cubs mailing it in!

denwd1

what a disaster! now the only question is can the cubs lose 100 games? back up the truck!

Cubfan

Absolutely pathetic.

Coinhusker1

Does anyone else think Dusty Baker is overrated? He horribly mis-managed the Bartman game and things have been downhill ever since!!

Mac53

I gave up at the end of last week. I thought this club had a real decent chance at the beginning of the season. Now that, essentially, everybody's healthy, it's down the tube. But they obviously need more. Can anyone explain this Hill? What's his ERA? 9 or 10?

Axtell

<< <i>Does anyone else think Dusty Baker is overrated? He horribly mis-managed the Bartman game and things have been downhill ever since!! >>



Last I checked Dusty wasn't hitting or pitching....don't think you can put any of this blame on him.

I am far from a Baker fan, but to say he's the cause and not the inteptitude of the players is (in my opinion) in error.

Mac53

Ax, you've hit the nail on the head. There's not a lot Dusty can do, that I can see. Lee has been overachieving all season, and I hoped it would last, but I knew that reality would set in. I've stopped watching them, I can't take it (it's been 45 years of this for me), but Brenley (sp?) was talking, last I watched, about over anxious batters, etc. I thought that the pitchers would carry this team, but there's no bullpen, never has been, and now the starters are going to dung. Nomar's injury was irrelevant if you look at how hot Naifi was while he was down. It's depressing. But, August and September have been killers for Cubs fans for a long, long time. And, even when they get through those months, they have "Bartman's Blunder" to deal with. I'm going to hang myself now. It's the goat's fault.

megatron

CUBS = Completely Useless By September

CardsFan

<< <i>I am far from a Baker fan, but to say he's the cause and not the inteptitude of the players is (in my opinion) in error. >>



That's right it's Steve Stone's fault... oh wait that was last year.

I think Dusty has to take some of the blame, especially for last year when they fell apart at the end of the year. They are far less talented this season and with all the injuries it would have been amazing for them to make the playoffs. Funny how they haven't won since Nomar has come back, maybe this guy is cursed.

Cubfan

I put at least half of the blame on Jim Hendry, the GM.

They knew they needed bullpen help at the end of last year, and he did nothing about it.

Then he did very little (Jeromy Burnitz) to replace the 74 homers and 186 RBI's that left in the form of Alou and Sosa. They didnt sign Grudz and he is hitting over .300 with the Cards (although the Cards always seem to have an unusually strong magic touch with other team's rejects, especially infielders).

They didnt re-sign Matt Clement and he is having an All-Star year (as is Alou).

So far his best deal was to rent Lofton and get Ramirez and Randall Simon. But that deal would not have happened had not Corey Patterson blown out his knee.

I get upset by Dusty's attitude at times, but he can only play what is on the bench.

Its just pathetic and reminds me of the days of Larry Biittner, Tarzan Joe Wallis, Gene Hiser and Carmen Fanzone...yeesh.

megatron

<< <i>I put at least half of the blame on Jim Hendry, the GM. They knew they needed bullpen help at the end of last year, and he did nothing about it. >>



Agreed completely. Although Burnitz is playing up to expectations and doing better than Sosa, the Cubs could have done much better if they dealt Sosa sooner. Now we are eating a large chunk of Sosa's salary and we have a replacement that hits either home runs or strikes out.



<< <i>They didnt re-sign Matt Clement and he is having an All-Star year (as is Alou). >>



I am very happy for Matt Clement. I knew we would suffer for letting him go, but he needed another team that could give him run support. I remember at one stretch last year, the Cubs only scored something like 13 runs in 11 of his starts. No wonder his record was poor. This year, in Boston, he has a team that gives him run support and he is enjoying the fruits of his labor. If he would have stayed in Chicago, it would likely have been a repeat of last season seeing the Cubs' offense recently.

CardsFan

Has there been any talk of Maddux retiring at the end of the year? He's still a decent pitcher but I don't know how much he has left in the tank. Last year he really exceled in the second half, but this year hasn't been so good.

zef204

<< <i>the Cubs could have done much better if they dealt Sosa sooner. Now we are eating a large chunk of Sosa's salary and we have a replacement that hits either home runs or strikes out. >>

But they did get rid of him and I think Hendry did a great job for that.

The funny thing with this game is there are maybe 8 teams that play really well in a given year. So that being said, I guess all the managers and GMs on the remaining 22 teams are not doing their jobs.

I think Dusty is a good manager and an important part of that is that his players like playing for him. Hendry, IMO ahs done a good job and has realy gotten some quality players. For whatever the reason they needed to acquire them, he brought in Lee and Ramirez. This are two young corner infielder to build a franchise around.

I am disappointed by how badly they have been playing. That game they blew in the playoffs where everyine needs to blame either Bartman or Dusty is a joke. They fell apart. Gonzales booted that ball and neither Dusty nor Bartman had anything to do with that. Also I don't think Moises would have made that catch anyhow.

Enough of my rant. They are playing like chit, pitchers aren't covering 1st, guys arent running out grounders and neither is Hendry or Dusty's fault. I do think that Dusty should bench anybody who commits one of these lazy moves however.

donnnster

Cardsfan- Looks like Maddux got the "W" against your team today(although he gave up 4 runs on 12 hits!) I haven't heard anything on him retiring after this year. Well I dug up info on his contract and it says:

"Maddux's contract will pay him $6 million this year, $9 million in 2005 and $9 million in 2006, although the third year is void if he does not total 400 innings in 2004-05. "

Last year he pitched 212.2 innings and he has 150+ innings pitched after todays complete game. So my guess is he will have that option on his contract to play for the 2006 if he chooses to. Seems like he is the only pitcher on the cubs staff that has stayed healthy. My guess is he plays 2006 and goes from there.

donnnster

Cardsfan, not sure if you saw this article regarding maddux...perfect timing of this and your post asking about possible retirement!

LINK

CardsFan

<< <i>Cardsfan, not sure if you saw this article regarding maddux...perfect timing of this and your post asking about possible retirement! >>



Thanks for the link that was good timing. I asked one of my buddies the same question yesterday and the opinion is that Maddux will pitch until they kick him out.

Coinhusker1

<< <i>

<< <i>Does anyone else think Dusty Baker is overrated? He horribly mis-managed the Bartman game and things have been downhill ever since!! >>



Last I checked Dusty wasn't hitting or pitching....don't think you can put any of this blame on him.

I am far from a Baker fan, but to say he's the cause and not the inteptitude of the players is (in my opinion) in error. >>



Perhaps you are right, but where the hell was Dusty when his team was falling apart when they were on the verge of going to the series? Was his ass super-glued to the bench?

Axtell

Dusty was managing and not overreacting...I am sure he was telling his team not to act like the crybabies there were being.

Let's not forget, that the Cubs had a whole other game to lose after the bartman game.

Managers get too much credit and too much blame...

edit: as far as the cubs being downhil ever since the bartman game, is dusty in the front office signing players? Is he making personnel decisions? The lack of team durability falls solely on the GM for making horrible decisions over and over.

Orb

At least it's a a rain delay right now. Hard to lose if the game isn't playing.

Who know's they may take the cards again?