So Can They Just Fire Dusty Baker Now?
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, it's highly unlikely that Florida Marlins' manager Joe Girardi is going to be returning to the Marlins next season.
On a scale of 1 to 10, Girardi's chances of returning next year are "zero," according to a source who has spoken with the Marlins' front office.I've been campaigning for the Cubs to hire Girardi since before he signed with the Marlins. I'd like to think that now, maybe, just maybe, the team can sign him.
"I don't think there is any chance," the source said.
They better not waste any time doing it. Girardi is bound to be a hot commodity among all MLB teams with a vacancy at the manager spot.
Despite taking over a team full of 22-year-old rookies with the
lowest payroll in the majors, Girardi has the Marlins in playoff contention.It seems the Marlins' front office doesn't care about that. Instead, it's picked a couple of mistakes made by Girardi this season as excuses to fire him, like bringing Josh Johnson back into a game after an 82-minute rain delay - Johnson would eventually leave the game with cramping in his forearm, shut down for the rest of the season with a strained ligament - and inserting Reggie Abercrombie as a defensive replacement in center field Sunday against the Braves - he misplayed two balls to allow the Braves to rally from 4 back to beat the Marlins 8-7.
But the truth is, Girardi and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria don't get along. At all.
On August 6th, Girardi was seen yelling at Loria to stop yelling at the home plate umpire, which led to a very heated discussion between both parties behind closed doors that nearly resulted in Girardi being fired that day.
His relationship with GM Larry Beinfest isn't much better. According to the source (here's hoping Mike Berardino never has to go to jail for 18 months for keeping this source a secret) the two men "barely speak" and have "no relationship at all."
The Cubs might not be the only Chicago team affected by the Joe Girardi firing. The Marlins have already started compiling a list of possible replacements. One of those possibilities is White Sox third base coach Joey Cora.
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Girardi seems willing to let young talented guys play rather than depending on old useless guys (Neifi, we harldy knew ye, but we knew enough), which is half of what the Cubs need. Problem is that the other half of what they need is talented young players.
Very true.
Imagine that! The Cubs might actually hire someone who could help them win some games. Loria and the Marlins management have got to have some screws lose to let him go.
Actually from what I'm now hearing from Buster Olney, and Peter Gammons....Girardi is not high on the Cubs wish list.
That should go over well this off-season.
girardi not high on the wish list?
that's so dumb even cub fans know it's dumb.
Actually, the idea to play all the young players was the GM's. Loria, being a dumb ass, hired Girardi last year against the wishes of the rest of his staff. If Girardi goes to the Cubs they will still suck. Zamrano and the remains of Wood and Prior still don't match up to what the Marlins have on their staff. And outside of the corner infielders the Cubs are pretty crappy.
I agree with the fact that the Cubs are indeed, pretty crappy. However I feel that Girardi would be better suited than Dusty Baker to handle such a situation.
Dusty is perfect for a veteran team, but not so much for this Cubs squad. I think that things have gotten too lax on the North side and that Girardi would instill a little fire into the clubhouse. Besides, unlike the Marlins, the Cubs actually have money to spend for Girardi.
How could any person who likes Joe actually wish him into a Cub job?
You are my hero, Tom. Will AND the Mighty MJD both linked you to the same post!
How bout them apples, Good Will Hunting?
Ok, I'm a Cub fan, so I watch every game, still, so I'm asking why don't you people stop talking crap about the Cubs, when you don't know what you are talking about? Saying that the cubs don't have any good young players, just makes you sound stupid. The Cubs have been playing all of their youngsters. Ever heard of Rich Hill? He's been dominating, and will be a very good pitcher, how about Ryan Theroit? Carlos Marmol? Sean Marshall? Ronny Cedeno? Scott Moore?Ronny Cedeno? Matt Murton? Those are good young players, that will get some starting jobs next year for the Cubs. With Joe,a left fielder like C.Lee, Soriano,or Sheffield, and a starting pitcher like Schmidt, the Cubs could be very good next year. Mark my words.
You know, I always thuoght the premise of 'Major League' was improbable, but Loria's proving its true. He thought he had a rookie manager who wouldn't be able to get anything out of his rookie team; instead he got a guy who was excellent at motivating young guys to play better than everyone's expectations, and to play together as a team. Naturally, a jerk like Loria's now PO'd that he can't use lack of revenue as an excuse for not winning... all it takes is effort. Considering all the animosity from the front office, it's amazing Girardi even was allowed to finish the season ...
Angry Anon-Ronny Cedeno's so good he had to be mentioned twice!
I like Ryan Theriot, so I won't say anything there.
As for the rest of your "talented" young players.
Cedeno-.249 .275OBP 102K 25E
Murton-.297 13HR
Marmol-5-7 6.08ERA
Marshall-5-9 5.64ERA
and Moore has only had 22 at bats, so it's kind of hard to judge him.
Matt Murton is a 4th outfielder, not a starter. I would say Marshall and Marmol have promise, but they're young Cubs pitchers.
James-I didn't mind!
Major League Anon-Nice observation.
Oh and Rich Hill is a dominant pitcher...in AAA. In the majors he's a 3rd starter at best.
Fornelli, I am a cardinals fan living here in Chicago, but I have to tell you, you are just wrong. The Cubs have a number of good young players. The fact that many of their stats don't live up to the talent speaks more about the manner they were used by Dusty than how good a players they are.
take matt murton as one example. The kid is young and should have been playing all season. He needed consistency to get comfortable. what does dusty do? he platoon's him, and bats him all over the order. most of the time hitting him 7th or lower, dispite the fact that murton's average is about 50 points higher when he bats 6th or better.
The fact his, Murton is a very promising young hitter and dusty completely misused him and stunted his growth. In the second half now, since Murton is playing everyday and hitting higher, he is hitting 40 points higher with more than twice as many home runs. He also has more RBIs, in less at bats. Still, the only reasons dusty played him more, is because dusty knows he is not coming back now and has stopped trying to win, by using washed up veterans, instead of developing young players by -- playing them.
As for pitchers, Hill, Marmol and Marshall have every bit the chance to be as good as Nolasco, Johnson, Olsen and Sánchez. The difference is, they need a manager that can help them develop. what pitchers has baker ever developed?
lastly, aside from the horible in game management and bad personnel choices, the worst thing dusty did was allow the cubs to feel sorry for themselves when d. lee went down. that is the managers one job is to keep the team motivated and not to make excuses and dusty could not or would not do that. Instead, he had a team of guys waiting around for lee to come back. it was a promising looking team, but without motivation and leadership from baker, it went nowhere.
I would be a little scared of a girardi led cubs next year. speaking as a cardinals fan.
Westy
Westy-Don't they revoke your Cardinal Fan license for saying those kinds of things about the Cubs? I'll take your word for it, but those are the same things people have been saying about the Cubs at the end of every season for oh...about 95 years.
:)
am i the only cubs fan willing to go by name?
if you're gonna make bold predictions about the cubs' potential in 2007, how about doing it with a signature?
nevertheless, angry anon, take heart: your comments are IDENTICAL to what my dad, a lifelong cubs fan, said about the team...
...right before the 2006 season started.
the cubs suck. and they're going to continue to suck until someone other than the tight-fisted tribune runs the front office... or until the fans stop putting up with this shit.
last week, (too few) orioles fans walked out on their team in protest of a decade of substandard play.
cubs fans are about 90 years overdue for a similar revolt. until we stop defending mediocrity and start insisting on a quality team with engaged management, cubs fans are gonna be saying "wait'll next year" until the day we die.
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