What's a cookie? Is that what you colonial chaps have with a nice cup of tea of an afternoon?

Instead of Rusch throwing a "cookie" it'll be a "biscuit", right Tonks?

Dusty's defence (did I just write that?)

Yes, and I'm as shocked as you. It's spelled defense, dammit. Is this what we're going to be getting now that we've let a foreign element in?

I don't see personnel decisions being too far on Baker's lap. I don't quite understand extending his personnel repsonsibility past a normal "advisory role" that nearly every established manager is afforded.

Why, Jim Hendry, is this bench not deeper as far as position players? Why are we starting the season with Angel Pagan and Freddie Bynum in town when there are already two rookies in this starting lineup? A deeper bench is something that this team had the money to go get...and they did basically nothing besides resign Neifi for mutiple years, and add a very mediocre John Mabry. Right now, this team is missing ONE offensive starter. At this time last year, Atlanta was missing FOUR position starters...and they eventually won the East going away.

This depth issue is ESPECIALLY serious when you have a manager who insists (more than most out there) on getting everyone on the team at bats. A rotating/inconsistent lineup isn't a new approach for Dusty Baker...he's done this forever. Hendry knows this about Dusty. He's not going to play the best guy everyday. He will occasionally sit Michael Barrett the day before an off-day even if it means starting a guy batting .090. If he puts Angel Pagan on the roster, he's going to start once/twice a week.

That being said, I agree Dusty does do a poor job with the lineup. Murton needs to hit 2nd or 3rd, everyday. It boggles my mind that he hits 6th or 7th as the only guy on this team with a + OB%.

I take your point, Andy, but in Dusty's defence (did I just write that?) you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, as they say. How exactly is Dusty supposed to put a decent outfield on the park with what Hendry's given him?

Dusty may not be the cause of his players' shitty batting--that responsibility falls on the lap of Gene Klines, among others--but he sure has a predilection for playing the players with the worst numbers, almost as if he favors them over players who often seem clearly superior. People may seem to insult him, but we can't just assume Dusty Baker receives his daily line-ups in the mail from Neptune and accept it; people are wondering how these crap players not only end up with the Cubs, but favored by the Cubs manager. To that extent, I blame Jim Hendry insofar as he is likely conceding these acquisitions for Dusty.

Lance, you make a very good point, and I understand entirely that Sullivan is walking a tightrope at the best of times. Doesn't mean I can't encourage him, though...

Hmmm, not sure that I find your theory all that funny Cheri. Call me old fashioned, but just say the guy is a bad baseball manager and leave it at that. He hasn't done anything to you, and I hardly doubt that you believe Neifi, Corey, and Tony Womack are his illegitimate children.

Casting personal aspersions on these guys because they're doing a bad job is one of the reasons that ballplayers won't ever befriend normal fans anymore.

Always remember, everybody is still a person. Sorry to have to come down on you like this, but I get offended when people do that.

We'll have to temporarily excuse "Sully" if he's gunshy and not feeling like stepping off the company line after the last few weeks he's had. Most noteably ("rumor" has it), he received a severe and (allegedly) obscenity-laced tongue lashing directly from one Andrew B. MacPhail.

Sullivan is a very decent baseball writer in my humble estimation, but I wouldn't look for anything in the tradition of Woodward & Bernstein flowing from his pen anytime soon. If he's going to take a shot at anyone important during this slow decent into baseball hell, it will likely be buried between the misguided musings of the renowned Mark Wheaton of Florida, and the tiny ads at the bottom of the sports section promising a "happy ending" just minutes away from O'Hare.

Chaos, I agree with you...but you might want to get used to more of the Trib's glad handing of this situation. For times like these, an acute grasp of vagueness is a prerequisite to have a desk/cubicle in the confines of Tribune Tower.

Tony Womack? Hmmm, need I say more??

I'm kind of sad to say I was once a Dusty Baker fan (yes, the shame) He just seems like a good guy, and, you know we had a pretty good season in '03.....since then however, my daughter and I have come up with a theory- it may seem improbable at first, but the more you look at it, the more crystal clear it becomes. We think that Dusty is actually secretly populating the Cubs with his illegitimate children (Neifi and Corey were Exhibit A) and then allows them to play abysmally but just keeps them in that one or two spot because, you know, they need the at bats. You know Dusty had to get a little lonely in the old days, going around from town to town. I also gave up my last shred of affection for Dusty, the Player's Manager, when he wouldn't even defend his own catcher. Obviously he should not defend Michael's actions (even though we all loved it) but he could make some lame ass excuse for him, the way he would have it had been, say, Juan Pierre (Exhibit B of the Dusty Illegitimates) I say somebody does some research on the mamas of these boys...did they used to attend a lot of baseball games?? Mmmmm hmm??
What I really hate about the Dusty issue is it brings up racial issues, which are so hateful to me. I think there is nothing worse than to consider race when giving players chances, but I suppose that should work as well if they are given extra chances because of their race. I think sometimes subconciously that may be a factor with Dusty. He grew up in a predjudiced era and no doubt suffered from bigotry and saw deserving African-American athletes put down below white boys. I think it would make sense if somewhere back in his brain he's wanting to help them out, and keep giving them at bats no matter how they suck. I think Dusty is a ncie guy, a good Christian guy, but an ineffective coach and this is probably not something he does purposefully but it happens. You hate to talk about it though because you don't want to sound like YOU are the racist. I spent my early years living in Mexico and Chicago where my father's best friend was black and his daughters were my best friends, and I know that I hate racial predjudice more than anything; still I feel uncomfortable bringing up this issue. I think this may be some of what keeps Dusty on.