Hendry: Dusty's Safe

Yeah...Baker will be fired by the end of the year.

Dusty's a goner. I bet Lou Pinella manages this team next season.

I'm watching Pinella broadcasting the FOX game and I would rather him be managing a team than have to listen to him broadcast every Saturday.

I agree

Yeah, anytime a GM expresses his confidence in you, odds are your job's over. Wasn't there somebody on this site who thought the Cubs would win the N.L. Central? Wasn't that part of someone's 2006 predictions? I seem to vaguely recall.....

Well, I am usually very optimistic about the Cubs at the beginning of the season, and I did put up an article about why the Cubs could win, but I never actually said they would win in any predictions. But my guess is Baker is gone by the All Star break. I understand Hendry want to stand by his manager, but he's next on the chopping block if he doesn't fire Baker.

The Cubs have now lost 21 out of 25 games. I think it's time to trade the curses (Prior and Wood) and move on.

Well, obviously, it's not solely their fault the Cubs suck of late. When you're 28th in the league in team ERA and 26th in the league in batting average, it's not just the pitcher's - or even the manager's - fault. The Cubs have many more problems besides two pitchers, or one manager. At this point, Joe Torre could come in and he wouldn't be able to guide them to a decent season.

Check that, 26th in ERA and 28th in batting average.

Yeah, but Xinoph, Dusty is one of the few managers that aren't immune from the "it's just the players defense." It seems as the Dusty has had an effect on the roster construction (Neifi Perez, Tom Goodwin, Troy O'Leary) and likely had an effect on the injuries of some players (Mark Prior being #1). Plus, his odd refusal to play some guys (Choi, Bellhorn, Murton until this year) have probably caused Hendry to get a certain type of player. Dusty seems like one of those guys that you'd really love to have on your staff, but give him too much power and things go wrong.

You misunderstand, Darrel. I wasn't saying that it was just the players. I was saying that it wasn't just the manager. It takes a combination of the two to succeed. I entirely agree that he'd be better on your staff than in charge; he'd make a great bench coach, probably.