"I'm not that powerful. I've been here two years. There's no way you can be here two years and be that powerful.

I didn't run Stoney out of own. That's not my style. I didn't want Stoney to leave.

I wanted him
back."

"Their leader is not a whiner, reputations are usually blown out of proportion." "You can't bring bad stuff from the past into the
future.

I've never seen anything like [the '04 controversies] in my 36 years in
the game. I'm sorry it was on my watch."
"I didn't like Houston drilling Derrek Lee with two outs in the ninth, [knowing] we don't see 'em again until next year.

To me, that's dirty baseball."
"Did some writer add fuel to a fire that wasn't there? I don't know.

"
"I don't take things as insults. You're the one who's got to play, bro. It's a big year for him and a big year for us, period.

It's a big year for me. Personally, I'm not crazy about going into my last year of my contract (in 2006) without winning (in '05)."

The above quotes were from the Cub manager over the weekend at the annual love fest that is the Cub Convention.

Dusty Baker's reputation with the Giants was that he was a great manager in the clubhouse dealing with the egos of players like Bonds and Kent, he was questionable tactician managing a game, and he was a poor handler of pitchers. During those years Dusty's strength inside the clubhouse was never questioned. Following 2004 you have to question if Dusty could have handled this team any worse--both on and off the field.

Dusty Baker lost control of the Cubs in 2004. Dusty can spin this thing anyway he wants. He can blame the media, the rules setup before he arrived, or the "snitches" in the clubhouse.

The fact is 2004 happened on his watch. Dusty Baker always has an alibi. If you cannot make decent in-game decisions managing a baseball team you had better run a good clubhouse.

If you can't do either, good luck getting that contract extension.

It's funny how things change in one year. A year ago Baker was the toast of Chicago.

He had turned the Cubs into winners. Bringing them within 5 outs of the..

.you know. Now Baker is in a real pickle.

Fan perception is that Baker chased the popular Stoney out of town. Stoney's replacement is Bob Brenly, a man who has won the World Series--this decade. Brenly's a perfect replacement for Baker if the big blue express runs off course this season.

Baker will face his first challenge when and if Sosa arrives in Mesa. How will Baker handle the fragile sluggers ego. Even Sosa-apologist Ron Santo has called for Sammy to apologize for his actions the last day of the season.

Is that realistic? I don't think so. Listening to the Cub players over the weekend, it sounds like they expect an apology from the future HOF'er.

Baker is going to have to save his relationship with Sammy, along with the rest of the teams relationship with Sahm. If Dusty can do this, the Cubs will have gotten what they hired Baker to do. If not, get ready to see another new color commentator in the broadcast booth in 2006

Apparently Omar Minaya and the Mets think he is. a 7 year deal for $119 Million. Yep, that's $17 Million a season.

This past week on Beltran's value. There are several questions you have to ask about Beltran:

• is Beltran worth $17 million?
• does Beltran deserve a 7 year deal?

• does any player deserve a 7 year deal?

My answer would be NO across the board. I think Carlos Beltran is a very good player.

What he did in the playoffs last year was incredible to watch. You have to remember that was a very small sample size. There is no doubt that Beltran played very well on the big stage.

When you start to look at the bigger picture you have to wonder about making a $17 million/year investment in a player who's numbers are more comparable to Bobby Bonds than they are Barry Bonds.
Beltran's career numbers are not even close to , but he is asking far more than Vlad received in his monster contract from the Angels last off season. According to Vlad is making about $14 Million/year.

The funny thing is that teams like the Mets are actually considering paying Beltran the coin Boras is asking for.
Scott Boras is the best agent in the game today. I still giggle when I think about how he had the Rangers bidding against themselves in the A-Rod sweepstakes a few years back.

Earlier this week when he said five teams had made the minimum bid of $120 Million over seven years you had to laugh. There is no way that was true. But all is fair in negotiations and Boras is gonna get his clients the most money possible.

Seven years is just too many years to sign any player in MLB. You have no idea what will happen to that player next month yet alone in six or seven years. When the Reds signed Junior Griffey to their deal before 2000 they had no idea that Griff's career was about to be filled with injuries.

When the Cubs signed Sosa to his last extension it looked like a happy ending to Sammy's career. Look at what has happened. I wouldn't sign any player in MLB to a seven year deal.

Players careers are just too unpredictable.
If you take a look at the NL Central you have to like the Cubs situation. In addition to Beltran the Astros have lost Kent, Wade Miller, and Berkman will start the year on the DL because he tore his knee up playing flag football.

All of this and Roger Clemens is threatening to retire again. The Cubs have holes ladies and gents, but the Astros prove it can always be worse.
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"It's not like we need ten or twelve new players to contend.

"

-- Jim Hendry

"All your statistics are going to tell you is what a guy has done.