Baker reflects on difficult season

09/29/2006

CHICAGO -- Dusty Baker said he still doesn't know if he'll be managing the Chicago Cubs next season but he does expect to be managing somewhere in 2007.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has yet to announce whether he'll give Baker a contract extension, and no meeting has been set between the two. Baker's four-year, $14 million deal ends after Sunday's game.
"It's not easy," Baker said about not knowing his future job status. "It's not easy on my staff either. They're an extension of me, and they're asking me and saying, 'Dusty, have you heard anything?' They don't know what to do, who's going to be here, or if they're going somewhere else.
"There's a lot of uncertainty," Baker said. "Uncertainty is one of the toughest things to take."
Anyone who has been told to "wait until your father gets home" knows exactly what Baker is going through, he said. Asked if he wishes someone from the Cubs front office would acknowledge it's been a tough season and give him some credit, Baker shrugged.
"That's how it goes," he said.
Does he plan on managing somewhere?
"Yeah," Baker said. "Because I like what I'm doing and I know what I'm doing and I know what the circumstances have been. I know myself. I was thinking about Larry Brown last night. He had a bad year in New York with the Knicks. Does that mean he doesn't know how to coach anymore? You don't lose it that quickly. You don't lose it at all. Look at Joe Paterno. He's still got it. I've gained from this experience here."
Cubs bench coach Dick Pole was quoted as saying Baker had been beaten up in Chicago this season.
"All year long, it's been here," said Baker, whose job status has been questioned since the Cubs Convention in mid-January. "For lack of a better term, you come to work without a contract and keep reading about different people taking your job or who's available and the bad job you're doing and whatever. I know the reality of things. I know the job I've done under the circumstances.
"Sometimes you feel beaten up," he said. "There's a difference between being beaten up and beaten down. You can beat me up, but you can't beat me down."
The reality is that Baker, 57, has had to deal with injuries to key personnel like pitchers Kerry Wood and Mark Prior and first baseman Derrek Lee. Michael Barrett served a 10-game suspension, then missed the last month with an injury. Plus, there was the dismal 7-22 May. Baker was forced to rely on rookie pitchers in the rotation and never did find a regular second baseman. Cubs starting pitchers were unable to finish the sixth inning in more than 80 games this year, putting a strain on the bullpen.
Baker, who led the Cubs to the Central Division title in 2003, his first season, has taken the brunt of the criticism. Asked if that was fair, Baker said it's part of the job.
"What is fair?" he said. "Like I was trying to explain about the 'black box' -- you have to find out if it's pilot error or mechanical failure, or what? People are always going to look for a reason and somebody to put the reason on. Like I said, 'What's fair, or unfair?' I haven't figured that out in life yet."
So, if Baker is the pilot, was the problem this year pilot error or mechanical failure?
"It's too late now," Baker said. "I'll take it. It's already given to me, so I'll take it."
"I think the key for all of us, as difficult as it is and difficult as it will be, is to put a lot of this behind us and move foward," Barrett said Friday. "We have to get ready for what we individually have to do. Nobody is past what has happened. We all have a job to do. This is a team deal. In order to turn this thing around, it'll take every single one of us to do that."
Baker vows he'll be back. Whether it's in Chicago won't be known until sometime after Sunday's game ends.
"I love the work. I love the game," Baker said. "I like to win -- I love to win. I'll be back, and I'll be back winning. That's what I know, and that's what I'm used to."

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Lee helps spearhead Project 3000

09/29/2006

CHICAGO -- Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee was devastated when he learned his 3-year-old daughter Jada had lost vision in one eye. Now, he's doing something about it.
Lee has teamed up with Boston Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck to create "Project 3000," a foundation to fight Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), an inherited form of blindness.
Project 3000 is designed to provide state of the art genetic testing for every man, woman and child who has LCA. People are urged to contact www.carverlab.org/project3000 for more information.
"There's approximately 3,000 Americans with this disease, and only 500 have been tested," Lee said Friday. "We need to get everyone with this disease tested because it will help with the cure. They're doing genetic testing and finding the genes responsible for this."
Lee said 10 years ago, people with LCA were told nothing could be done. It is currently not possible to restore vision to affected people, although this has been accomplished in animals affected with similar disorders. The discovery of the genes that cause LCA and the availability of useful tests are both so new that most affected individuals don't know they exist. Funding for the project will not be an issue, Lee said. Grousbeck also has a son who has LCA.
"We want you to get tested," Lee said, hoping to reach people with LCA. "It may not be able to help you, but it could help the next family.
"Our goal is to wipe it out," he said. "We want to wipe LCA out. We want to find a cure."
Lee said Jada is a little different from others with LCA because she can still see out of one eye.
"We look at that as a positive, and ask that everyone continue to pray for a miracle and that she continues to have good sight out of one eye," Lee said.
Lee has not played since Sept. 14 to attend to his daughter. On Friday, he was in uniform and on the bench with the Cubs, but not sure if he'll play in the final three games of the Cubs' season. Having to deal with Jada's situation was a shock to Lee and his wife.
"It's something that's devastating, initially," Lee said. "When you're told that your daughter -- that there's something wrong with your child, it's hard to explain unless you have children. You'll do anything to protect your children. When there's something wrong and nothing you can do about it, it's a tough pill to swallow. As parents we want to do our part. We feel our part is to raise awareness and help other families out. If there's a cure to be found, we want to find it."
Lee thanked all the fans, his teammates, the city of Chicago and the Cubs for their support and prayers during his family crisis. They are working with a specialist, Dr. Ed Stone, in Iowa City, Iowa, and have met researchers and scientists.
All the Lees know is that both parents have to have the gene with the disease, and if they have another child, there is a 25-percent chance he or she would get LCA, too.
"A lot of research needs to be done in this area," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Most of us have never heard of this. We're hoping they find a cure so he can save his little girl's eyesight."
Baker said Lee can play whenever he's ready.
"He said he's over the initial shock, which is the toughest thing," Baker said. "After you figure that, you've got to be proactive and figure out how to cure it. It's a tough situation."

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Notes: Barrett needs time to heal

09/29/2006

CHICAGO -- Michael Barrett won't be back this season, but when he returns in 2007, he'll have better protection.
The Cubs catcher has been sidelined since a foul tip caused an intrascrotal hematoma on Sept. 2. He underwent surgery and had hoped to return this month, but the injury hasn't healed and doctors advised rest.
"It's been difficult sitting and not playing and not doing much of anything, but it's doctor's orders," he said Friday.
Barrett still has some pain and discomfort after the operation.
"It's taken a lot longer than I thought to heal," Barrett said. "I might have been a little out of my mind when I thought I could come back."
Barrett isn't able to run now, but he doesn't expect to have any problems next season.
"As soon as I can be more active, I will be," he said. "This is my offseason. This surgery and everything that's happened is my offseason. Once I start feeling better, it's time to get going again."
When Barrett does come back, he'll be wearing a cup that offers bullet-proof protection. They are on the market.
"Once I get that thing, it's game on," he said.
And the original cup? It's now on display at a youth baseball complex Barrett is involved with in the Atlanta area.
Mr. 200: Juan Pierre notched his 200th hit in the first inning on Friday, and the Cubs center fielder will likely set a record for lowest batting average for a player with 200 hits. Pierre entered Friday's game batting .291. The current low is .295 by Jo-Jo Moore of the 1935 New York Giants.
Also, Pierre could be the first player with 200 hits and 50 stolen bases to score fewer than 100 runs since Sam Rice of the Washington Senators in 1920. The only other player to do so was Ed McKean in 1887 for Cleveland of the American Association. McKean is only considered a member of the 200-hit club because walks were counted as hits in 1887. He had 154 real hits and 60 walks.
All-time, Cub players have recorded 200 hits in a season 20 times. Billy Herman and Billy Williams reached 200 three times while Kiki Cuyler and Woody English did so twice.
Derrek Lee finished one hit shy of 200 last year when he won the National League batting title. Ryne Sandberg was the last Cub to join the 200 club, doing so in 1984.
On deck: The Cubs will play Game 2 of their final three-game series of the season on Saturday, sending rookie Juan Mateo (1-3, 4.09 ERA) to the mound against Jeff Francis (13-11, 4.02 ERA) at 3:05 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on WGN Radio and WGN TV.

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Ugly sixth inning spells doom for Cubs

09/29/2006

CHICAGO -- After his last start of the season on Friday, Carlos Zambrano took a look back at his year and gave this assessment:
"You take away the first month and it was a good season," Zambrano said. "Thank God for everything and this was a good season for me."
Take away an April in which Zambrano was 0-2 with a 5.35 ERA and the starter would have been 16-5 with an ERA of 3.04.
Give the Cubs a chance to step back and look at their season as a team and they would probably say the exact opposite.
Take away an April in which the Cubs finished with a record of 13-11 and the club would not have had a winning month this year.
On Friday, Zambrano would have liked to take away the sixth inning in the Cubs' 5-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies in front of 33,721 at Wrigley Field.
The Rockies were held hitless in the sixth, but scored three runs -- one earned -- on two walks, an error, an intentional walk and a hit batter.
"He threw the ball pretty good," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said, "except for that one inning where he had a couple of walks and we had the error and the hit-batsman. Really that's where most of the runs came from."
With one out in the top of the sixth, Zambrano walked Garrett Atkins and Matt Holliday. Todd Helton then hit a hard grounder to first base, where it bounced off John Mabry for an error and allowed Atkins to score. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Zambrano hit Troy Tulowitzki to bring another run home. Chris Iannetta grounded out to first to score a third run and give the Rockies a 4-1 lead.
Baker gave Zambrano one more inning after the sixth in hopes of scoring a few runs and sending the ace out with a win.
"We were trying [to get him a win]," Baker said. "Hopefully we could've scored some runs for him."
Ryan Theriot and Aramis Ramirez did their best to help out, combining for the Cubs' only two runs off Josh Fogg (11-9). Theriot led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and Ramirez hit an RBI double. Theriot also tripled in the bottom of the sixth and scored on an RBI groundout by Ramirez.
But it was not enough to get Zambrano his 17th win -- a number that would have fit nicely into his push for a Cy Young Award.
"Today certainly would've helped him because he would have been one of possibly two to get that 17th," Baker said.
Zambrano (16-7) and Arizona's Brandon Webb are currently tied for the National League lead in wins with 16. Webb has one more start scheduled for Sunday against San Diego.
Other than not getting the win, Zambrano was able to improve most of the numbers on his Cy Young resume.
Zambrano gave up four runs, two earned, in seven innings to drop his ERA to 3.41 -- fifth best in the NL. Webb leads the league with a 2.88 ERA and St. Louis' Chris Carpenter is third with a 3.09 ERA.
Zambrano struck out nine Rockies to establish a new career high for a season with 210 strikeouts. He ranks second in the National League in strikeouts while Carpenter ranks fifth (184) and Webb is outside of the top 10.
Zambrano also held the Rockies to three hits. He entered the game ranked second in the NL in opponents batting average against (.211), with Carpenter ranking fourth (.235) and Webb sitting at eighth (.242).
"He's up there in strikeouts and one of the toughest to hit in the league," Baker said. "The guy's had an outstanding year for us. Hopefully, the judges will look at that."
Zambrano said it's out of his control now, but he thinks he's made a case to be considered for the award with Webb and Carpenter.
"It's up to the writers," Zambrano said. "I did the job and I think Carpenter and Webb are doing their job, too, and whoever wins, he deserves it."
While he's still unsure of if he'll be the Cy Young winner, Zambrano is fairly certain he'll remain the Cubs' ace next season. The 25-year-old just hopes he's not alone next year.
"I think we need two more pitchers -- we'll see," Zambrano said. "I always say that any team can be good with two or three good pitchers. The best example is the Atlanta Braves -- Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz. They were successful and they won 14 in a row."
Fitting that Zambrano would end the year talking about what he'd take away from this season, but add for the next.

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Monday meeting for Baker, Hendry

09/30/2006

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said he'll meet on Monday with Dusty Baker regarding the manager's future with the team.
Baker's four-year contract expires after the regular season ends on Sunday.
"It's been a difficult season for all of us," Hendry said Saturday before the Cubs played host to the Colorado Rockies.
The Cubs front office has been quiet regarding Baker's status since Hendry announced in July that the manager would finish the season. Hendry received a two-year contract extension in May, but Baker was not offered an extension at any time this year. Does Baker think the situation could have been handled better?
"Maybe," Baker said.
How so?
"I didn't ask the question, I answered -- 'Maybe,'" Baker said.
Hendry said he didn't feel there was a need to say anything sooner.
"I don't know any other way we could've handled it," Hendry said. "There hasn't been any reason to keep him posted on anything different since July."
Asked if he had made his decision, Hendry said he wanted to wait until he met with Baker on Monday.
"Obviously, it's been a trying year on all of us, and I've tried to look at the entire situation, like I said I would, from the Cubs standpoint and moving forward," Hendry said.
As for the fate of the Cubs coaching staff, Hendry said he would evaluate their situation after he speaks to Baker.
It's been a difficult season for Baker and the Cubs, who entered Saturday's game tied for last place in the National League Central with Pittsburgh at 65-95, the worst record in the NL.
The back page of a Chicago newspaper on Saturday featured a graphic of Baker's smiling face on a piece of toast over a heated toaster.
"He's been involved in the game in a positive way for a long time," Hendry said of Baker, a three-time NL Manager of the Year. "He's got a great track record as a player, and he's been a good manager for a long time. I hate to see a lot of the negativity in any way, shape or form.
"We've all had a hand in the bad season we've had," Hendry said. "I don't like to see anybody who has treated people well, from myself on down to the players, and what he's done in the game being treated poorly."
Baker was surprised by the graphic.
"It disappoints me that somebody would waste that much time and space when there's so much other important stuff in the world going on that's newsworthy," Baker said. "It doesn't anger me. It doesn't affect me at all now. A couple years ago, it probably would have. I've got some calluses now that I didn't have before. To me, why would you waste your time and space to do that? It just makes no sense."
This season will be the fifth time Baker has finished under .500 in 14 seasons as manager -- the second straight with the Cubs. He was the first skipper to lead the Cubs to consecutive winning seasons since 1971-72, when he did so his first two seasons in Chicago, 2003-04.
The calluses have been developed over time.
"You have experiences," Baker said. "I've had experiences since I was a kid, going back to my elementary, junior high, high school. I was the only black kid in my high school, me and my brother. I was in the south, South America, I was in the Marines, I was in L.A., I was loved, I was scorned, I've had almost every emotion there is thrown at me.
"As a believer in God, you also learn these things come to people more than they do other people sometime," he said. "If you know my dad, if you know my mom, I come from some very strong roots. The only problem with that is sometimes there's a thin line between strength and stubbornness. That one I haven't figured out."
Despite the losing season, Baker has been able to smile.
"Nobody's going to take my joy away from me and my life," he said. "I get down -- I hate losing. Nobody hates losing in this room or this town more than me. Honest. Nobody. Still, you've got to have joy."

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Notes: Hendry looking forward

09/30/2006

CHICAGO -- Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has begun work on next year's roster, and on Saturday he said he's optimistic he can work out a deal to keep third baseman Aramis Ramirez in Chicago.
Hendry said he spoke with Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, on Friday. Ramirez signed a four-year, $42 million deal in February 2005, which included an option that allowed him to opt for free agency after this season.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to keep Aramis," Hendry said. "He certainly has expressed to me as well as his people that he'd like to stay -- that would be his preference. We'll try to work hard on doing that. He's a good player and has had a very good season and tremendous second half. Moving forward, we'd like to work it out."
Ramirez, who has established career highs in home runs and RBIs this year, said the two sides have begun talks.
"I'd like to be here," Ramirez said Saturday.
Hendry also has spoken to Juan Pierre's representatives. The Cubs center fielder is a free agent after this season, which was his first in Chicago. He was acquired from the Florida Marlins in December for three pitchers.
"I think Juan has a good understanding of where we're at and where we're going, and at the same time he's earned the right to check out the market if he chooses, and I don't have an issue with that," Hendry said.
The Cubs are not expected to pick up the $13.5 million option on pitcher Kerry Wood's contract for 2007, choosing the $3 million buyout instead. Hendry would like Wood to come back.
"Woody and I have a long-standing relationship," Hendry said. "I don't think it's any secret I'd like to have Woody back as we get this thing turned around next year."
Wood is currently rehabbing after a partial tear was discovered in the rotator cuff of his right shoulder. He has been training in Arizona and returned to the Cubs this week more than 20 pounds lighter.
"Everyone knows, from a medical point of view, that he's going to be a reliever [next year]," Hendry said. "I certainly have no intention of not wanting Woody back. I don't think there's any doubt of anybody who has worked here or played with him how much he wants to win.
"His injuries at times have been devastating," Hendry said. "He's taken the ball in a lot of pain, a lot of times without the public knowing it, and certainly should never be lumped in the category that he didn't want to pitch or he couldn't pitch with some discomfort. He's been a warrior here and hopefully we'll work things out and he'll be back next year."
Final days: Derrek Lee told Cubs manager Dusty Baker he didn't want to be added to the lineup card for the final two games, but Lee was needed to pinch-hit in the 12th inning on Saturday. He flew out to right.
"I asked him yesterday, 'Should I put you on the lineup card?' and he said, 'No,'" Baker said. "It's more of a mental relief for him to be here. Some physical [relief], but mostly mental to be around the guys and be around the game."
Lee has taken personal time so he can be with 3-year-old daughter Jada, who has lost vision in one eye because of Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). The Lees have established Project 3000 and are asking anyone with the disease to get tested in hopes of finding a cure. For more information, go to www.carverlab.org/project3000.
Facts and figures: Pierre reached the 200-hit plateau for the fourth time in his career on Friday. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the only other active players with at least four 200-hit seasons are Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki (six), the Yankees' Derek Jeter (five), the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero (four) and Texas shortstop Michael Young (four).
Baker said Pierre has been attacking the ball better in the second half. The center fielder also has adjusted to Cubs life.
"It's just a matter that sometimes in Chicago, you see guys come here the first year and they generally have a tough time in the beginning," Baker said. "Juan quickly figured it out, he figured out sleep patterns. He's the first one here in the morning; he's hard to beat. Not only is he hard to beat, but he's sitting up there with his uniform on."
Extra bases: Ryan O'Malley threw off flat ground on Saturday and reported no pain or discomfort in his left elbow. "It's good for my mind going into the offseason to know I'm all right," O'Malley said. ... The Rockies scored three runs in the sixth inning on Friday despite not recording a hit. That's the first time a Major League team has scored as many as three runs in an inning in which it did not have a hit since June 27, 2003, when the Royals scored three times in the seventh of a 5-2 win over the Cardinals. ... Outfielder Angel Pagan will play for Ponce in Puerto Rico this winter.
On deck: The Cubs close the season on Sunday afternoon at 1:20 CT, sending Wade Miller (0-2, 3.57) to the mound against Ubaldo Jimenez, who will be making his first Major League start. The game will be broadcast on WGN Radio and Comcast Sports Net.

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Cubs go down swinging in extras

09/30/2006

CHICAGO -- Give the Cubs credit, they haven't quit.
They certainly had a number of opportunities to in their 14-inning, five-hour, 11-9 loss to the Rockies on Saturday, but they never did.
The Cubs could have easily conceded the loss after starter Juan Mateo gave up seven runs on four hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings. It was the shortest, and worst, outing of the rookie's young career.
The Rockies hit two home runs off Mateo, including a leadoff homer by Jamey Carroll (5th) in the first and a two-run homer by Matt Holliday (34th) in the second.
Brad Hawpe added a solo shot (22nd) in the third to give the Rockies an early 8-0 lead. Good time to quit, right?
"We never quit," Jacque Jones said. "We battled back. We could've packed it in. We were down 8-0 at the beginning, and we battled back and came up just short at the end."
After chipping away at Jeff Francis for two runs over the first six innings, the Cubs scored four off the Rockies starter in the seventh. With one out and the bases loaded, Juan Pierre chopped an RBI single to second. After Nate Field relieved Francis, Ryan Theriot hit a three-run double to cut the score to 8-6.
"He had a couple of real big hits and brought us back in that ballgame," manager Dusty Baker said of Theriot.
The Rockies answered quickly in the top of the eighth on Chris Iannetta's leadoff homer (his second) and gave the Cubs yet another opportunity to quit.
But the Cubs kept rallying in the bottom half of the inning when pinch-hitter Freddie Bynum came up with a two-run triple to cut the lead to 9-8.
The Rockies sent in closer Brian Fuentes for the ninth. Fuentes had converted 30 of 35 save opportunities (86 percent) and quickly retired two outs. Time to head on home, right?
Not yet. Matt Murton walked, moved all the way to third on a wild pitch by Fuentes and then scored on an RBI single by Jones that tied it at 9.
Jones thought his team had the momentum at that point.
"Coming back from eight runs, of course," Jones said. "But it just didn't work out."
Even Mother Nature started to give signs that everyone should quit, when it started raining in the bottom of the 11th. The game was delayed 38 minutes.
But the game, and the Cubs, pressed on after the tarp was removed.
Kaz Matsui gave the Rockies what looked like an all-but-certain scoring opportunity when he tripled to start the 13th, but reliever Jae Kuk Ryu struck out the next two batters and got Choo Freeman to pop out to end the threat.
Todd Helton created a similar situation when he doubled off Ryu to lead off the 14th. After a walk to Hawpe, Clint Barmes sacrificed the runners to second and third.
Ryu (0-1) looked like he'd get out of it again after Iannetta struck out, but Jeff Baker hit a game-winning two-run single on 1-2 count.
"J.K. got out of trouble two or three times," Dusty Baker said, "and then [Jeff Baker] bounced that ball up the middle and that was the ballgame."
A combined total of 20 pitchers were used in the game, and 523 pitches were thrown. The Cubs used nine relievers, who gave up four runs in 12 1/3 innings.
"This team doesn't give up," Baker said. "We play hard. We were out of position players, and we were really out of pitchers. ... They had us outnumbered big time in the bullpen and off the bench, but we used everybody we could use."
For a team that's now 31 games under .500, it was a remarkable effort. Jones credits Baker.
"It's a tribute to the players and a tribute to the manager more importantly," Jones said. "[He's] keeping the team together. [He's] keeping the guys ready to go every day, no matter what. We've been through a lot as a team and we've been through a lot as some individuals, but he's keeping us together and we're playing hard and we're playing until the season's over''

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/