Evaluating Dusty Baker

[naivin]

Dusty doesn't seem to like to take any blame, which is one thing I think managers need to do to take the pressure off the players. My most notable example was when the Cubs were tanking (I believe it was '04), he put all of the blame on Sosa, turning all of Chicago against Sosa, but saving Dusty's job for a year. The big complaints I remember were "He refuses to bat anywhere but #3 in the order even though at this point he should bat 5th," and "He plays his radio too loud in the clubhouse, distracting the rest of the team." Dusty's last two seasons with the Cubs kind of reminded me of Ray Rhodes with the Packers or Jerry Royster with the Brewers. The players, not the manager, were controlling the team. Rhodes had too much class to whine to the media when he couldn't control his team. Dusty apparently did not.

You actually have that kinda wrong. Dusty didn't say any of those things. He is actually the one who chose not to do anything about it. He was Sosa's biggest supporter and that cost him the respect of a large portion of the team. It was his teammates who were complaining about the boom box, that Dusty chose to ignore. He is the one who insisted on keeping Sosa 3rd in the order, because that's where Sammy wanted to hit. I forget who it was, but there was a pitcher (Kent Merker maybe) who called up to the booth, and went after Steve Stone on other occasions (on a plane and in an elevator) because Stoney actually said negative things about guys during the broadcasts when they played poorly. Dusty just let that happen, and did nothing to get the player to knock it off. You are right that he had no control over his team, because half the team had absolutely no respect for him.

[Kurt]

COREY PATTERSON UPDATE!!!

 

batting .204 with a OBP under .250

 

Please keep hitting him 1st, dusty! He's a perfect leadoff man.

[jazzytrav]

But he's fast and plays center field!!

[Kurt]

I love what they guy wrote who sponsors Patterson's page on Baseball-Reference.com

 

"Corey oozes with so much talent that he makes the game look easy. He doesn't like to slide back into first on pickoff attempts because they are an insult to him. He never fully extends on his dives in the outfield because he simply does not have to."