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Baker points to Web for anti-Dusty venom
August 25, 2005
BY MIKE KILEY STAFF REPORTER
Cubs manager Dusty Baker was asked about a comment he made in Wednesday's Sun-Times in which he said: "I'll be back next year and the year after that. And I ain't being run out of town.''
Does he feel some people are trying to drive him out of Chicago?
"It's no secret,'' he said. "There are some people that don't want me here.''
But Baker reiterated he wants to stay with the Cubs, and management has said it will address contract extensions for him and general manager Jim Hendry during spring training -- meaning the media-generated speculation that Baker could be leaving should quiet down.
How does Baker know he has detractors in Chicago?
"FireDustyBaker.com,'' Baker said. "That's a pretty good indicator, don't you think? You don't have other top managers hearing that too much, right?''
Wrong.
There's a FireJoeTorre.com and a FireTonyLaRussa.com and who knows how many more.
The New York Yankees' Joe Torre was deluged with questions from New York reporters last weekend in Chicago about his job being in jeopardy. Several managers each year are asked about their job security, and some end up getting fired.
Could Baker finish his career as a Cub?
"Possibly,'' he said. "It depends on if we achieve our goal or not. That's a long time off to me. I still look at six or seven more years. There are things I need and want to accomplish. I'm still here. I plan on being here.''
HOMELESS: The Cubs have no home advantage at Wrigley Field, where they are 31-32. No one seems to have an explanation for how they could post a losing home record for the fourth time in the last seven years.
They were 34-47 at Wrigley in 1999, Jim Riggleman's last year as manager, and 38-43 in 2000, Don Baylor's first year. In 2002, when Baylor was fired at midseason, they went 36-45 at home.
"This is not a great hitters' park when the wind is blowing in,'' Todd Walker said. "You have to piece together hits then. You would think that would be the case with the pitching staff we have, that we would have an advantage. For whatever reason, we come up on the short end more often than we don't.''
Pitcher Mark Prior can't put his finger on a solution to the home woes, either.
"I don't have an explanation why we haven't won more at home than we have lost,'' he said. "It's the way some teams are, I guess.''
First baseman Derrek Lee feels badly for the fans.
"We haven't played well at home for whatever reason,'' he said. "We play pretty good on the road. Such great fans every day, and we still can't win.''
WORSE EVERY DAY: The Corey Patterson situation is painful to watch. Teams used to pitch him either high in the zone or low to get him to chase pitches that weren't strikes.
Lately, they are just throwing pitches down the middle and watching him swing and miss. Patterson had three strikeouts and a walk Wednesday. He is hitting .227.
August 25, 2005
BY MIKE KILEY STAFF REPORTER
Cubs manager Dusty Baker was asked about a comment he made in Wednesday's Sun-Times in which he said: "I'll be back next year and the year after that. And I ain't being run out of town.''
Does he feel some people are trying to drive him out of Chicago?
"It's no secret,'' he said. "There are some people that don't want me here.''
But Baker reiterated he wants to stay with the Cubs, and management has said it will address contract extensions for him and general manager Jim Hendry during spring training -- meaning the media-generated speculation that Baker could be leaving should quiet down.
How does Baker know he has detractors in Chicago?
"FireDustyBaker.com,'' Baker said. "That's a pretty good indicator, don't you think? You don't have other top managers hearing that too much, right?''
Wrong.
There's a FireJoeTorre.com and a FireTonyLaRussa.com and who knows how many more.
The New York Yankees' Joe Torre was deluged with questions from New York reporters last weekend in Chicago about his job being in jeopardy. Several managers each year are asked about their job security, and some end up getting fired.
Could Baker finish his career as a Cub?
"Possibly,'' he said. "It depends on if we achieve our goal or not. That's a long time off to me. I still look at six or seven more years. There are things I need and want to accomplish. I'm still here. I plan on being here.''
HOMELESS: The Cubs have no home advantage at Wrigley Field, where they are 31-32. No one seems to have an explanation for how they could post a losing home record for the fourth time in the last seven years.
They were 34-47 at Wrigley in 1999, Jim Riggleman's last year as manager, and 38-43 in 2000, Don Baylor's first year. In 2002, when Baylor was fired at midseason, they went 36-45 at home.
"This is not a great hitters' park when the wind is blowing in,'' Todd Walker said. "You have to piece together hits then. You would think that would be the case with the pitching staff we have, that we would have an advantage. For whatever reason, we come up on the short end more often than we don't.''
Pitcher Mark Prior can't put his finger on a solution to the home woes, either.
"I don't have an explanation why we haven't won more at home than we have lost,'' he said. "It's the way some teams are, I guess.''
First baseman Derrek Lee feels badly for the fans.
"We haven't played well at home for whatever reason,'' he said. "We play pretty good on the road. Such great fans every day, and we still can't win.''
WORSE EVERY DAY: The Corey Patterson situation is painful to watch. Teams used to pitch him either high in the zone or low to get him to chase pitches that weren't strikes.
Lately, they are just throwing pitches down the middle and watching him swing and miss. Patterson had three strikeouts and a walk Wednesday. He is hitting .227.
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