You just knew this was going to happen, didn’t you? Jim Hendry finally gets fed up enough to unwittingly let the media know that he’s getting ready to drop the much overdue axe on Dusty Baker and his pathetic coaching staff, only to have the Cubs win four of the next five games, and incredibly, put the whole thing into doubt.
Forget for a minute that it’s patently absurd to think the Cubs would be dumb enough to base a decision this important on five days in July, especially in a game in which even the absolute worst teams can get “hot” for a week and still go 50-112.
Even if you are dumb enough to be swayed by five days worth of baseball, the Cubs won four games against two .500 teams in the weakest division in the game. They did it against a who’s who of brilliant starting pitching that included Roy Oswalt (who they scored one run off of), Chris Capuano (who they haven’t scored a run off in three straight starts now), and the great Dave Bush, Zach Jackson, and Doug Davis troika (combined wins in 2006 — 11, combined ERA…over five).
Nothing has changed. Oh sure, apparently Scott Eyre is walking around the clubhouse with shorts on his head and Jock Jones is pulling his pants up to his tits, but this is still a bad baseball team, led by a coaching staff that doesn’t know shit.
Everything that’s ever been wrong with Dusty Baker is still wrong. Nothing is ever his fault. Nothing. Incredibly, if you listen to him, it’s rarely ever the players’ fault either. It’s nobody’s fault? Then why do we even need a manager? If he can’t help or hurt anything, that seems like a lot of money to pay a guy just because he’s got lots of back taxes.
Yesterday I turned on the Score while I was in the kitchen and in the time it takes to nuke a Hot Pocket (and burn the living crap out of your mouth) I heard the brilliant Jesse Rogers interviewing Red Sox manager Terry Francona. Jesse asked Terry how the Red Sox still manage to win, despite using a lot of young pitchers. Terry’s answer would have made Dusty’s ears bleed.
He said:
It’s important for us to remember that player development doesn’t end when a guy is brought up to the big leagues. They have a lot they still have to learn, and it’s our job to teach them.
What? That can’t be. Dusty always tells us that if a young player doesn’t know something it’s not his fault. It’s the organization’s fault, or maybe it’s on the parents, or their American Legion coach in 1997.
You mean that there is at least one big league organization (more like 28) who thinks that one of the reason they pay coaches isn’t just so the manager has somebody to play gin rummy with on the plane, but they’re supposed to…uh…you know…coach? Incredible.
I felt like that bald Frenchman threw the World Cup by headbutting me in the chest after I heard that.
What it does is it points out just how clueless Dusty is.
One of the things you’ll hear Dusty’s defenders point out (and yes, incredibly, he still has some) is that his players are still behind him. He hasn’t “lost the clubhouse.”
Well, gee. You mean a bunch of millionaires enjoy playing for a guy with no rules, who coddles veterans like he’s the concierge at the Four Seasons? You mean they like that? You mean they’d rather have Dusty hanging out with them telling them Hank Aaron stories than risk him leaving and somebody who forces them to work coming in to replace him? I’m shocked.
I’m even more shocked that Dusty’s biggest defender is Scott Eyre–the fat lefty who signed with the Cubs because–I’m not making this up–you remember it–because Dusty doesn’t make him jog before games. I’m just stunned that he’s worried that Dusty will get replaced by somebody who doesn’t think it’s cute, or neat that a guy getting almost four million a year can’t do a fucking pull up.
The media (who, in Chicago are normally a useless bunch) had the temerity to ask Dusty that if he stays, if he’s going to be more open to playing young players in the second half.
It’s not like the question is important. It’s not like that when you’re so far out of first place that you need a telescope to find the Cardinals that you should take advantage of the fact that Major League Baseball forces you to play the entire season, no matter how bad you are, by playing guys who might be in your plans for next season. It’s not like last year the Cubs didn’t have the brains to give Nomar Garciaparra a half dozen starts in left field to see if that was a realistic option for him in 2006. And it’s not like he’s leading the National League in hitting and going to the All-Star Game tomorrow night.
See, Dusty thinks that by simply writing Ronny Cedeno and Matt Murton’s names in the lineups most days that he’s done his part. He thinks he’s actually accomplishing something. Never mind that Ronny’s pitch selection is getting worse by the day and nobody seems to be trying to do anything about it, or that Murton’s outfield defense is so bad that you might actually be improving it by putting the completely immobile Phil Nevin out there. In fact, had Nevin’s average not completely gone in the crapper around the time Derrek Lee came back, you’d have that useless geezer in left almost every day.
Dusty doesn’t get it, and he never has.
You want to know why he likes playing veterans? He won’t tell you, so I will.
When a veteran player screws up, who gets blamed? The veteran. It’s easy for a manager to dismissively say, “He knows better than that.” When a rookie does it, the manager’s job is to make sure it never happens again, when it does, people start wondering if the manager is a complete dope. In this case, he’s a complete, toothpick gnawing dope.
If Jim Hendry had any balls, the minute Dusty made this comment, he’d have been fired:
”If that happens and we lose even more, are you going to hold that against my record, too? While you are developing?”
It was in response the question about playing more young players. It’s just further proof that as long as Dusty stays in charge nothing will change. This isn’t about 2006 anymore and shouldn’t have been since mid-May. This year’s shot. Nobody disputes that. The way you run the team now, in the front office and on the field is all about trying to be a good team in 2007. Having a manager who thinks squeezing an extra win or two out of a team by playing washed up veterans isn’t going to accomplish anything. Is anybody going to care if the Cubs finish 66-96 as opposed to 64-98? Dusty seems to think they will.ÂÂ
The one positive is that so far we haven’t heard Jim Hendry say anything ridiculous like, “Hey, we won four of five! We’re good!” But you know it’s probably coming. If it does, we’re in the worst possible situation.
We end up having to root against them, hoping that if our version of rock bottom (where the Cubs are right now) eventually turns into their version of it (which has to be the depths of Hell) so that they make some actual changes.ÂÂ
That’s right, we’re entering Dave Wannstedt’s final days here. Days when you hoped that the short term pain of humiliation would give way to actual, tangible changes that would turn the team around.
The one thing I remembered about how I felt during those years is that I was mad at Wannstedt for one thing in particular. I was mad that he pushed me to a point where I didn’t care how the Bears were doing. Dusty’s shoved me to the same point.
If the Cubs are dumb enough to judge Dusty on a 4-1 run from July 5-9, they deserve each other. I’d prefer to judge him on 34-54, or 21-44 in their last 65 games, or even that sterling one friggin’ home win in June.
For all of the national media wondering why the Cubs would dare fire such a sage baseball man, here’s all you need to know. He’s part of the problem, and he’ll remain that way until he’s gone. Nothing gets fixed with him around. That ought to be enough reason…for anything.
But, but, but…..I haven’t had the chance to coach my team!
If I am not given perfection, you cannot possibly suggest that I make an effort to improve what isn’t there!
And what about the punishment I received for my walk/jog the first 60 feet?
Next time I’ll be sure to jog clear around first so maybe I can be safe at second instead of out at third.
They don’t practice, ever? Sign me up!
Those errors aren’t my fault, it’s the heat. I just cannot handle it.
I know the Donuts/pastries jokes get a lot of play here (and some feel it’s way OVER-played), but I can’t help but imagine that it was a platter freshly-baked of apple fritters, cinnamon rolls and French crullers that got Jim to smile so effusively in the picture.
I mean Christ, look at him. He looks like my 2-year old nephew when you put food in front of him.
Dishevelled, overweight and incompetent is no way to go through life. That is, unless you’re going to be in charge of the Cubs.
We talkin bout practice! Not a game. Practice!
A platter of freshly-baked of apple fritters, cinnamon rolls and French crullers! Uuuuuhhhhhh ooohhhhhhhh aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh
-spurt-
Does anyone have a Kleenex?
To the font for the last part of the Dose?
I got bigger.
I think I’ll have to investigate the method you used to get bigger there, Font.
Fear the mustache!
Me too, Font.
There’s really nothing more to say about the 2006 Cubs until the axe falls. Until then, everything is at a standstill, and no analysis or critique has value since the old regime will still be making the same tired and predictable decisions, which have written about in so many different ways as to make watching happy day reruns a better use of one’s time.
The only issue is WHEN, when will Hendry have the guts to do what must be done.
Help me out, Font. FAST.
Of course Prior hurt himself swinging a bat. That is a very unnatural thing for a Cubs’ player to be asked to do.
I should be changed to “Off to the DL with you”!
Getting injured while taking batting practice is my cover story when I can’t start because it’s ‘my time of the month’.
what do you mean I threw the world cup? I was named player of the tournament!
afterall, could you have asked for a better illustration of how I generate so much power into my headers???
Lay off Dusty, guys. It’s nearly impossible to win with rookies.
This is hilarious. eBay auction for Dusty’s autograph.
Suddenly with excess capacity.
I asked the seller if he had a ball signed by Dusty and Nefi. Alas, he did not.
The starting bid is $300.00? I was going to start the bidding at .27 cents.
Greg Couch said today that Mark Prior was on the “Owie” List. Then, he said, that’s childish, there is no Owie List. Maybe just a Disinclined List.
Guess I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Come on Geezer, .27 cents? a stamp cost 37. It’s gotta be worth that much.
And I can’t believe there’s not a Dusty/Niefi ball signature. Niefi’s lips never leave Dusty’s ass. Anyone here think that Scott Williamson didn’t know what he was talking about?
You mess with me and I’ll bite you….or hit you with a fungo bat. Whichever is more convinent.
Fire Dusty? I’m not taking sole blame for this season. As long as that moran is around all of the heat won’t be on me. Fire Dusty? Improve the team? F*** you Cub fans.
Dude, now that I am assured to be around the whole season, you are going to see some changes. First off, Murton is now the towel boy. Yosh is our new starting LF. Boy he sure did earn it. Next, we gotta get Neifi in the game, so he’s gonna rotate around 1 position per inning. And dudes, get this, I’m brining back the gremlin Jose Macais to play SS. Someone needs to show Ronny how to play baseball.
Remember, we owe it to the integrity of baseball to keep throwing veterans out there for some reason or another. One things for sure, we can’t throw up the white flag and let the teams that are fighting for playoff spots see our crappy young players.
I’m a veteran!
http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2516986
Okay, I’m gonna rant for a minute…
I’m sure everybody has heard by now that the Houston Astros have acquired 3B/OF Aubrey Huff from the Devil Rays for two so-so minor leaguers. They also fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti, sent OF Jason Lane to AAA and optioned UT Joe McEwing.
Why am I telling you this? Becuase Houston GM Tim Purpura said that they couldn’t continue on their current trend. That is, losing and poor hitting. So, he goes and gets a pretty solid and versatile (he can at least man several spots on the infield and in the outfield, but not at the same time because that would be a record or something) hitter, as well as releasing the club of it’s woes…namely, it’s hitting coach and an underachieving outfielder.
You could draw several parallels between the Cubs and Astros’s situations, although the Cubs are in much direr (is that a word?) straights. However, when a problem is spotted in Houston, at least some effort is put forth. Good God, why aren’t the assclowns at the head of the Cubs orginization axed? I may check on the progress of their second half periodically, but I really don’t give a rat’s ass at the moment. They can eat my ass with a spoon.
Not saying its excusable, but the Astros actually have a shot at the postseason still. The Cubs should have held people accountable in May, not now.
With Hendry and Baker and those guys holding onto me, I’m not sure which end of me gets the worst part of the deal.
#31 — I agree completely. That’s a great point. I think things should have been shaken up, by the latest, in June. But, I don’t care if you are in the Astros’ position or if you’re playing .200 ball, the fact is that when the blatant need for change arises, they must take place.
#32 — Nice.
Now that Dusty is sticking around is it safe for me to come back? I can’t stand eating sushi all day.
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A fed up fan.
Hey, Dusty, remember the HR I hit off of you guys the day after Neifi hit that HR off you guys? That was cool.
I hear you need a veteran infielder…
The Reds have acquired IF Brendan Harris, RP Gary Majewski, RP Bill Bray, SS Royce Clayton and RP Daryl Thompson from the Nationals for RF Austin Kearns, SS Filipe Lopez and RP Ryan Wagner.
Wow, the Reds are retarded. What are they thinking? But hey, Kearns was going to be a free agent in 2007. But, this is a terrible trade for the Reds and a steal for the Nats, except for the fact that Kearns enters a pitcher’s park.
So, are we no longer booing me today?
It is not just the fact that he is not going to do anything about Dusty or the dead weight on the team, it is that Hendry is self righteous about his position that really gets my billy goat.
They’re all assclowns and they need to be dropped. Even the Tribune Company…but, that won’t happen. I don’t know much about baseball business, but I do know that they don’t care if the Cubs win or lose. They sell out the stadium everyday, and the merchandise! It’s unreal…the Cubbies are one of “America’s” teams. I guess the Braves were the other. But, things are just getting out of hand. This is patheticness at its highest…no shumpy 3 game winning streak, or 4 out of 5 stretch is going to change the 100 loss season that is upon us.
Surprize! I’m back on the DL again. Now I’ll be able to get my nails done without having to worry about ruining them playing baseball.
Don’t worry Mark, they’ve decided that Rusch will take your starts. Uh, great? And you and Ryan Theriot will probably end up with a similar amount of playing time while you’re on the DL…
Went out to the propaganda site today, and noticed they let the Muskrat flex a little muscle on her “Midyear Report”. When you let the mouthpiece claim that Dempster had “brain cramps”, then that’s when you know it’s bad.
Ryan Theriot is a quality player. Give him a chance, Dusty!
I’m glad Glendon is taking my place. He’s a big beefy guy. He doesn’t break as easily as I do. And he’s always good for an inning and a third of work. Not out of the bullpen I mean as a starter.