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Saturday, April 22, 2006 |
Dusty Works On That 0-162 Season
The Onion ran a satirical piece last week about Dusty Baker not being worried about the Cubs' hot start:
"I know things look good right now, and you hate to see Cubs fans get encouraged early, but I'm certain that things will straighten themselves out and we'll be in third place by early May," Baker said at a press conference Wednesday. "With the talent and drive we lack, it's foolish to think that this team can continue playing at this rate all year."With the Cubs' recent loss of Derrek Lee and the annual return to the DL of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, it stops being satire and becomes bathos. In today's game, with the bases loaded, the score tied 1-1, and Albert Pujols at the plate, Dusty replaced struggling starter Glendon Rusch with offseason acquisition Scott Williamson. By itself, that wouldn't have been a bad move, but then he decided it was more important to take 2B Todd Walker (and his .333 average) out of the lineup — the better to install .250-hitting Neifi Perez. And, all this without the pitcher's spot being due anytime soon in the lineup. Advocates of the National League style of game should explain why allowing the pitcher to hit is such an advantage, especially if it leaves bozotic moves like this one open to the Dusty Bakers of the world. But then, baseball is complex; how managers get their jobs in the first place is a topic of some controversy."If it's September and we're still atop the division standings? Then we'll start panicking," Baker added.
Update: and in the sixth, with Scott Spiezio hitting and men on first and second, Dusty makes another double substitution, this time putting Scott Eyre in for 7th-hitting Scott Williamson — and Freddie Bynum in for good-hitting Matt Murton. Baker really knows how to eviscerate his own offense.
Comments:
Actually, Walker's hitting .391, and has been on a tear lately. He was hitting third (1 for 1 with a walk). Aramis Rameriz was the last batter in the previous inning, so when it came time to do the double switch of course Dusty left in the .192 hitting Rameriz, took out the .391 hitting Walker, and double switched for the pitcher (due up fourth in the next inning) with Perez, who's hitting .238 (and would have been a .046 improvement over Rameriz, but ended up being a .153 drop from Walker.)
I was pulling my hair out. Then he takes out Matt Murton (263, but hey, a youngster) instead of Jaques Jones (.194, ah, but a veteran) and oooohh, gained one whole spot in the lineup the next inning. And, oh yeah, brings in the absolutely remarkable Freddie Bynum, remarkable because he's hitting an amazing .143.
I do so love seeing pitchers hit, there's nothing like the thrill of Kerry Wood's double in the NLDS, but we won't see a Kerry Wood double in the NLDS ever again at this rate, 'cause we'll never reach the postseaon if Dusty continues to make these dumbfounding double switches.
I was pulling my hair out. Then he takes out Matt Murton (263, but hey, a youngster) instead of Jaques Jones (.194, ah, but a veteran) and oooohh, gained one whole spot in the lineup the next inning. And, oh yeah, brings in the absolutely remarkable Freddie Bynum, remarkable because he's hitting an amazing .143.
I do so love seeing pitchers hit, there's nothing like the thrill of Kerry Wood's double in the NLDS, but we won't see a Kerry Wood double in the NLDS ever again at this rate, 'cause we'll never reach the postseaon if Dusty continues to make these dumbfounding double switches.
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