More of the same for Cubs

[BAMAPHIN 22]

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry denied Wednesday that he said he would use the All-Star break to determine the future of manager Dusty Baker.

"My stance has never changed," Hendry said. "Jim Hendry is operating under the same situation all along. There was never any comment by me that there would be a decision over the All-Star break. ... Nothing has changed."
Speculation that Baker or some of his coaches would be fired over the break has been raging. Not so, says Hendry.

"People can write and say what they want," he added.

The Cubs are 34-54 after sweeping Milwaukee in their final three games. Baker is in the fourth and final year of his contract, and will be on the bench when the Cubs open the second half of the season against the New York Mets on Friday.

The Cubs' string of injuries continued at the All-Star game Tuesday night when their lone representative, Carlos Zambrano, was accidentally hit in the elbow by the fungo bat of American League coach Joey Cora.

Zambrano was near the batting cage to do an interview with Venezuelan reporters when Cora's backswing inadvertently hit him. X-rays were negative and Zambrano was diagnosed with a bruise. He had been scheduled to pitch two innings for the National League but was unable to go.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/07/12/baker.ap/index.html

 

[MikeO]

whats the point of firing him now? It isn't like a new manager will turn them around and push them into a playoff run.

The team stinks. Just play it out and blow it up in the offseason.

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

they built a good team IMO, their players just can't stay healthy, especially the pitching staff :shakeno:

 

[Ray Finkle]

they built a good team IMO, their players just can't stay healthy, especially the pitching staff :shakeno:

They made a lot of mistakes too. Sure injuries are a major problem for them as I felt that if everyone was healthy and playing the way they should they'd be in first place in the NL Central. But they still made big mistakes through the years.

They had big trades on the table for Kerry Wood for guys like Mark Texierra and had numerous deals for Sammy Sosa on the table and didn't pull the trigger for whatever reason eventhough they were worried about Wood's shoulder/arm and Sosa's decline. Made some awful trades: Willis for Matt Clement and Alfoncesa.

The Cubs killed Wood and Prior having them throw a million pitches ever since they came up instead of babying them which most teams do and maybe ruined their careers.

Hiring Dusty Baker was a huge mistake too as he's one of the most overrated managers in baseball and the year before they signed him watched him blow the 2002 World Series and almost cause a major accident letting his 3 year old son be the bat boy. He also blew the 2003 NLCS series vs. Florida, if the Steve Bartman incident never happened Dusty would have been fired awhile ago for that series.

Overall the Cubs are a disaster and need to restructure the team big time. They should look to deal Wood and Prior in the off season for some prospects (if they can even get any), they should try to deal Maddux, Todd Walker, Jones and Pierre at the deadline and just sit back and rebuild like the Marlins are doing right now. They have a good core with Zambrano, Lee, Barrett, and Ramirez but they need to build around them now.

 

[MikeO]

If they had a brain they would move Maddux and Pierre before the deadline just to get rid of the old guys. If they could move Prior or Wood and get anything for them they should do that too. Just to rid themselves of their contracts and the headaches they bring. Trying to convince a team to take either (especially Wood) might be impossible though. Jaque Jones would actually get them something in return of value they gotta move him too.



Start from the ground up

 

[O-Connection]

Fire Dusty, trade any player that doesn't plan on being with the team for more then 1/2 years: Maddux, Pierre, etc. Call up Felix Pie and Rich Hill, allow them to gain major league experience. Leave Carlos Marmol in the rotation along with Zambrano, Prior (healthy?), and Marshall.

The Cubs have a lot of work to do. It's not like they're in the AL East with the Yanks or the Sox, so they do have a shot at competing again in that division in a couple years.