Too Lttle Too Late

Wasn't that an exciting finish last night? The Cubs, down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, got a leadoff homer from Fast Freddie"Boom Boom" Bynum, and then a clutch walkoff single by Hank White, to lift the Cubs to a thrilling comeback 3-2 win over Milwaukee, keeping pace with the Cards, Stros, and Reds for the NL Central title.....
Oh wait, that's right. The Cubs have been out of it since May, so that was merely a meaningless win in the 9th inning by one team that hasn't cared for months over a team that doesn't care by now either. Ho Hum. Well, at least on the desipio message boards, Well, at least on the desipio message boards, someone pointed out that someone seated behind the plate held up a "Hendry Sucks" sign during the 9th inning rally. That had to be worth a few laughs. Kudos to the sign guy.
Andy Dolan at Desipio did a good job wrapping up this putridness, and the fact that we all will be back for more abuse next year. We were talking at home today about how the Cubs will sign overpaid lousy for next year. Personally, I keep coming back for the same reason I buy the same lotto numbers 3 times a week - because if I stop, they'll come up. I I stop rooting for the Cubs, they'll win.

Jason, Freddie & the Stros

Remember all those Friday the 13th movies, the Freddie Krueger movies, or the Scream series? You know what I'm talking about. The horror movie where the killer/slasher character gets killed about 10 different times, 10 different ways, and yet, at the end of the movie, he's still alive. Stabbed, clubbed, shot, anvil dropped on his head, doesnt matter, he survives them all? Well, the Houston Astros are the baseball equivalent of that. In 2004, they were 7 out in late August until they dusted the Cubs 3 out of 4 in Chicago and went on to win the Wild Card. Last year, they were like 15-30 in May and recovered to again win the Wild Card, and then the NL pennant, losing to the Sux in the Series. This year, they are poised to complete their most remarkable comeback of all. After being 8 1/2 games out 9 games ago, they are now 1/2 game out of first from the Cardinals, who while Houston has been 9-0, they have gone 1-8. Genius LaRussa must be out of his mind by now. As much as I hate to root for them, Go Houston!

He Better Get His Hiking Gear Ready

I sure hope Mark Prior doesn't get a nosebleed from the climb.

Mark Prior, who has been sidelined with tendinitis in his right shoulder, threw again on Sunday, and hopes to throw off a mound before the season ends. Prior will not appear in a game again this year

I'd cut his salary 20%, without a doubt, if it were up to me. That should get his attention.

Did I Start My Offseason Early?

No, I just haven't felt like writing anything. Time to catch up somewhat.
First item, as a parent, I know that when your child is hurting or ill, you wish it was you instead, so your child won't be suffering. I imagine Derrek Lee probably feels that way right now. Having seen him on TV (interviews and ESPN's Teammates (him and Dempster)), and having met him at the Equinox fitness club in my building in April (before the broken wrist), I have to say he seems like a really down to earth, nice guy. It truly is awful what his daughter is going through right now, and our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family right now, Derrek. Also, he may not have been the best pitcher, but our thoughts and prayers are with Glendon Rusch for his ordeal.

Now, here's Ask Paul. I espeially liked this one:

"Baker was told most laptops have spellcheck programs. 'Spellcheck?' he replied. 'There ain't no 'ballcheck' out there.'" Then what's Carlos Zambrano doing after every pitch? --Alan Snider, DeKalb, Ill.

Touché, Alan.

Finally, for now, Baker said some other stupid things this week but I can't find any of them. I guess on Comcast Stupid Trib Show with Dan Jiggles, Baker said he wouldn't have done anything different the last 4 years. Go figure.

The World According To Baker

Dusty cries on Paul Sullivan's shoulder:

When he first was put on the firing line on the 4th of July in Houston, when Hendry said he would evaluate Baker and his coaching staff over the All-Star break, Baker made reference to what he calls "the black box of blame."
To some, Baker was implying the reason for the wreckage of 2006 eventually would be revealed after his departure, whether it was pilot error or mechanical failure, i.e., the makeup of the team.
Either way, Baker believes Chicago sports fans tend to blame the leaders when things go bad, rather than the athletes.
"They don't criticize the players as much as they criticize management and the manager, from what I've seen," he said. "It has to fall on somebody."

You really have to love how Baker won't ever admit he did anything wrong.

Baker plans to write a book someday about his career in baseball. The Cub years, he said, will merit only a chapter.

"I have a lot of chapters on a lot of stuff," he said. "I've always thought about it. Someday I'll write my memoirs, maybe go up to a mountain someplace.

"There has been some stuff that has happened here, some instances and occurrences where the truth was told but nobody really believed what I was saying on a few things. I've tried to be as honest as I can on every subject that has come up. There have been a few times when you took the fall for it, so you just go on, no problem."

What is his legacy?

In his four years in Chicago, Baker has seen dozens of players come and go. With Wood and Prior on the disabled list, Carlos Zambrano is the only player remaining from his first spring training in 2003.

Baker undeniably changed the Cubs' culture almost overnight, helping the franchise ditch its lovable losers image and ushering in a cocky, confident attitude during the sweet summer of 2003.

But as expectations rose and lofty goals went unmet, criticism grew, turning Baker into a victim of his own success. After watching the postseason collapse from a 3-1 lead over Florida in the 2003 National League Championship Series, Baker presided over the final-week implosion in '04 that one Cubs pitcher simply refers to as "the meltdown," followed by two injury-plagued, underachieving seasons.

If this truly is Baker's last dance here, what will be his legacy on the North Side?

The dreamlike season of '03? Game 6? Soap operas involving Baker vs. Sammy Sosa, Baker vs. Tony La Russa or Baker vs. Steve Stone? The injuries? The walks? Neifi Perez?

Baker isn't saying.

"I'll tell you when that happens," Baker said. "I haven't thought about it, really."

No matter what happens, Baker will go down as the only Cubs manager since 1908 to win a postseason series, and one of only two managers since 1945 to bring the Cubs within one game of a World Series (Jim Frey was the other, in 1984).

"That was soon forgotten, very soon fogotten," Baker said. "That was my goal when I got here, for us to win the World Series. That's always my goal.

"Sometimes things are in your control, and sometimes, as much as you hate to say it, things are out of your control. You learn to deal with the things you can control. It doesn't make it any easier. It doesn't make life very pleasant, actually.

"But on the other hand, life is still good. Life is real good."

Well, Dusty, you were paid $15 million to be here the last 4 years. You got your way on just about everything - from getting rid of Sammy, Farns, and others to being left alone by most of the media. You're just mad about the ones who see you as the fraud you are. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, and don't count on too many book sales in Chicago, especially if you write like you manage.

In Defense(?) Of Ron Ce

By any standards, Ronny Cedeno has had a terrible year. Going by memory, I think he started off hitting OK, then it just seemed to pretty much go south for him. Apparently, much of his defensive skills went with his hitting, as he seems to make many more fielding and throwing errors than he used to. However, perhaps if he had a more nurturing manager than Dusty "The Career Killer" Baker, and had coaches that could, you know, coach, he might have had a better chance of working through his struggles. Indeed, it sure seems, to me at least, that Dusty is all too willing to throw Cedeno under the bus, as he has made many more comments about Cedeno's mistakes than those of players who should know better, such as "Fast" Freddie Bynum, Jacque "Itchy" Jones, and Juan "4-3"erre. If you believe Baker, Ronny's struggles are the primary reason the Cubs have resumed their expected position as Doormats of the National League. Of course, what organization other than the Cubs would have spent the previous offseason going on and on and on and on about how Cedeno is playing second in Venezuela winter league, only to have it turn out that his "playing second" amounted to not much more than taking grounders there before games, as there is no record of him playing there in any games. Then, when Dunkin Hendry trades Maddux for a 4.5 million no-hit shortstop and has Baker move Ron Ce to second, only to have the new shortstop suffer the inevitable injury as a Cub (is that how Cub players earn their stripes - by going on the DL?), Ron Ce has to go back to short, thereby totally screwing the plan to get him acclimated to second. No wonder the poor guy is so screwed up - who wouldn't be getting jerked around like that? For Ronny's sake, he needs to get away from Baker. For the Cubs sake, that will be accomplished by Baker and the Cubs parting ways on October 2nd. For Cub fans sake, the Cubs won't decide to make one of their cockamamie decisions to trade Cedeno because life as a Cub is too tough, because he seems to have talent. He did good in limited playing time in 2005. I don't see why with a better manager and coaching staff, he can't be good again.

Kingmakers

Who knew the Cubs would play a prominent role in the postseason picture? If youl ook at the American League Central before today's games get started, these are the standings:

Detroit 87-59 ....
Minnesota 85-60 1.5
White Sox 84-62 3

Detroit and Minnesota went 3-0 against the Cubs, while the crosstown team went 4-2 in 6 games. Without the games vs. the Cubs, the standings are:

Detroit 84-59 ......
Minnesota 82-60 1.5
White Sox 80-60 2.5

If the teams finish this way, the Sox will be able to complain they had too many games vs. the Cubs. Or, they can be mad that they didn't play better against them. Not too many teams can say that this year - maybe the Dodgers or Cardinals I suppose.

Thank you, Anthony Casaccio, Wherever You Are...

For being the first customer (not named me) to purchase one of my T-shirts from CafePress, almost a month ago. I really need to check my sales reports more often. I just hope you like it enough not to return it.

L, W, W, L - what else is new? Oh, the 2 W's

But it looks like things are back to normal tonight. Yesterday, they actually played like major leaguers, and came back from 7 runs down to win against the Dodgers. Too often this year, it's been them giving away 7 run leads.
Anyway, I caught the very end of Sunday's game on the car radio. I thought it interesting that for the game totals at the end of the game, the music intro was Eric Clapton's Cocaine. I'm not sure if 'GN radio was suggesting that for anyone stupid enough to be a Cub fan (like me).
Another thing about the radio broadcasts, where the hell did Old Style find these "comedian and Cub fans"? It would be a good commercial if any of them were actually funny. How about if the comedian said something like "It's a good thing Cub fans don't come to the game armed. After a few Old Styles, there'd be a massacre on the field to match the one on the scoreboard". Or maybe "Cub fans like getting smashed on Old Style. After all, it's cheaper than heroin or cocaine, and not quite as addictive".

That Wacky Baker......

Is at it again:

Aches and pains: Shortstop Cesar Izturis is close to being activated from the disabled list. Izturis, sidelined with a strained hamstring, could be back in the lineup on Monday or Tuesday.

When he does return, who plays second -- Ryan Theriot or Ronny Cedeno?

"We'll see," manager Dusty Baker said. "Theriot is playing pretty good. We're in the producing business. We'll just have to deal with that when it gets here."

3-17 in the last 20 is producing?

Guzman's problem on Friday was too many fastballs down the middle of the plate. That's too tempting for big-league hitters.

"The solution is, we have to continue to work with our young pitchers and continue to work with them on their control and keeping the ball down and proper mechanics to make a quality pitch," Baker said. "It's on-the-job training for a lot of these guys, and we have to keep training them."

When do you think you and Fraudschild will start, Dusty?

The really shameful thing is that Muskrat and some of the others eat this garbage up like raccoons in a trash dempster... I mean trash dumpster.

More "Deep" Thoughts:

Which Notre Dame football game this year will Jeff Samardjza get driven into the turf right shoulder first, causing a seperation?

If you were Joe Girardi, would you want to be the next manager of this franchise?

Would anyone?

How is it that Dusty Baker realizes that his pitchers are having problems because of walks, but for his hitters they just "clog" up the bases?

Don't they clog the bases for the other team?

Or is it because his pitchers are "all young"

Is it OK when his veterans walk guys for some reason?

Is it any conicidence that Jim Morris, the player that the movie The Rookie was about, came to the big leagues with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, managed by Larry Fraudschild, and retired less than 2 years because of his shoulder?

Finally, why aren't any of you shopping at my Cafepress store? I think my slogans are funny. Anyone else?

Anyone?

Is this mike on? Hello?

Piggybacking

Bruce Miles column from today with a few of his thoughts and a few of my own:

•Does Hendry realize that he needs to go out and get not one but two proven starting pitchers this coming off-season?

•Does he also realize that he must think of Kerry Wood (if he comes back) and Mark Prior as bonus items and not givens for next year?

•Do the Cubs now realize that having “athletic” guys is nice and all if you’re putting together a track-and-field team, but what they really need are hitters to hit in a hitter’s park?

•What part of “on-base percentage” will the Cubs begin to understand first?

•Ditto for “slugging percentage?”

•Do the Cubs now realize that if you get enough runners on base via hits and walks (yes, walks), you’ll score a lot of runs and win ballgames?

•Have the Cubs finally figured out why Derrek Lee had “only” 107 RBI last year, despite winning the National League batting title at .335 and hitting 46 home runs?

•Was it because they didn’t have enough on-base-percentage guys on base for him?

If the Cubs pitchers faced Cub hitters, what would be the outcome?

Would the pitchers get the hitters out on 9 or less pitches per inning?

Would the hitters take the pitchers pitches that aren't anywhere close to the plate?

Could the Lemont, IL Little League show them proper fundamentals?

How about the corporate types working out at Wrigley before games?

Could they find some Sr VP of a oompany with a better arm than Jok Jones?

If Baker gets fired and goes home, will he find some 18 year old kid to be Darren because he's got that experience,dude?

Two balls, one beat reporter

Of all the Cub beat reporters, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald is the only one with the balls to call Dusty out consistently on his inconsistencies. Witness his story of yesterday's game First there was mention of how the Cubs don't take extra practice before the game to cover things like fundamentals:

The Pittsburgh Pirates did all they could to climb out of last place Tuesday.

Hours before their game against the Cubs, the Pirates commandeered Wrigley Field to take extra batting, infield and outfield practice, something the home team has done precious little of this season.

Then he points out how Baker defends Juan 4-3erre when he does the same thing that Ryan Theriot did last week to incur Baker's ire:

The Cubs came back to tie it with a run in the third, 2 in the fourth and 1 in the fifth. They had a chance to go ahead in the eighth when Juan Pierre singled with one out and stole second base. But Pierre got himself thrown out trying to steal third, and the Cubs came up empty.

Baker carried on for two days criticizing rookie Ryan Theriot about a similar play Aug. 22. However, he seemed to defend the veteran Pierre.

“Well, I mean, Juan is on his own,” Baker offered. “He has a pretty good idea when to run. He didn’t get a real good jump on that ball. On that one he usually gets an outstanding jump. Just a tough night.”

See Dusty, it's your inconsistently unfair handling of your players, not your race, that make most of us hate you.
Finally, Bruce mentions this about Felix Pie:

Pie unhappy: Farm director Oneri Fleita said Tuesday that outfield prospect Felix Pie is unhappy about not being called up from Class AAA Iowa in September.

“He was probably the only guy who wasn’t called up,” Fleita said. “But he’s a good kid and will turn it into a positive, which is what you would expect.

“I couldn’t ask anything more from him the last three or four weeks. And I felt like he’s been a catalyst. He had 15 home runs and 5 this last month when it counted. He wasn’t going to play a lot (with the Cubs). I want to see him get his head together, get some time off and have a great winter.”

Pie will head to Arizona to work with former Cubs center fielder Bob Dernier to work on his baserunning, bunting and the “finer points of the game,” Fleita added. From there, Pie will go to winter ball and play for Von Joshua, the Cubs’ hitting coach at Iowa.

This is actually the best thing for Pie and the Cubs. The Cubs can start his ML service time next season, probably a few weeks into the season, and Pie will stay out of harms' way as far as Baker and the coaching staff ruining him.

All in all, thanks, Bruce, for not being afraid to tell it like it is!

Come From Ahead

After tonight's 6-5 loss to Pittsburgh, meet your last place Chicago Cubs. It took them most of the season, but they undercame a 7 or 8 game lead to take over last from Pittsburgh. It was kind of funny that Baker got a little pissed at Salomon Torres for celebrating the end of the game last night. If I were Torres, I would have done the macarena after tonight's game.

After this terrible season, it's good to see the Cubs regain their rightful place as Doormats of the National League

Out Of His Element

This particular post has nothing to do with the Cubs, which may make it more readable. For those of us who work for corporations, there is that idiotic coporate mentality forced on us by the scumbags that generally make up Senior Corporate Management that want us to step out of our element and "challenge" ourselves to do things we would never think to do otherwise. When I worked at Sears in the late '80's, senior management had a hard on for something called Act II, which part of the "training" was having managers go to a corporate retreat and do completely retarded stuff like have everyone tell some secret about themselves,rappel down a wall, or ,and this is the best one, climb up a pole, stand on a round disc at the top, and jump off into a net. Fortunately, the rank and file managment had more sense than senior management did, and most of us never had to to that shit. It's just so typical of the bloodthirsty, psychotic assholes that run companies to cut benefits, freeze or limit raises, and then encourage their "valued associates" to "expand their horizons" and do "exercises" to "prepare them for change", which is just another way of "cutting our throats". Anyway, if your company's management wants you to do something "outside your normal routine", keep this in mind. The Crocodile Hunter was killed doing something outside of his area of expertise, which is crocodiles.

Which Is Worse, The Team Or The Paper? It's A Toss-Up Right Now

After reading the garbage from Gramps Verdi yesterday, then there's this total piece of shit from Rick Morrissey today , with these dingleberries strewn in:

You would think Baker had been the captain of the ExxonValdez instead of the manager of a foundering, no-talent team.

The same no-talent team that this clown picked to finish first this year.

To say the public anger toward him is disproportionate to his perceived sins would be to say an elephant is slightly larger than a flea.The volume on the criticism is so high now, the attacks so personal that you wonder what the guy has done to possibly bring this on. And if you don't jump on board the Hate Train, there's something not quite right about you. You're certainly not a tough guy. Tough guys chew up people like Baker and spit them out.

His "perceived" sins are many. He's a stubborn, idiotic manager who never understood the concept of putting your guys who are best at getting on base by any means,at the top of the lineup in order that they come up to the plate more than the guys like Neifi, who never met a pitch he didn't like to swing at, who gave guys like Neifi, Jose Macias, and Freddie Bynum WAY more at bats then they deserved, and who was scared to death to give a young guy a chance, favoring giving playing time to known mediocrities. And that doesn't even count how he's decimated the young pitching stars.

If-when—general manager Jim Hendry lets Baker go, it will be a mercy killing. Baker should thank him. He deserves better than he has gotten, from his players and from fans. He deserves his dignity.Could the majority be right and we in the minority be wrong? Of course. There's room for that, at least on this end. But the other side doesn't want to hear a defense of Baker.

There is none.

It doesn't want to hear about a team that has been decimated by injuries. It doesn't want to hear that Hendry's failure to acquire starting pitchers is the true reason this franchise has stumbled the past two seasons. It doesn't want to hear about the misguided decision to give closer Ryan Dempster a three-year, $15.5million contract extension last fall.

They have been, in part Baker's doing, in part bad luck. It seems like other teams are able to battle through injuries where the Cubs just fell flat on their face. I say that's on the manager. Hendry did indeed blow it when his backup plan to Prior and Wood was Rusch and Jerome Williams, and most fans will acknowlege that. Since Dempster saved 33 of 35 last year, at the time it didn't seem like such a gamble. I don't know whether Dempster's free fall was from lak of consistency or lack of consistent opportunities, but it has been brutal. Still, when Dumpster sucked, Baker had other options. Where the lineup was concerned, Baker blew it. When the rotation floundered, Baker and his staff didn't meet the challenge. That's why,Rick, the Cubs need to let Baker go. That's why, Rick, your column is horseshit. Finally, your columns, Verdi's, and most of the other so-called columists and jounalists are why the Trib is hemorraging money. I ould pull better columns out of my ass than you guys could.

Hans Moellmann

When I read this about Michael Barrett, I thought of The Simpsons Man Getting Hit By Football where Hans Moellman gets hit in the groin with a football and says "Oh, my groin" and just falls over in pain. Anytime a medical term has any part of the word "scrotal" in it, you know it can't be good. I also thought of the scene in "Derailed" with Clive Owen and the guy shaking him down. If you saw the movie, you know what I'm talking about. If not, go to this site and buy it,. it's an excellent thriller that co-stars Jennifer Anniston. Anyway, my best wishes to Mike for a speedy recovery. To say that's gotta hurt is an understatement.

Senility Sets In:

Old Goat Bob Verdi, who should just shut up and retire, except that he's one of those old fogey sports columnists who everyone kisses his ass because he's old and senile, writes this piece of shit for Sunday's paper. First there's this opening line:

It's always something with the Cubs and their zany fans. Now the fear is that, should Joe Girardi become available to manage here next year, he might be too hot to handle.

You senile old goat, as a Cub fan, I don't care if he personally tells Dennis Fitzsimmons to go fuck himself. I believe he would be the perfect man to manage the Cubs.
Then later on, there's this:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. This franchise has not won a World Series in 98 years … and you're worried Girardi may be impatient? The Cubs have been polite for a century … and you're concerned Girardi is overly aggressive? You want a manager or a maitre d'? Would you trade etiquette for a pennant?

I don't know who this dumbass is speaking for. I think most Cubs fans could give 2 shits about Girardi's temperment. We can spot a winner a mile away, since that's usually the only way we can see one. The only place I have ever seen anyone question whether Girardi would be the right manager for the Cubs is in the mainstream media reports that state that the Cubs management is concerned about hiring Girardi. I don't think there is a Cub fan that would question hiring him for being impatient and too aggressive. They may have other doubts, but not for those reasons. I myself said months ago,
in a blog I started and quit on months ago (not unlike how our Cubs played in 2006), that Girardi should be manager and not Baker.