Note To Dusty Baker: Stay Out Of Cubs’ Business

There is a disturbing trend that has been taking place in the Chicago media since 2007. This trend is the annoying tendency of Chicago reporters to talk about the Cubs’ new direction with manager Dusty Baker. Need I remind you that Baker has not been a part of the Cubs’ organization since his last season as the team’ manager in 2006. Yet considering how many times Cubs’ reporters have gone to Baker to talk about the direction of the Cubs, one would think that Baker is a Cubs’ analyst rather than the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. When the Cubs hired Lou Piniella to

lead the team to the promise land

kick start his retirement tour, Baker commented on the hire. When Lou Piniella retired and Mike Quade replaced the hall of fame manager in the later portions of the 2010 and the entire 2011 season, Baker once again shared his opinion on the hire. With the Cubs making substantial changes this off-season with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer joining the team’s front office, and Dale Sveum being named the new manager, it was only a matter a time before Baker opened his mouth to talk about the Cubs.

The Cubs beat the Reds on Monday during Cactus League play, thus giving Baker the first opportunity to look at the team he used to manage. Gone from this Cubs’ team are the players that Baker failed to hold accountable in Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez. Rather than generally commenting on the Cubs’ hires, Baker took the time to mention that he would not offer advice to new Cubs’ manager Dale Sveum, which considering the two are division rival that should come as no surprise. Where Baker’s seem to take a turn to a more condescending tone is when he addresses the Cubs’ fan base and whether or not Cubs’ fans can embrace the idea of patience.

“From my experience, patience wasn’t a real virtue [in Chicago],” Baker said. “[The fans] have been patient for 100 years. That’s a hard sell in Chicago is more patience. They might be patient for a little while, but unlike any other place that I have been, they count. They can add real good in Chicago, men, women and children.”  ESPN Chicago

We all know Dusty Baker was a patient man. Patient in the way of leaving his starting pitcher in the game to point where it would not surprise anyone if that pitcher was placed on the disabled list on the day following his start. Patient in the way of letting his veteran players play out the season during years in which the Cubs should have been rebuilding and giving a look to the young players, 2005 and 2006 come to mind. Patient in the form of never addressing the criticism he faced from media, instead bringing his son with him to sit on his lap as a way to deter media members from asking any tough questions.

Chicago fans’ are patient, Dusty. What shows patience more than waiting 1o3 years for a World Series title. The one things Chicago fans don’t have patience for is BS. So Dusty Baker I have one question for you, “Who Ya Crappin?”