Baker and Cubs Part Ways
By
Amanda
Posted at 9:02 pm
The Cubs and Dusty Baker parted ways today when the club announced that they would not be renewing Baker's contract for 2007.
“I'd just like to tell everybody that I'd like to thank the organization for giving me the opportunity to come here and win this thing,” Baker said Monday to a packed media throng in the interview room at Wrigley Field. “I wish we could've gotten it done, and we didn't. I guess all things must come to an end, and all things come to pass.”
The Cubs went an unimaginable 322-326 under Baker, considering the 66-96 season this year. That 2003 season must have been a hell of a run to balance that crap out.
So what's next for Baker? Who knows? ESPN may come a callin'. Perhaps a book tour. But one thing I know for sure: Jerry Narron better watch out: Baker's available.
I think Baker took a bum rap in Chicago. The injuries to Wood, Prior, Barrett, and Lee really hurt. They had 14 guys go on the DL.
But what really made the Cubs fall was pitching, or the lack of it. They used 15 different starting pitchers, including eight rookies. Only two starters pitched more than a hundred innings. Their closer, Dempster, even made the Reds look smart for having dropped him like a hot potato.
Hendry should get his share of the blame for the fact that despite the injury histories of Wood and Prior, the Cubs weren’t prepared for those two guys going down and ended up having to bring in a parade of AAA pitchers to try and find replacements. The led the NL in walks and were outhomered by 210-166. The Reds no longer have the division’s worst pitching.
All that said, with the Reds on the way up it’s nice to also see some of their NL Central competition headed in the opposite direction.