Dusty Baker Out as Cubs Manager
 |
James Joyner | Monday, October 2, 2006 |
The Cubs have decided to part ways with manager Dusty Baker.
Dusty Baker is out as the Chicago Cubs’ manager following a last-place finish and a failure to take the team to the World Series in his four years. The Cubs made the announcement Monday, a day after team president Andy MacPhail resigned and the club finished with a 66-96 record.
“I wish we could have gotten it done but we didn’t,” Baker said. “You see four years come to pass very quickly.”
Baker was in the last season of his $14 million-to-$15 million deal and had hoped to resurrect the franchise that hadn’t been in the World Series since 1945 and hadn’t won one since 1908. He compiled a 322-326 record during his time in Chicago.
Baker said he talked to the players on Sunday. “I just urged them yesterday just to learn from some of the things that they might have understood, and some of the things that they didn’t understand,” he said. “Just retain it and perhaps some day they can use it on being better ballplayers, and being, you know, better family men and just being better people, period.”
Baker didn’t get the job done, despite having the payroll and talent to make it happen. Still, the team has been beset with injuries, especially to its star pitchers, something he could hardly control. And it’s not as if he forgot how to manage after so many good years with the Giants.
- Eight men on- Chicago Cubs tie ML consecutive hit record
- Tribune Company sells most of their stake in the Chicago Cubs.
- Steve Bartman not to blame, Moises Alou says five years later
- Washington Nationals fire Manager Manny Acta
- MLB pitcher Scott Baker strikes out 4 in one inning
- Mark Prior: Cubs Tease
- Atlanta Brave Manager Bobby Cox says he’ll be back in 2009
- Seattle Mariners fire Manager John McLaren
- Chicago Cubs file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- World Series hero Dusty Rhodes dead at 82
- Keep firing- NY Islanders beat Toronto 4-3
- Why I hate FSN Florida
- St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger out with a broken leg
- Oh so close- Lorena Ochoa edges Jiyai Shin for LPGA Player of the Year
- Minnesota Wild trade Benoit Pouliot to Montreal
- Northeastern University to end its football program
- Second Chance- Detroit Lions beat Cleveland 38-37
- NY Knick Nate Robinson not benched for shooting at the wrong basket
- Arizona State Baseball Coach Pat Murphy resigns
- Clipping their wings- Florida Panthers beat Detroit 2-1
Comments are Closed
