DUSTY BAKER, DON'T YOU DARE START PRIOR ON SHORT REST!!!!

[RynMan]

But does that mean you are not going to name a Starting Pitcher that Dusty ruined?

Alas, no.
I dont think he ruins guys. Im just not a huge fan of how he uses them.

[GSes]

Wveres, can you honestly tell me that he should have brought Fox in the other night?

oh so now Dusty ruined Chad Fox? This should be good. He is not a starter, but go ahead and tell me why he should not have brought in Fox?

Chill! Did I say he ruined his arm?
Let me check.


No.

But he knows Fox has had a history of arm problems. He was his newly appointed closer, and he brought him in in a 10-3 game after he pitched a 20 pitch inning the previous day. Why would he do that? Im genuinely asking.....why?

completely agree rynman

wveres i have no idea were your love and devotion for dusty baker comes from, but imo he is the crappiest manager that ever lived, he has no idea how to manage his tema, HE IS DESTROYING his pitcher's.

DONT TELL ME FOR 1 SECOND, that Prior's problems last seaosn didn't even have a TINY BIT to do with the fact that Baker greatly overused him in 2003. DONT even tell me that Wood's problems RIGHT NOW aren't related to him being overused the last 2 seasons.

Wveres you claim that the arguments of dusty ruining the careers of prior and wood are the "most uneducated arguments" you have ever heard but IMO your silly defense of Dusty Baker and that the cubs never won until he got there

is ALMOST as uneducated argument as the people who think Brian Roberts is going to go 40/40.

again wveres i ask how you can not see what everyone is saying and that is dusty is killing the cub's pitchers and above all else he SUCKS ASS at managing a baseball team from in game decisons to putting guys in the lineup.

my god he was playing nefi frickin perez over jerry hariston jr until nomar got hurt.

he thinkin of piching prior on short rest.

poor zambrano has problems now, wood has problems, ALL DUSTY baker related. The Oakland A's don't have this problem with all their young pitcherS? no all our guys stay healthy cuz we protect them.


Baker is killing the cubs, Baker is a piece of trash and all you do is keep defending him because the cubs finally won when he got there?

my god with the talent on that team the last 3 years, I COULD HAVE MANAGED THEM TO THE POST SEASON.


and the bullpen fiasco. lets run through it.

He has taken Hawkins in and out so much and has publicly stated he dosen't think hawkins can close.......wow dusty way to ruin Latroy's confidence. how can the guy ever close games let alone pitch in pressure situations when he is told by his manager that he sucks?

He makes fox the closer, a guy who has a history of arm problems and like rynman said he brings him in with a 7 run lead in a MEANINGLESS game. why?????????? i thought fox was his new closer? good job dusty now fox is headed to the DL because of your stupid use of him.

what's next? god only knows what dusty baker will do next to screw over the cubs.

[wrveres]

I'll let your tirade stand on its own merits. lol

Umm ... Were you going to name a Starting Pitcher that Dusty "ruined" and then post some evidence or what?

[quicksilver8]

I may not agree with the way Dusty has handled Wood and Prior and to a lesser degree Hawkins, and I'm not labeling Dusty a 'ruiner of arms'....

But he is a sh*tty tactical manager. I watch Cub games all the time, I listen to his post game interview snippets and listen to plenty of chicago sports talk radio....It is pretty unanimous that he is a dumbass when it comes to tactically managing a game. Everything from lineups to who plays to when to hit and run, when to lay down a sac bunt, when to pinch hit and when to give the pitchers the hook....Dusty is bad at them all. Other more cerebral managers like a Larussa for example, just make him look silly by comparisson. Dusty has been given pretty damn good talent the last couple of years and he has badly mismanaged the team. (I know there were some injuries too, but all teams have injuries....)
Dusty's success with SF is directly attributable to the SF GM and the players (Bonds in particular). I don't want to restate my previous rant...but VERES, I think I have given you some good, non-ESPN, examples of how Dusty is a very poor manager (and a wonk!)

[AcidRock23]

SF GM

Way OT but it'd be kind of drôle to refer to all SF players/personnel as 'SF 3B, SF h20boy, whatever...'SF MGR talked to his son other SF OF about switching into the 3 hole and putting SF 3B in the cleanup spot...when other SF OF comes off the DL'

[wrveres]

I may not agree with the way Dusty has handled Wood and Prior and to a lesser degree Hawkins, and I'm not labeling Dusty a 'ruiner of arms'....

But he is a sh*tty tactical manager. I watch Cub games all the time, I listen to his post game interview snippets and listen to plenty of chicago sports talk radio....It is pretty unanimous that he is a dumbass when it comes to tactically managing a game. Everything from lineups to who plays to when to hit and run, when to lay down a sac bunt, when to pinch hit and when to give the pitchers the hook....Dusty is bad at them all. Other more cerebral managers like a Larussa for example, just make him look silly by comparisson. Dusty has been given pretty damn good talent the last couple of years and he has badly mismanaged the team. (I know there were some injuries too, but all teams have injuries....)
Dusty's success with SF is directly attributable to the SF GM and the players (Bonds in particular). I don't want to restate my previous rant...but VERES, I think I have given you some good, non-ESPN, examples of how Dusty is a very poor manager (and a wonk!)

And a Wonk ..
LOL ..

When it comes to discussing managerial moves, you and I could proabably go round and round for days, monday morning quarterbacking. There is also not a doubt in my mind that you would probably eat my lunch when it comes to the day to day stuff of the Chicago Cubs. I am not even sure I have argued that Dusty is a good manager, (though I probably have) What chaps my hide is the constant bombardment from our brethren, that he is some how this "destroyer of arms", when in fact he has destroyed None!

[rich101682]

What chaps my hide is the constant bombardment from our brethren, that he is some how this "destroyer of arms", when in fact he has destroyed None!

Once at a Cubs game last year, Dusty spit a sunflower seed toward me as he went into the dugout. I was coming down the stairs at the time with a Coke, and the seed was blown by the wind into my eye. I wound up tripping and falling on my left (non-throwing) elbow. I missed a week of whiffle-ball games here, and I still have elbow pain whenever I see sunflower seeds or play against anyone named David.

There. That's the one arm Dusty has ruined.

[wrveres]

and I still have elbow pain whenever I see sunflower seeds or play against anyone named David.

There. That's the one arm Dusty has ruined.

LOL

[thehat]

Two comments. The first is that there is zero problem sending Prior out to pitch on his usual four days rest. The complaints about that are off base.

Next, Du(mb)sty Baker....personally, and I have mentioned this before, I think he's as bad a game manager as I've ever seen. But what do I know, I never played the game, at least not at any professional level. However, as some of you know, I'm in the media and I can tell you that among more than a few "baseball people" Baker is considered to be pretty much of an idiot. It should also be noted that this was an observation not restricted to his baseball acumen. These opinions have been offered on an off the record basis, so I won't name names, but the viewpoint is definitely out there.

I'll also offer a prediction. Baker will not manage this team beyond this season, and will probably be gone before then.

[wrveres]

I'll also offer a prediction. Baker will not manage this team beyond this season, and will probably be gone before then.

I'll agree with you there.
and then the Cubs can go back to rotting in 4th place every season.