with it and hear about how the club could have been if he played these guys everyday and how he doesn't like young players. Dusty is not a stand up guy, he's never taken responsibility while he's been here, he's never offered up answers to tough questions. In fact, he fears this situation because it exploits his weaknesses as a ML manager.

 

This is going to be the first September with the Cubs out of it (regardless of Dusty's delusions). We may learn a bit more about Dusty over the next 6 weeks.

[Larry Horse]

Man, some of you take this September stuff too seriously. Any of you football fans? I don't generally watch a lot of baseball in September if the Cubs aren't in it, since it's football season. Okay, so you give Murton and Cedeno 25 starts in September and they do well. Does that mean you only pursue two outfielders instead of three in the off-season? If Cedeno does well, do you automatically give him the SS job next year? What if they do well in September then bust in spring training? I can see it in Milwaukee or Pittsburgh where they have seemed to get good, ready to play young guys like Bay, Duffy, Weeks, Hall, etc. But I'm not sure I'd put Cedeno or Murton in that class yet. Call me a cynic, but I am not impressed with our development of young position players in the minors. I could name the laundry list of players over the years to back up my doubt, but at least I'm hopeful in Murton only because he wasn't developed in the Cub system. I think Murton and Cedeno should be on the 25-man roster, but if we start them both next year, I'm telling you that would mean a bad offseason for the Cubs.

 

If the Cubs don't play their young talent, how can they judge if they are going to be any good?

[UK1679666180]

Once again, I will be furious if the Cubs don't play the youngsters, half the team is unproductive and the other half is injured. 3 players merit staying in the lineup right now, Lee, Walker, and Barrett (assuming Ramirez is on the DL). The rest you know what they can do and given Patterson's struggles, I'd like to see him out there for the remainder.

 

But, I think we have a general idea of what Perez, Macias, Burnitz, & w Lawton can do.

 

Their combined production does not merit preventing what other younger possibly more capable players from showcasing their skills.

 

I figured this might be the only time Baker would start a rookie when he wasn't forced by the roster or injury, this isn't encouraging.

[BadKermit]

Do what I do whenever Dusty says/does the stupidest thing you've ever heard/seen. Chug a beer. I've been wasted since spring of 2003.

[tgk]

I don't post much, but I'm a regular lurker around here and I have to say that I thought a lot of the criticisms of Baker were excessive. While I didn't necessarily agree with his logic, I could at least see his point most of the time. However, his latest statements have left me confused and wondering what we can do to get a manager who fits what we need.

 

Let's review.

 

Playing Kids in Spring: Sure they look good, but the numbers don't really count because it's against other teams kids.

 

During the season: Can't sit the veteran, they've earned the right to be out there.

 

During a playoff chase: Can't trust the kids, no proven history. They may not produce. (But it's okay if a veteran doesn't produce, they've earned the right to work through it. Obviously he doesn't understand that all veterans were once rookies and had to be given an opportunity at some point. Not to mention, There are several young players producing in the penant races right now. Atlanta, New York Mets, Cleveland and Oakland come to mind. Of course, they don't bring the kids up before they're ready, which is what he implied the Cubs do a few weeks when asked about Atlanta)

 

When playing out the string: Can't do it, the numbers won't mean anything because it's against other teams kids too. Need guys who can help you. (help you do what? - Also, is it my imagination or did he imply that you shouldn't play them because they might do well?)

 

In short, Dusty needs to manage the Yankees where he has an unlimited payroll to have an above-average veteran at every position. I really think he'd do well there. But with the Cubs pipeline starting to finally produce position players (according to MacPhail and Fleirta) It's a little difficult to see his management style fitting with the players he is likely to be given.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Also, is it my imagination or did he imply that you shouldn't play them because they might do well?

 

This cracked me up too. It's almost as if he wants them to not play well. And if his logic is correct, wouldn't it make sense to capitalize on a player not having the "book" out on them? Apparently not according to Dusty.