There are plenty of valid criticisms that could be (and have been) leveled at Dusty. Slowing the career of a glorified utility man wouldn't be in my top dozen or so.

“Neifi was a great player, and a proven veteran

Well, clearly Dusty did slow Theriot's development — as an AGM in the Dodgers' front office.

The '04 meltdown really began when reliever Kent Mercker called the press box in August to complain about comments by Chip Carey and Steve Stone. Baker was blamed by many for his refusal to harness his players.

I don't see why more players don't hate Carey, Stone, Hawk Harrelson, and Darrin Jackson. WGN's booth is terrible right now.

Jaret, have you listened to a Cub broadcast in the last 3 years? WGN's booth is pretty damned good for Cubs telecasts "right now." Len Kaspar is terrific, and Brenly's good too. On the radio side, Santo's Santo, but Hughes is outstanding.

Caray hasn't been there for ages, and Stone hasn't been on Cub broadcasts since '04.

Well, I'll remember Dusty as the lazy whiner who couldn't do the one thing he was supposed to be good at, which was keeping clubhouse unity and focus. He was a tactical disaster, and anything that happened was not his fault or any of his players. He blamed everyone but those at fault, after sleeping through games with a toothpick in his mouth. He was a thin skinned #####.

JV, I raise my glass to you.

Though I'll make one quibble--Baker "kept clubhouse unity" in '04; said unity was just directed to those meanies in the pressbox rather than the Cubs' opponents.

Well, that is true, they were united against everyone but the opposition. Wow, Cubs vs. the Press. Nice one there, Dusty. What a disaster '04 was. The whole team had a complete lack of focus and I put that 100% on Toothpick's shoulders.

let it go.

damn Chicago, let it go already

What would Kerry say anyways? Isn't his public opinion immaterial here? If he's right he's right, if he's wrong he's wrong, and if he's lying he's doing it because trashing dusty just doesn't matter anymore for him...

In the long list of mistakes Baker made in his career with the Cubs, failing to develop Theriot doesn't even show up on the list. In fact, it was pulled straight out of the writer's ass. Playing Neifi over anyone under the age of 50 was a mistake, and was rightfully crticized, but anyone worried about the development of 26 year-old Ryan Theriot wasn't really paying attention.

What would Kerry say anyways? Isn't his public opinion immaterial here? If he's right he's right, if he's wrong he's wrong, and if he's lying he's doing it because trashing dusty just doesn't matter anymore for him...

There is no way Wood or anyone else benefits from publicly blaming Baker. Hell, they don't benefit from doing it in private either. And he's absolutely right about not blaming Baker for destroying his arm. The blame goes to Jim Riggleman.

Piss/Poor.

let it go.

damn Chicago, let it go already

You see, it's like a relationship. At first everything seems to go really well, and you're in love (well, infatuated), and there are a few things that give you pause, but you say, what the hell, and overlook them, because things are going so swimmingly.

And then the date when you were going to propose suddenly goes south, and ends in a complete disaster. And you try to right the ship, and get things back on track, but that disaster date hangs over the relationship like a thundercloud. And the little things that gave you pause start getting magnified, and now you're having second doubts. And though you planned on proposing again, it just never feels right and ultimately you put it on the backburner, just trying to make the relationship work.

And then things get really bad, and the things that gave you pause before now drive you completely up the walls. And it seems like she does them just to spite you, and every time you try to talk to her about those things you get into a fight, and you're just not having a good time anymore. You dread seeing her, and the love is gone.

Finally, after the worst year yet, you break it off. It'd just be best for both of you. But then, a year later she hooks up with this guy you know. And he's not that guy you really hate who lives south of you, or even this guy even further south of you with whom you have a spirited but friendly rivalry. No, it's this guy you really don't think much of in the first place. And he's saying, "She's wonderful. I don't know what his problem is for throwing away what they had." And she's like, "Well, I always loved him. I don't know what his problem was. If I did this, he said he hated it, but if I did that, he said he hated it, too."

And you've found someone new, and you're pretty happy, but you hear these things and you're like, "WTF? Don't you remember how miserable we were? You don't remember all this annoying and batshit crazy stuff you used to do? WTF?" And though you're happy, and don't want to get back together with her at all, you feel compelled to speak up in your defense.

Although I've already been to two games, there is only one game for which I bought tickets -- the first Reds game at Wrigley. I tried to get the closest seat I could to the visitors dugout.

I'm not a heckler by nature (and do it rarely), but I definitely want Dusty to hear me. He needs to know how much exasperation he's brought me over the course of four years.

Dusty Baker + Chicago = Kid Rock + Pamela Anderson

Interesting analogy Boots, as I was about to sum up CfiJ's post by saying basically he gave us herpes.

CFiJ

that was good stuff. funny too :)

Hopefully you feel healthier now for getting that out there, and the actual healing can begin. I do believe that is the first step to letting go.

Speaking of letting go, GR, you seem to spend an awful lot of time howling into the wind on these threads for someone who shouldn't really have a dog in this fight.

1984!

1984!

The year the Cubs won the division, or the Orwell book?

Should Baker be remembered as the manager who forever changed the Cubs loveable losers image?

Wasn't that Dallas Green?

Should Baker be remembered as the manager who forever changed the Cubs loveable losers image?

Forever is a mighty long time, but I think Baker did make them no longer lovable (except by the existing fanbase).

Piss/Poor.

I'm still proud of that one. And I've still got the t-shirt I had made by Cafe Press to that effect...

Dusty Baker + Chicago = Kid Rock + Pamela Anderson

Chicago gave Dusty Hepatitis C?

Well, I'll remember Dusty as the lazy whiner who couldn't do the one thing he was supposed to be good at, which was keeping clubhouse unity and focus. He was a tactical disaster, and anything that happened was not his fault or any of his players. He blamed everyone but those at fault, after sleeping through games with a toothpick in his mouth. He was a thin skinned #####.

Careful - judge Dusty by the color thickness of his skin, and you'll stir up a hornet's nest around here.

That 2004 team is the most disappointing Cubs team of my lifetime. They were good enough to make the Series that year, and at the very least should have made the playoffs. Instead, they imploded because someone associated with the team had the temerity to compliment Roy Oswalt.

I followed the team in 2005 but not as closely, and less again in 2006. I think 2004, and the horrific spectre of 2005-2006, did me in. Even last year, when they made the playoffs, I didn't see a single inning of the postseason. Now, I catch a score when I can, but I haven't seen or heard a game this year.

That's how I'll remember Dusty Baker. He wounded my rabid fandom by helping to turn a rare talented Cubs team into a dislikable bunch of underachieving whiners, then killed it off by benching prospects for veterans, shoving Neifi Perez down my throat as the team MVP, and making me so mad/sad/frustrated by his inaction, stupid comments (that he largely got a pass for when others might have been fired), and stubbornness that I just couldn't do it anymore.

I guess I should thank him for the hundreds of extra hours that are freed up every summer.

Very well put.

Dusty did play Matt Murton though.

FREE MATT MURTON! (by trading him to the Giants for a LH reliever... how about... Jack Taschner?)