This 'can't play at wrigley' is just more BS....

[WrigleyinEngland]

I've read a lot of articles recently (including comments in todays Herald) about Wrigley being a terrible place to play. This is just more BS from Baker and an inept group of players. On a windy day (blowing in) Wrigley shouldn't make you a poorer team it just finds out the one dimensional nature of a team and here comes that word again fundementals. If you can hit line drives and gappers, put on a hit and run, bunt people over it doesn't matter where you play. Teams like the Marlins come to Wrigley and torch us with speed at the top (pierre and castillo) they dont care where the wind is blowing. Difference is they make things happen , we just sit admire and chat about how we need to get better. I want some kick ass players who know how to get the job done. Players with Heat like Kent, Eckstein even Jeff Kent. These guys know how to win and hate losing. One more thing about Todd Walker , While i agree that he is cheap, i can do a job at being the biggest bitch in the clubhouse for$2.5 million. Despite his flattering stats how many times does he fail to get the runner over or try and hit a home run when all we need are base runners. Feel much better Now!!!!!

[WrigleyinEngland]

Sorry about the double Kent!!!!

[louisvillecub]

More pathetic excuses from Dusty. Now he's blaming the single guys on the team....

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-050928cubsgamer,1,7617354.story?coll=cs-cubs-headlines

 

Here's a delightful tidbit:

 

"...but they have to be more disciplined," Baker said. "I think it's more conducive to clean-living guys with families than it is for single guys who like to hang out.

 

"It's a lot more challenging here than anywhere. I thought about that this morning—the most challenging places to play for a young player are probably New York, Miami and Chicago because they stay open so late.

 

"You have other places that close at 1 o'clock or quarter to two, and if you were playing night games, then you could sleep in and get your rest in. But here, there would be some guys still here—not to mention any names—if we played more night games and they were more disciplined."

[waffle]

Dusty is SUCH a doofus.

 

good point above. Other teams come in here and beat up on us, and we play there 81 games a year! Again, this team is just WRONG, and Dusty is a major part of it.

 

ENOUGH EXCUSES! God I hate all the excuses! The fact that they are so stupid and lame just makes it more aggrevating!

 

Bring in Leyland. At this point I could use his laid back reserve.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Dusty has more excuses than embattled former-FEMA chief Brown. Maybe the two should get together for a drink.

 

I've been sick of Dusty for awhile, but it keeps getting worse. It's time for the clown to go.

[LuckyPup]

I'm sure the free agents are lining up to play at such a hole-thanks Dusty-you sir are a wiener head.

[neely crenshaw]

i know this is crazy but if we have a guy or guys that are not performing because they are out late drinking or chasing tail then do not play them. if they want to be professionals they need to be ready for a day game. they play 6 months a year and over 100 of them are night games, i am sure if you sent the message they could scale back a bit on the nitelife!

[RynoRules]

i know this is crazy but if we have a guy or guys that are not performing because they are out late drinking or chasing tail then do not play them. if they want to be professionals they need to be ready for a day game. they play 6 months a year and over 100 of them are night games, i am sure if you sent the message they could scale back a bit on the nitelife!

 

Or better yet - be a man and take responsibility. Work hard. Play hard. Do both. Make no excuses.

[cubbieinexile]

The marlins are not really a great example nor is the top of their order against the Cubs at home.

 

for isntance most of Juan Pierre's value against the Cubs at home came in again when the wind was hollowing out of Wrigley. He went 4/6, and Castillo's lone hit that day was a homer. In total 5 homers were hit that day.

 

That first series agains the Cubs the wind was blowing out rather fierce.

 

The second series saw Conine in the two hole and Pierre for all his speed it was unneccesary. First inning Pierre gets HBP steals second and Conine hits a double.

 

The next time Pierre is up Nomar makes an error and Pierre is safe, he later scores.

 

Third time he gets up he singles. Steals second and again a double knocks him home.

 

Pierres scores not because of his speed but because of his teammates hitting doubles and the Cubs screwing up.

 

The next game is probably the only clear cut of the little things being done to score. Pierre gets HBP, steals second, bunted over, and a sac fly brings him in. So the fundamentals have just scored the Marlins one run. But also fundamental Pierre grounded into a base loaded double play that ended an inning. So if he had simply been a "slugger: and hit the ball hard he would have gotten a sac fly and a run would score and there would still be one out left in the inning with two on.

 

 

The Cubs struggles have nothing to do with speed or wrigley. The Cubs just don't have good hitters or hitters that can stay healthy long enough to make an impact. If Nomar, ARam, and Walker stay healthy nobody cares about Wrigley and the wind because the team would have a winning record.

[frostwyrm]

Don't the White Sox play in Chicago too? Are the Sox all clean-living family men?

[waffle]

i know this is crazy but if we have a guy or guys that are not performing because they are out late drinking or chasing tail then do not play them. if they want to be professionals they need to be ready for a day game. they play 6 months a year and over 100 of them are night games, i am sure if you sent the message they could scale back a bit on the nitelife!

 

Mickey Mantle is rolling around in his grave.... But he's glad he's dead at this point. Sounds like another excuse and kinda puritanical to me.

 

Baseball players have been dogs since dinosaurs roamed the earth (or thereabouts..). Many of the were still able to hit, throw and run....

[JC]

Does anyone else get offended at this point with the crap Dusty is shovelling? Honestly, who believes this stuff outside of Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail?

 

So, the Cubs have 81 games a year at Wrigley. How many night game this year? 18? Thus, lets knock that number down to 63.

 

I haven't looked thoroughly at the schedule, but lets assume three game series were generally played. Thus, about 27 series were played at Wrigley. Most, if not all of those series end with "Get Away Day", that is, games played during the day so either the Cubs or the opposing team can travel. Therefore, that means 27 games have to be played during the day, and at least 18 are played at night. That leaves 36 games that are electively played at day.

 

But wait. Games of the week on Saturday national broadcasts or played during the day. Yet another unknown set of games that aren't due to the Wrigley Curse. Lets arbitrarily say that is about 6 games.

 

So, at the most, we are talking about 30 day games that have been attributed to Wrigley's daytime tradition, at the most. In addition, the number of night games gets boosted dramatically next year. Finally, other teams are subject to the exact same temptations as our beloved Cubbies.

 

The excuses from Baker are like stripes on a bass: too many to count even if you could catch the slippery bastards.

[LoneStarCubFan]

Dusty's comments in the Trib today were breath-taking in their stupidity.

 

Smoke another joint Dusty.

[louisvillecub]

Dusty's comments in the Trib today were breath-taking in their stupidity.

 

Smoke another joint Dusty.

 

It's pathetic....it seems like each day he grasps at straws and offers up another rationalization of a season gone bad.

[Derwood]

Ha ha ha! I posted in another thread that i was counting down until he used the "Rush Street Excuse"

[louisvillecub]

Ha ha ha! I posted in another thread that i was counting down until he used the "Rush Street Excuse"

 

You did say that yesterday, and I thought about your post this morning when I read the article, but I couldn't find it when I posted today's article up above!!

[abuck1220]

newest excuses...

 

the wind

 

I think one of the primary obstacles (to winning consistently) is the element of the wind and its direction,” he said. “That can change the outcome of the game. Some days the ballpark giveth, and some days the ballpark taketh away.”

 

the nightlife

 

“I think you have to be more disciplined. I think it’s more conducive to clean-living guys with families than it is with single guys who like to hang out and stuff. … There would be some guys still here, not to mention any names, if we played more night games and they were more disciplined.”

 

and a new one...gambling

 

“I can see and feel things,” he said. “People say, ‘Aw man, I wish you guys wouldn’t have given up those last 2 runs or whatever, the over-under is messed up.’ No, it’s true. Gambling is big now and it’s affected, I think, the way people look at the game and think. When we were kids, we had to hide in the basement with matchsticks and play poker. Now it’s on TV like it’s no big deal.”

 

 

wow...how does this guy get such a free pass. amazing.

[sethuel1]

Does anyone else get offended at this point with the crap Dusty is shovelling? Honestly, who believes this stuff outside of Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail?

 

So, the Cubs have 81 games a year at Wrigley. How many night game this year? 18? Thus, lets knock that number down to 63.

 

I haven't looked thoroughly at the schedule, but lets assume three game series were generally played. Thus, about 27 series were played at Wrigley. Most, if not all of those series end with "Get Away Day", that is, games played during the day so either the Cubs or the opposing team can travel. Therefore, that means 27 games have to be played during the day, and at least 18 are played at night. That leaves 36 games that are electively played at day.

 

But wait. Games of the week on Saturday national broadcasts or played during the day. Yet another unknown set of games that aren't due to the Wrigley Curse. Lets arbitrarily say that is about 6 games.

 

So, at the most, we are talking about 30 day games that have been attributed to Wrigley's daytime tradition, at the most. In addition, the number of night games gets boosted dramatically next year. Finally, other teams are subject to the exact same temptations as our beloved Cubbies.

 

The excuses from Baker are like stripes on a bass: too many to count even if you could catch the slippery bastards.

 

it's 30 night games this year.

[CubinNY]

The comments mentioned here and in other threads should be more than enough fodder to end Dusty's tenure in Chicago. But then this is the age of people in responsibility passing the buck.

 

injuries, day games, night games, broadcasters, electric fans, ticket paying fans, single ball players, when will this nonesense end?