I Hate Dusty Baker
Today I will be talking only about the game last night. Well, there may be a few references to the game in addition to the past, but mainly the game last night. So let's get right into it.
The Cubs won last night in 11 innings. Now, you're probably thinking, wow, the Cubs actually won two games in a row? Has hell frozen over yet? Well, I was not happy with the win last night. In fact, I was disgusted with it. No team should ever win that way. So why does Dusty deserve to lose his job after actually winning a game?
6 errors in the game last night. 6! I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and say they only made 4 errors, because the two in the 9th were from players who have spent a fair amount of time on the DL and not playing regularly. So, surprise!, a Dusty Baker 'coached' team made 4 errors in one game. I guess it's just one of those things you just shrug your shoulders at. Surely it had nothing to do with Freddy Bynum playing over, say, Ryan "the Riot" Theriot. It was probably just a fluke that Bynum made 3 fucking errors! Does Baker even watch the games? Does he understand the point of baseball?
Ryan Dempster pitched in the 9th. I guess I can't really blame him for blowing the save, since two errors were made. The second of which possibly could have ended the game. But regardless, why can't you just let Bob Howry or, *gasp* Aardsma, a rookie who threw 2 hitless innings last night, close out a game? Just try it out. Dempster has blown 8 saves (I think), and of those 8, if I'm not mistaken, it was his third consecutive blown save. No, there's no reason to think that maybe he should be given a save night off. He's doing great. You're right Dusty.
I'll gladly admit that I didn't watch most of the game last night. So I'm not exactly sure as to the order in which batters were used. Here's what I noticed though. Matt Murton went 3-4, and was on base the final 5 plate appearances he had (3 hits, 2 walks, in that order). Obviously he'll not be in the lineup today. I saw Henry Blanco hitting behind Derrek Lee, Jacque Jones hitting cleanup, and Aramis I guess didn't get the start. I'm sure there was a double switch somewhere in there.
But somehow the Cubs managed to win despite Baker. Bottom of the 11th, Murton gets a leadoff walk. Baker pinch hits for Aardsma with Geovanny Soto (backup catcher), and has him sacrifice Murton over. But he can't get the bunt down. So I've got 2 problems with this. It's an extra inning game!! Why would you use an extra hitter just to bunt someone over??!! He didn't even get the bunt down, so it turned out to be pointless anyways. Luckily he managed to hit into a fielders choice (as opposed to a double play). So, then the next batter (Aramis?) gets on base, and Izturis is up, with Soto at second. So Baker then pinch runs for Soto. So this I can kind of see since he's obviously not going to remain in the game anyways. And who does Baker put in to run for him? You betcha, Juan Mateo, the rookie starting pitcher. Who has very little experience on the bases.
Izturis, after having a very Neifi-like at-bat in his previous plate appearance (weak fly ball out), hits a slow-roller up the middle. Mateo doesn't have a big enough lead, so even while he could be very fast, it's going to be close at home. The throw goes home, and had the catcher been able to handle it, Mateo would have been out, since he didn't slide at all.
So my guess is that Dusty is trying to throw games now. He is doing everything he possibly can to make the Cubs the worst team in baseball, and to strip everyone of any confidence they might have. I have nothing but contempt for him. Also, I love that Greg Maddux is passive-aggressively taking shots at Baker for being a shitty manager.
The Cubs won last night in 11 innings. Now, you're probably thinking, wow, the Cubs actually won two games in a row? Has hell frozen over yet? Well, I was not happy with the win last night. In fact, I was disgusted with it. No team should ever win that way. So why does Dusty deserve to lose his job after actually winning a game?
6 errors in the game last night. 6! I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and say they only made 4 errors, because the two in the 9th were from players who have spent a fair amount of time on the DL and not playing regularly. So, surprise!, a Dusty Baker 'coached' team made 4 errors in one game. I guess it's just one of those things you just shrug your shoulders at. Surely it had nothing to do with Freddy Bynum playing over, say, Ryan "the Riot" Theriot. It was probably just a fluke that Bynum made 3 fucking errors! Does Baker even watch the games? Does he understand the point of baseball?
Ryan Dempster pitched in the 9th. I guess I can't really blame him for blowing the save, since two errors were made. The second of which possibly could have ended the game. But regardless, why can't you just let Bob Howry or, *gasp* Aardsma, a rookie who threw 2 hitless innings last night, close out a game? Just try it out. Dempster has blown 8 saves (I think), and of those 8, if I'm not mistaken, it was his third consecutive blown save. No, there's no reason to think that maybe he should be given a save night off. He's doing great. You're right Dusty.
I'll gladly admit that I didn't watch most of the game last night. So I'm not exactly sure as to the order in which batters were used. Here's what I noticed though. Matt Murton went 3-4, and was on base the final 5 plate appearances he had (3 hits, 2 walks, in that order). Obviously he'll not be in the lineup today. I saw Henry Blanco hitting behind Derrek Lee, Jacque Jones hitting cleanup, and Aramis I guess didn't get the start. I'm sure there was a double switch somewhere in there.
But somehow the Cubs managed to win despite Baker. Bottom of the 11th, Murton gets a leadoff walk. Baker pinch hits for Aardsma with Geovanny Soto (backup catcher), and has him sacrifice Murton over. But he can't get the bunt down. So I've got 2 problems with this. It's an extra inning game!! Why would you use an extra hitter just to bunt someone over??!! He didn't even get the bunt down, so it turned out to be pointless anyways. Luckily he managed to hit into a fielders choice (as opposed to a double play). So, then the next batter (Aramis?) gets on base, and Izturis is up, with Soto at second. So Baker then pinch runs for Soto. So this I can kind of see since he's obviously not going to remain in the game anyways. And who does Baker put in to run for him? You betcha, Juan Mateo, the rookie starting pitcher. Who has very little experience on the bases.
Izturis, after having a very Neifi-like at-bat in his previous plate appearance (weak fly ball out), hits a slow-roller up the middle. Mateo doesn't have a big enough lead, so even while he could be very fast, it's going to be close at home. The throw goes home, and had the catcher been able to handle it, Mateo would have been out, since he didn't slide at all.
So my guess is that Dusty is trying to throw games now. He is doing everything he possibly can to make the Cubs the worst team in baseball, and to strip everyone of any confidence they might have. I have nothing but contempt for him. Also, I love that Greg Maddux is passive-aggressively taking shots at Baker for being a shitty manager.
posted by Jtrouble at 8:53 AM
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