Full Court Press

He made some mistakes and did some good as well. He at least was offered another job, unlike the last 10 Cubs managers.

An abysmally bad manager. Only a executive suite, bureaucratic management like the Tribune Corp could have pretended the stench was not there for so long.

Is toothpick ticker tape parade a choice?

My only problem with Dusty Baker is the fact that he's a hunter. Hunting is cruel, inhumane, violent, deadly and rife with irreverence for life.

If I won't boo Rex Grossman at Bears games, why would I boo Dusty Baker tonight? Wasn't he fired by the Cubs? It wasn't like he was wooed out of town by more money. We should cheer for him! His gone! Plus, he sucked on Baseball Tonight.

If I won't boo Rex Grossman at Bears games, why would I boo Dusty Baker tonight? Wasn't he fired by the Cubs? It wasn't like he was wooed out of town by more money. We should cheer for him! He's gone! Plus, he sucked on Baseball Tonight.

Hi Roman. Being not a nice person is not the only reason people boo someone, Roman. They boo them because they do stupid things like overwork young pitchers and play crappy veterans over promising young talent and say stupid things like, "If you can't run, it's bad if you take walks, because then you're just clogging up the basepaths." Run-on sentences are fun! And oh, by the way, Dusty Baker is an awful awful manager. I probably wouldn't boo him if I were a Cubs fan, but the Wrigley faithful have every reason to.

Who the frook cares about Dusty Baker being back in town? I fail to understand why this has been dominating the newspapers, radio and TV the last couple days. Does anyone care when Mike Keenan returns to Chicago? Is it news when Dick Jauron coaches against the Bears? When Big Frank came back the smattering of boos was drowned out by the cheers, and the people booing looked like JAGs, which is what Cubs fans would look like tonight. Stop living in the past and get over it. Stop revelling in the failures -- that's why the culture of misery is hitting the century mark.

Who's back in town?

Brien Comerford if you're not a vegetarian or vegan then you're a hypocrit that pays someone else to kill your meat for you and this thread wasn't started for your campaign against hunting. With that said now I think I'll go make a pot of venison chili.

It was time for a change when Dusty left but you cant hate on him that much, I mean he took the Cubs farther than anyone else. The biggest problem of his tenure has to be the September 2004 collapse, but thats on the players too. Well that and the two horrible seasons that followed weren't that great either. That being said, booing is fun, I mean come one who doesn t like to throw out a good boo. People get to upset with it, then need to feed of the boos pro wrestling style

Why all the hate for Dusty from Cub fans? The main reason is not his managing skills because Lou Pinnella isnt much better its his SKIN COLOR!!! I hate to play the race card but look at Cub fans. They racially taunt Corey Patterson, Jacque Jones, LaTroy Hawkins but love Kerry Wood who is equally bad and has been stealing major league money for years. Look at the mistakes Lou Pinnella made last year in the playoffs do you think Dusty would have gotten off that easy? Dusty just didnt get to be a bad manager he was sucessful everywhere else he just had too many triple A players on his team. Why couldnt the great Lou Pinnella turn around the Devil Rays? Its the Talent he had but Cub fans didnt see that all they say was a black guy managing the beloved Cubs and most of them didnt like it. Just listen to the talk radio guys like Mike Murphy you can here it but what can you do its the Cubs.

What is up with the world of Cubdom? You all had wanted Dusty Baker gone. Wish granted. I don't understand why his return is such a big deal. He has moved on. Why can't you?

What are the odds he brings out his own lineup card? I would say very low...my picks:

- 3rd base coach
- his son

Mike 23 - if you hate playing the race card, why play it? Why is it that you can't criticize any black (insert profession here) figure, without being labled racist? He sucked - plain and simple. He let the club run wild all under the guise of being a player's manager. Anybody remember the bullpen calling the press box during a game to complain about the announcers? And dusty defended them! Frankly most of the true Cubs fans that i know, could care less that he is back. I think it is arrogance on your part that that you think you understand how most Cub fans feel.

To the Cub Nation:

Let it go! Leave Dusty alone! He did his time with what he had to work with. We all know that the larger blame lies with the ownership. The Chicago Cubs are one of the most storied, most recognizable franchises in all of sports, despite not winning a championship in 100 seasons, playing the third largest media market in the United States, and for years a mediocre, half-**s effort has been afforded by ownership with respect to winning. Regarding Dusty Baker, I have never seen such a baseless "assault" on anyone, and on one of the all-time nice guys in the game.

Jack, the race card? I agree that Dusty may have had some foul-ups, and I agree with some of the antics that should have never occurred while he was manager. But my, God, this has been relentless, and I cannot recall a previous Cub manager being treated so rudely and nastily. We will never know if people have responded in such a way because Dusty is black--but I have been a Cub fan for 35 years, and I have never, never witnessed a nastier, ruder treatment of a former Cub manager.

Dusty's treatment has been taken to another level, and its unprecedented. Frankly speaking, I think there is a greater underlying resentment now since Dusty manages again in the Central. Its almost like people are saying: "How Dare He?" But I Say "Why not?" Dusty presence again is good for the game. What is he supposed do? Not manage again because Cub fans are salty. Let it go!

The Cubs were 5 outs from the "big one" five years ago, the players on the field did not get it done, especially the overrated Mark Prior and Kerry Wood!

Dusty comes off like a good guy. Some of his managing skills leave allot to be desired. But I can say that about allot of managers. Glad he's back managing again.

If the media folks hadn't brought it to our attention in the first place and made a fuss, most fans wouldn't have even given it much thought. But for any vindictive blokes out there, the best philosophy is "don't get mad, get even" and sweep the Reds right outta town.

Also, is that crazy about Soriano or what? Well, he wasn't hitting anyway, maybe the time off will do him some good.

Well, Dusty was booed of course, and so was Corey Patterson. But the person who deserves to be booed the most is Felix Pie.

This is an issue of race. This is not playing the race card. It's called playing the "real" card. No other former Cub manager gets this type of treatment when he returns. And I think along with race is the fact that Dusty has the audacity to be confident in himself which creates an issue with many of the fans that came out to boo him. It really hurts me to even call these goofs Cub fans. Dusty did his job while he was here and brought more excitement and great memories than I can remember in my 23 years as a Cub fan. It wasn't his fault that for three years he was left to depend on two pitchers who couldn't stay healthy. And as for overuse of Wood and Prior, if you had Farnsworth, Guthrie, Veres, and Borowski at the end of your bullpen you'd leave em in too. Oh! I forgot about the great Antonio Alfonseca at the end of that pen as well.

It wasn't until Hendry pulled his head out of MacFail's (and I do know the correct spelling) butt that he realized that he better revamp this team or he'd be out the door as well. So he went and bought some o.k. but healthy pitchers and brought in some above average veteran talent to win a down division led by a young team (the Brewers) who didn't know how to close the deal.

Marriotti says that Dusty reveled in the race issue too much and didn't have enough fun. But when you're receiving racist hate mail and you realize that a lot of the scrutiny and hate that you're receiving from fans is because you're Black, how in the hell can you have fun under those circumstances. That's assinine. The track record speaks for itself also when it comes to Black players. LaTroy Hawkins receiving death threats; Corey Patterson booed unmercifully; Jacque Jones almost beaned by a ball thrown by a fan in the outfield bleachers and booed unmercifully last season. I've even heard fans booing Soriana early on this season. This is really stupid. And I will go as far to say that its one of the reasons that this organization has not been able to turn the corner and shed the loser label. You never hear Cardinal fans boo a former player and most definitely not a current player regardless of their play. All of those players I mentioned above were never known for their lack of hustle. Jones was hard-nosed and played hard and it showed but he still received boos. It wasn't as if he tried to hit .230 in the first half of the season last year.

Those of you who boo these players would probably never admit it but the reason you were harder on these players and Dusty is because they were Black. This stupidity and ignorance has to stop.

no need to boo dusty, he gone. cubs fans should cheer, not just good riddance but reds are now stuck with him. see how his don't blame me, dude act goes over in lil ol cinncy. hope he like chili. Now if the reds would just hire hendry the cubs would be on their way to the new dynasty of the 21'st century, or at least to some small amount of success.

one vote for the ticker toothpick parade.

Go Cubs!

"No other former Cub manager gets this type of treatment when he returns."

Chuck - I think it's fair to say your argument is drawing a lot of yawns. Who was the last Cub manager to come into Wrigley? Yeah - Cub fans fawn over guys like Jim Essian all of the time.

What about the disgust Bear fans have over Wannie and Dick Jauron? Sox fans with Terry Bevington. These people must be from a different racist sect.

You are right about one thing..your last line. "This stupidity and ignorance has to stop."

you can stop any time now

Not sure where to post this...

But...someone took a picture in a pink sox hat over the weekend...

Roman...be on the lookout for my email.

Roman responds: I see it, and I'll post it here:

Chuck, I agree, booing current/former players/managers is stupid. But isn't that a pretty common thing to do, not just in baseball and not just in Chicago? I'm not saying Dusty Baker deserved to be booed - he didn't. I really didn't understand it either since he was fired by the organization. I mean, he was asked to leave his job, exactly what he deserved for his tenure in Chicago. Corey Patterson sucked while he was here, so you really can't count him in your argument. Can you give me some examples of former Cub managers who have returned to Chicago to welcome receptions? I don't know of any off the top of my head. Have you ever been to a sporting event in New York? The fans are equal opportunity booers, at least in the Bronx and the Meadowlands. I'm not so sure St. Louis is completely boo-free either. Did you know that Rex Grossman, a white guy, gets booed every single time he takes the field in Chicago? (and harassed in Green Bay, when he was injured and on the sidelines) Dumb fans who boo people reflect negatively on the true fans, such as me, who would never do something like that.

These so-called fans are also the ones who end up sitting behind me giving drunk play-by-play from the 3rd inning on and push me out of the way of catching a foul ball. It was mine, dammit!

If anyone was booing Dusty because he is black...they should be hit by lighting. If they were booing for Dusty, cause he turned a blind eye on Bay Area steroid abuse...well...thats ok I think.

Looks like Hitman is the only welcher around here now.

Picture??? I don't see any picture! Please post it.

The only people who deserved to be booed are the decison-makers who keep hiring managers and general managers who don't know baseball. Baker and Piniella are the same. They both put speed guys upfront without regard to whether they can actually get on base, they both don't know which of their own players can't hit righties or lefties (Lou plays Theriot full-time when he was easily among the bottom 10 in all of baseball against righties last year; while Dusty played Jones everyday and he was worse than a pitcher against lefties) ), they let players dictate when and where they play (Sosa and Soriano come to mind), they let veterans proven to be terrible to play over kids with potential (Lou likes vet over kids but Dusty playing Nefi puts him in a class all his own) and neither knows how to win (Lou couldn't win with A-Rod, Griffey, Martinez and Randy Johnson, while Dusty couldn't win with Barry Bonds). Dusty and Lou are both living in the past. The reason the Red Sox became great is because they hired Epstein who in turn created a team built on the stats that matter - OBA and SA. Not virtually meaningless numbers like BA and RBI. Boo the Trib. Why boo bad managers hired by bad management?

Julie B.

That was a "cheap shot" regarding steroid abuse in the "Bay Area" and the implication that Dusty "turned a blind eye..." If Dusty "turned a blind eye", so did LaRussa (McGwire, Canseco) , Torre (Giambi), Brenly (Gonzales), the list goes on. Correction: All of Major League Baseball and its leadership--"turned a blind eye.."

No cheap shots here, Cassius, only insightful comments by me. Names go underneath the posts. See: yours.

I want to reiterate that I do not believe in booing anyone, but I'd think the boo-birds would save a few for Aramis Ramirez. Clearly Cubs fans have forgiven and forgotten about the cockfighting incident from a few months back. No boos for Aramis! But why, I wonder? Wasn't everyone all up in arms about this while it was gong on? Oh wait, he's still on the team and he's not black. That must be it.

Cassius says "If Dusty "turned a blind eye", so did LaRussa (McGwire, Canseco) , Torre (Giambi), Brenly (Gonzales), the list goes on. Correction: All of Major League Baseball and its leadership--"turned a blind eye.."

GEE...u think?? I have to laugh when I think back to the espn roundtable on roids that included Baker and someone called out Baker with regard to Bonds - basically asking Dusty "how could you NOT know". LaRussa is just as bad if not worse since he had 2 dominant roid monsters to Bakers one.

That was MY insightful comment!!

Some would call it a joke...

Feel free to unbotton your top botton Cassius and get some air!

If there is African American...Is there such a thing as African-Latino?

I am really trying to figure out the whole Latino/Carribean/African labelazation thing that is happening in Baseball..

It mind boggling.

What about LaRussa's roid monster right now...Pujo's?

Sorry Julie, and thanks! The culprit confessed... I can breath now.

Sorry Julie, and thanks! Its now unbuttoned, and I am breathing easier. Ha, ha

Cassius...you seem to really be having a hard time wrapping your head around the whole...

NAME GOES UNDER THE COMMENT

Concept....

I know JB and I often get confused...since we both possess superior vocabularic arselnals and highly evolved senses of humor, but...try to keep it straight ok, we both take our credit extremely seriously.

I am really disappointed. I bring up the cockfighting thing and nothin'!!!! I even said Ramirez didn't get booed because he's not black - no one jumps on that either?!?!?!? What's with you guys? I'm feeling feisty and nobody indulges me. Great, thanks. Just wanted to stir things up a little and all you guys can muster is getting someone to unbutton their top button? I don't even have buttons!

wait..i threw in the Afro Latino comment...and got nothing either?!?!?!

whats happening around here?

everyone is going soft!>!>!>

A Ticker Tooth Parade!