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Unfriendly Confines

By S Smith, Section MLB
Posted on Thu Jul 06 2006 at 10:55 AM EST
More on: Dusty Baker, Chicago Cubs, Jim Hendry (all tags)

The Chicago Cubs are experiencing yet another losing season, and the blame is squarely on the shoulders of two men: Steve Bartman and Dusty Baker.

The Chicago Cubs walked off the field at Minute Maid Park Tuesday night after a 7-2 loss to the Houston Astros, probably wondering where it all went wrong. Manager Dusty Baker was probably wondering if he would have a job next week. His Cubs have a 94 million dollar payroll yet reside 2 games out of last place in the NL Central with a 30-53 record. Staff aces Kerry Wood and Mark Prior have started a combined 8 games and have won only one of them. This is not a typo -- Wood and Prior who will make a combined 15,650,000 dollars this season have one win between them and ERAs over 4.00. The offense is just as horrific as star first baseman Derrek Lee has only played in 24 games, and right fielder Jacque Jones and catcher Michael Barrett are the only regulars hitting .300.

The Northsiders rank dead last in the NL in runs scored and are heading for their third straight playoff absence. The Cubs are to say the least a club in disarray and an undesirable offseason firesale seems to be the only logical course of action to infuse an overpriced, wayward roster with young talent. Baseball America rates the Cubs farm system 15th, not good for a franchise rated number 1 as early as 2002. For answers look back to a fall night three years ago when one of the most catastrophic events in Chicago sports history occurred.

Oh the dreams Dusty Baker must have about Steve Bartman. You have to remember all-time sports goat Steve Bartman whose interference with a foul ball intended for Cubs outfielder Moises Alou sparked a Florida Marlins offensive output known in the city of Chicago as "The Inning". The Marlins, down 3-0 at the time of Bartman's blunder recovered to score eight runs in the 8th inning and win of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. Two nights later they came back again from down 5-3 in the 5th inning to win Game 7 and advance to the World Series where they upset the heavily favored New York Yankees in six games. 1st division title in 14 years, 21 game turnaround, all the things Baker and the Cubs accomplished in 2003 evaporated into the Chicago sky along with the hope of a city without a World Series championship since the infancy of the 20th century. Cubs fans around the globe could not help but to feel that the "Curse of the Billy Goat" was upon them once again.

Despite winning more games the next season the Cubs finished 16 games out in the NL Central and three games out of the NL Wild Card to miss the postseason for the 5th time in six years. After a losing season and another October at home for the Cubs in 2005 speculation about manager Dusty Baker's job security crept up and now the heat is intense as Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry will take the All-Star break to mull over the Cubs future. Many decisions will be made, even possibly the firing of Dusty Baker.

Baker has often been criticized by fans and the media for his overuse of pitchers Prior and Wood, as well as for racial comments pertaining to which races perform better in heat, and his lack of support for Chicago's other baseball team the White Sox before their 2005 postseason run. Baker left the San Francisco Giants for the after a 2002 season in which he led them to Game 7 of the World Series before falling to the Anaheim Angels after being offered 4 year 15 million dollar contract.

Dusty Baker's contract expires at the conclusion of this season and it would be best if Jim Hendry sent Baker on his way so the rebuilding process the Cubs badly need can get underway. Dusty Baker will land on his feet and be managing a team next season, where however is anyone's guess. For a ballclub that was only 5 outs away from a World Series berth in 2003 the road back to prosperity will be long and winding with many difficult hurdles, a road Cubs fans know all too well.

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Unfriendly Confines | 7 comments (5 topical, 2 editorial, 0 hidden)

This is why the Cubs are losers... (#3)
by RJ Warner on Thu Jul 06 2006 at 6:03 PM EST

because they blame other people for their losses. Waaaaaaah! It was the goat's fault....Waaaaaaah! It was Bartman! Waaaaaah! The Cow started the fire! Waaaaahhh!! (Ok, cheap shot there). But anyway, your just now realizing how terrible of a manager Dusty Baker is?

At least in Pittsburgh, we attack our own players and management before we blame the outside world. We know the Pirates suck. But not because of some "curse" or nerd (who btw didn't make an error at short or melt down on the mound or didn't bother to run out any ground balls). The Cubs believed their own hype. Only when the Red sox stopped giving a shit about it did they win.

My point is that it's ok for you to be pissed at Bartman (as misguided as it is to be) but not for Dusty Baker, Alou or Prior. Remember Baker's infamous "it was about fan interference" quote after game 6? He should have been fired right after that series. How dare he deflect criticism to a FAN.

Baker (#4)
by Leslie Monteiro on Fri Jul 07 2006 at 4:46 AM EST

I like Dusty personally. I thought he was awesome with the Giants, but this was not his best work as a Cubs. He did not do a good job leading that team. I don't think it's all his fault, but there is no way he can go blameless for what has went on. Sadly, Cubs won't be any better with a new manager. That organization needs develop better young players like what the Twins and Indians are doing. I still think Dusty can manage. He will probably do well for another team like say Arizona if they fire Bob Melvin. I know Dusty and Diamondbacks CEO Jeff Moorad know each other since Moorad used to be his agent.

: Dusty (#5)
by JDWC on Fri Jul 07 2006 at 1:52 PM EST

Dusty isn't that great of a manager...He didn't have to do anything on the Giants. If Barry Bonds was on your team back then, you just had to insert 8 more guys around him and he pretty much carried the team through the season. Not a tough job.
J.D.
[ Parent ]

Yeah, what they said. (#6)
by Garrett Rudolph on Fri Jul 07 2006 at 10:56 PM EST

And while we're laying blame let's not forget to blame Mark Prior's college coaches for making him throw too many innings, let's blame the doctors for not being able to fix Wood, let's blame Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark for 1989, and Jim Belushi for being an outspoken Cubs supporter.

: ...continued (#7)
by JDWC on Sat Jul 08 2006 at 8:43 PM EST

We can also blame whoever designed Wrigley Field. They ovbiously should have made more foul territory and less seats down the left field line. And how about the Marlins' batter who hit the foul ball? Why isn't he getting blamed, I mean honestly, who hits a pop-up there? And what in the world was the manager/pitching coach/catcher (whoever was calling pitches) thinking!!!??? If they had just called another pitch it never would have happened!
J.D.
[ Parent ]

Unfriendly Confines | 7 comments (5 topical, 2 editorial, 0 hidden)

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