Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

[shugknight]

Does anyone else at OS just totally despises (sp) Dusty Baker? I'm sorry but his philosphy of baseball is almost as bad as Isiah Thomas' philosphy on being a GM. he seriously has to go. and believe it or not this is all coming from a White Sox fan. He doesnt run his players. Hell I dont think he even knows the word steal. And when Hairston complained about the fact that Neifi Perez would start over him at 2B after Walkers injury, he blamed the media for the blowup by hairston. This guy is a complete bafoon. I think chewing on that toothpick has caused him to become a complete fool. Chicago needs to get rid of him in order for them to actually win or make it to the world series.
They got rid of the first problem (sosa) Now its time for this idiot to go!

[NumberOneRB]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

People who cast aspersions on Dusty Baker know nothing about baseball. The guy has done something in a years time that hadn't happened for them in a century. The Cubs were 4 outs away from the World Series and they choked. Then people complain that Dusty overworked Wood and Prior, that is a bunch of BS. Prior has pitched 200+ innings a total of ONE TIME in his career and already he's complaining about arm trouble. Wood has pitched over 200+ innings like 2 or 3 times in his career and he's hurting. Maddux has pitched 200+ innings I think every year in his career and he doesn't even have the physical qualities that Wood and Prior have size wise. And what about Carlos Zambrano? Nothing is wrong with him. He's not breaking down.......IN HIS MID 20s!!! How can two pitchers in their mid 20s be overworked and breaking down!?!? Give Baker a break. You think other managers dont' make mistakes or make bad moves sometimes? Some of the Cubs fans (not me, I'm a Sox fan) should be on their knees thanking God for a hall of fame manager like Dusty Baker, he's done more for the Cubs than any other manager has in the last decade.

[Thrasha]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

Dusty is an idiot

His (mis)management of the Cubs bullpen is mind numbing at times

I don't feel like going into a litany of reasons why I don't like him, I think he'd be a good bench coach. He seems to have a calming effect on his players, and will go to war with/for them. But when it comes down to managing he seems to make some rather questionable moves...***ss Ortiz in a game 7?

If I were a Cubs fan I'd be screaming for his head, luckily I'm not but I'd still like to see them lead by a more capable person

[glucklich]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

Does anyone else at OS just totally despises (sp) Dusty Baker? I'm sorry but his philosphy of baseball is almost as bad as Isiah Thomas' philosphy on being a GM. he seriously has to go. and believe it or not this is all coming from a White Sox fan. He doesnt run his players. Hell I dont think he even knows the word steal. And when Hairston complained about the fact that Neifi Perez would start over him at 2B after Walkers injury, he blamed the media for the blowup by hairston. This guy is a complete bafoon. I think chewing on that toothpick has caused him to become a complete fool. Chicago needs to get rid of him in order for them to actually win or make it to the world series.
They got rid of the first problem (sosa) Now its time for this idiot to go!

Tell me about it. Ive been complaining about this for two years. I remember when Lofton would be on first with no one out, instead of stealing and bunting him over with Grudz so he could score on a Sosa fly ball, hed have him stand there and then would have Lofton steal when it made little sense later in the game. Thats an easy run and it justifies Sosa swinging for the fences since you know hes going to anyway. Ive recently also posted how Dusty threw a run down the toilet by wasting a single by Nomar with Hairston at 1B. I also posted that I could see Brenly taking over by the end of the year. Unfortunately though, the front office will probably prove their incompetence by waiting too long. Yeah, the Cubs front office is into scapegoating and like hiding behind fall guys but its true, Dusty can not manage small ball which is what the Cubs need to utilize (to some degree at least).

[bkrich83]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

People who cast aspersions on Dusty Baker know nothing about baseball. The guy has done something in a years time that hadn't happened for them in a century. The Cubs were 4 outs away from the World Series and they choked. Then people complain that Dusty overworked Wood and Prior, that is a bunch of BS. Prior has pitched 200+ innings a total of ONE TIME in his career and already he's complaining about arm trouble. Wood has pitched over 200+ innings like 2 or 3 times in his career and he's hurting. Maddux has pitched 200+ innings I think every year in his career and he doesn't even have the physical qualities that Wood and Prior have size wise. And what about Carlos Zambrano? Nothing is wrong with him. He's not breaking down.......IN HIS MID 20s!!! How can two pitchers in their mid 20s be overworked and breaking down!?!? Give Baker a break. You think other managers dont' make mistakes or make bad moves sometimes? Some of the Cubs fans (not me, I'm a Sox fan) should be on their knees thanking God for a hall of fame manager like Dusty Baker, he's done more for the Cubs than any other manager has in the last decade.

Dusty is not now, nor will he ever be a hall of fame manager.

Prior and Wood are hurt all the time because of the tremendous torque they put on their arms, due to their pitching motions. Kerry Wood is an arm injury waiting to happen just because of his delivery. And that's after he adjusted the way he throws his slider. (You'll notice, the break isn't as sharp and doesn't have as much tilt as it did in his first year. )

[Thrasha]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

If I was Kerry Wood, I would do anything to find my way to Atlanta

Leo Mazzone is his only hope IMO to sustain a long productive career

Or he can stay with the Cubs, and soon be pushed in to a closers role in a year or so...

[NumberOneRB]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

Dusty is not now, nor will he ever be a hall of fame manager.

Prior and Wood are hurt all the time because of the tremendous torque they put on their arms, due to their pitching motions. Kerry Wood is an arm injury waiting to happen just because of his delivery. And that's after he adjusted the way he throws his slider. (You'll notice, the break isn't as sharp and doesn't have as much tilt as it did in his first year. )

You may think that Dusty can't be, but he sent his teams deep into the playoffs almost every year. That's a lot more than I can say about what the Cubs have done in the last century. You guys need to stop wining about this and dont' blame Dusty for the reason the Cubs didn't resign Alou or why they traded Sosa. Dont' blame Dusty for Alex Gonzalez screwing up on a routine ground ball during the divisional playoff, dont' blame Dusty for Bartman. Cubs fans always want to put blame on everyone else except the actual players playing on the field. Nefi Perez was put in the lineup at that time becasue he was a better hitter against lefties than Harriston. And Hariston sucks so it's not like it that big of deal (sure he can steal 30 bases, but what else?). And the team has only gotten worse on offense, then they claim that they will base this team around the pitching. But I thought the pitchers were overworked? How can you put the load on the pitchers when they haven't even showed the durability to carry the load? And now the Cubs have no closer, just problems everywhere. Everyone is so quick to jump on Dusty, and yet he's done more for this team since he's been here than has ever been done for them since they won the World Series about a century ago. Give the guy some time, he's only been there what, 3 years?

[poster]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

People who cast aspersions on Dusty Baker know nothing about baseball. The guy has done something in a years time that hadn't happened for them in a century. The Cubs were 4 outs away from the World Series and they choked. Then people complain that Dusty overworked Wood and Prior, that is a bunch of BS. Prior has pitched 200+ innings a total of ONE TIME in his career and already he's complaining about arm trouble. Wood has pitched over 200+ innings like 2 or 3 times in his career and he's hurting. Maddux has pitched 200+ innings I think every year in his career and he doesn't even have the physical qualities that Wood and Prior have size wise. And what about Carlos Zambrano? Nothing is wrong with him. He's not breaking down.......IN HIS MID 20s!!! How can two pitchers in their mid 20s be overworked and breaking down!?!? Give Baker a break. You think other managers dont' make mistakes or make bad moves sometimes? Some of the Cubs fans (not me, I'm a Sox fan) should be on their knees thanking God for a hall of fame manager like Dusty Baker, he's done more for the Cubs than any other manager has in the last decade.

You must be a Sox fan if you think that piece crap is a good manager. A pile of dog **** could have led that team to 88 wins last year. Besides the poor performance of some of the players, he alone cost us the playoffs be sticking with the jockey Wendell Kim who cost us at least 3 games, one of them was vs the White Sox. He cant manage a bullpen, makes terrable in game stratigic decisions, and blames the media for everything.

Oh ya he also seems to get amnesia alot. remember last year when the roids story started getting hot in spring training. He claimed he didn't know who Greg Anderson was. Thats funny, Giants beat writers saw him everyday in the clubhouse with Barry but you dont know who he is. His treatment of Sammy Sosa last year was downright disgraceful and embaressing. He already doubled switched for Nomar, never would he do that for the selfish cheating corky. Corky was the manager last year over the supposdly tough Busty.

The way he attacked the broadcaters was sad too. He claims he is old school. You think an old school baseball player would let his players talk **** like that to the broadcasters. The sad thing is that he fed the abuse and didnt stop it. You think that garbage happens under the watch of Cox, McKeon, LaRussa. hell no. And how about the fact that the 2004 Cubs were the worst fundemental team I have ever seen in 20 years of watching Cubs baseball. Jim Essian and Bruce Kimm had them playing better fundemental baseball than this jack***. He is a bald face liar and excuse maker. Just the sight of him pisses me off.

The final nail in the coffin is that he was the manager for 3 of the biggest choke jobs in baseball history all in consecutive years. What an accomplishment Busty.

Back to back winning seasons doesn't mean anything to me. i want them to win titles. They had it in 2003, and now the chance may never come back again.

[Thrasha]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

So NumberOneRB...If Baker is a HOF manager, you must think Grady Little is a 2nd Ballot HOF then maybe, huh?

Baker is a HORRIBLE mannager, I don't know what you see in that guy

[NumberOneRB]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

Poster, haven't you realized that up until these last 3 years, the Cubs and playoffs were never even said in the same sentence, let alone World Series title? When Dusty came and sent that team deep into the playoffs (4 outs from WS) Cubs fans began to beleive that they had a team that could win it all. It kills me how all of a sudden Cubs fans have become diehard Yankee-like fans. Before Dusty came it was like "Oh, the Cubs lose again, oh well, there's always next game, this is fun!" Then after Dusty finally showed the fans what this team is capable of, now their like "Every year I expect to win a World Series title, EVERY YEAR!!!" I could see if the Cubs were like the Red Sox and made it deep into the playoffs every year, but just couldn't make it to the World Series becasue the Yankees were always beating them. The fact is the Cubs don't have that same pedigree playoff-wise like the Red Sox and you guys should be grateful to even be gettin into the playoffs with that stacked division. And its not at all discraceful that Dusty moved Sosa down in the order, HE WAS NOT PRODUCING!!! And then Sammy goes and complains and whines about it while hitting like .210 with no RBI production, just his meaningless solo HRs with his ******** little hop like he did something. Then, when there's runners in scoring position, he just happens to not know how to bat and produce an RBI. Then Sosa shows his appreciation to the organization by walking out during the last game of the season, THAT IS DISCRACEFUL. Moving someone down in the order so he can get his hitting back, then putting him back where he belongs when he works the problems out is helpful. Walking out on your team in ANY capacity is just damn shameful.

[Thrasha]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

#1RB

Who gives a sh*t how far he took them? they didn't win anything...A baboon could have managed that team in to the playoffs (He'll thats basically what Dusty is)

He left Wood in too long in game 7, and his constant mismanagement of the bullpen and putting players in situations where they won't be succesful are all clear as day signs that he is a poor manager.

[poster]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

Poster, haven't you realized that up until these last 3 years, the Cubs and playoffs were never even said in the same sentence, let alone World Series title? When Dusty came and sent that team deep into the playoffs (4 outs from WS) Cubs fans began to beleive that they had a team that could win it all. It kills me how all of a sudden Cubs fans have become diehard Yankee-like fans. Before Dusty came it was like "Oh, the Cubs lose again, oh well, there's always next game, this is fun!" Then after Dusty finally showed the fans what this team is capable of, now their like "Every year I expect to win a World Series title, EVERY YEAR!!!" I could see if the Cubs were like the Red Sox and made it deep into the playoffs every year, but just couldn't make it to the World Series becasue the Yankees were always beating them. The fact is the Cubs don't have that same pedigree playoff-wise like the Red Sox and you guys should be grateful to even be gettin into the playoffs with that stacked division. And its not at all discraceful that Dusty moved Sosa down in the order, HE WAS NOT PRODUCING!!! And then Sammy goes and complains and whines about it while hitting like .210 with no RBI production, just his meaningless solo HRs with his ******** little hop like he did something. Then, when there's runners in scoring position, he just happens to not know how to bat and produce an RBI. Then Sosa shows his appreciation to the organization by walking out during the last game of the season, THAT IS DISCRACEFUL. Moving someone down in the order so he can get his hitting back, then putting him back where he belongs when he works the problems out is helpful. Walking out on your team in ANY capacity is just damn shameful.

Bro in regards to his handling of Sammy you got me wrong. I hate sammy and hate the way Dusty babied and protected him even when he sucked. He waited until late july until he moved him down. it should have been done in May. He kissed sammy's behind and made himself look like complete crap to protect him and then sammy walks out and criticizes him. Dusty then says he will change the way he handles players. We'll see.

I dont expect titles every year and dusty is not to blame for the lack of closer, but sammy and alou were not gonnamake us win. Alou is hurt and sammy sucks this year. The bottom line is that I hate him for all the reasons I described in the post above and I could go on. Do you listen to his quotes to the media everyday? How could anyone respect him after hearing one weeks worth of his bs. This team has what it takes to win and time is running out. 2003 was ours and we blew it, not all his fault but he brought in Dave Veres in game 7 insted of Zambrano or Clement. McKeon brought in Beckett, case closed. Got outcoached big time, as usual.

I want the Dusty who keeps his trap shut to the media and doesnt say stupid childish things. He was like that in 2003 but changed after the choke because he coudlnt handle the expectations. You're a Sox fan, you guys havent won in 90 years. Arent you sick of it. Werent you sick of Manuel and his sad sack mentality. I want to win, no matter what. i put to much into this not to get the results I am looking for. End rant.

[NumberOneRB]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

He left Wood in the game becasue WOOD WAS DOMINATING! Up until late into the game, Wood was unhittable. Why would you not leave Wood in the game in that situation? Especially if he says to you that he's fine and can finish the game. Who was the Cubs manager before Baker, Baylor or something? I guarantee that man couldn't do any better than what Baker did. I repeat, you say Baker is so much to blame, and yet the PLAYERS during the playoffs couldn't get the last 4 outs to win it. It's not about Baker leaving Wood in too long, it's about Alex Gonzalez not knowing how to field and grounder, Moises crying and compalining about a FOUL BALL that prolly wouldn't of even been caught anyway since Alou had like a handful or errors during the playoffs anyway (not counting the coutless errors he committed down the stretch of the regular season- Remember all the easy fly balls he dropped?), its' also about the main players not stepping up their game when it counted. Sure, the manager always should get a little blame for a team not doing what they need to do to win, but you can't deny the countless missed opportunities the Cubs had not only during the playoffs two years ago, but also down the stretch of last year. They couldn't even win games against the worst teams in the league. They had one of the best schedules down the stretch when it came to having the best opportunity to make the playoffs, and they couldn't even manufacture runs with runners in scoring position. The Cubs led the league I believe in HRs.......SOLO HRs, cause thats all they were able to do last year was jack up pointless HRs so that instead of loosing 3-0, they'd lose 3-1 or something like that. I'm not even a Cubs fan, but my uncle is a diehard fan and watches every game on tv as well as tapes them all, so I've been seeing Cubs games all my life.

[poster]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

He left Wood in the game becasue WOOD WAS DOMINATING! Up until late into the game, Wood was unhittable. Why would you not leave Wood in the game in that situation? Especially if he says to you that he's fine and can finish the game. Who was the Cubs manager before Baker, Baylor or something? I guarantee that man couldn't do any better than what Baker did. I repeat, you say Baker is so much to blame, and yet the PLAYERS during the playoffs couldn't get the last 4 outs to win it. It's not about Baker leaving Wood in too long, it's about Alex Gonzalez not knowing how to field and grounder, Moises crying and compalining about a FOUL BALL that prolly wouldn't of even been caught anyway since Alou had like a handful or errors during the playoffs anyway (not counting the coutless errors he committed down the stretch of the regular season- Remember all the easy fly balls he dropped?), its' also about the main players not stepping up their game when it counted. Sure, the manager always should get a little blame for a team not doing what they need to do to win, but you can't deny the countless missed opportunities the Cubs had not only during the playoffs two years ago, but also down the stretch of last year. They couldn't even win games against the worst teams in the league. They had one of the best schedules down the stretch when it came to having the best opportunity to make the playoffs, and they couldn't even manufacture runs with runners in scoring position. The Cubs led the league I believe in HRs.......SOLO HRs, cause thats all they were able to do last year was jack up pointless HRs so that instead of loosing 3-0, they'd lose 3-1 or something like that. I'm not even a Cubs fan, but my uncle is a diehard fan and watches every game on tv as well as tapes them all, so I've been seeing Cubs games all my life.

Wood had nothing left in game 7 and didnt even last 5 innings. He gave up 6 or 7 runs. Don't know what games you were watching. Have your uncle pull out that tape. We could argue all day, you are missing my points though. He is a terrable manager. Good talking with you, take care

[ChicagoNVA]

Re: Dusty Baker: Love him or Lose him

Wow a lot of Dusty Baker haterism....

I don't have anything against him....

Go Cubs.. and prove the DB haters wrong!!