Tuesday, September 13, 2005
A Walk in the Park
Tonight, after Todd Walker hit the 10th inning game-winning RBI single with the bases loaded and one out, Dusty Baker put his arm around Walk after the hand-slapping and walked him back to the dugout. I loved that image of a skipper showing his player heartfelt thanks and congratulations after a game well played, the best way he knew how to... shaking his hand, then putting his arm around him. I got verklempt, but then, I remembered the deal.
Here's the deal: We're five-and-a-half games out of winning the wildcard race. But if Dusty had been this type of a ball manager all year round, we may not be fantasising about what would actually happen if the Marlins swept the Astros, the Cubs took seven out of seven from the Astros in the next three weeks and some Cub-like virus hit the Mets, Nationals and Phillies.
Where was Dusty when we really needed to not play a .500 par in June? Where was Dusty when we really needed to have a winning percentage in July? Where was Dusty when we went 0-8 to start August against the National League's weakest teams? Not in the clubhouse. Not calling closed-door team meetings. The handicapped Cubbies desperately needed a mulligan, but their manager decided to play bad caddie and they ended up in the quicksand trap.
OK, Dusty wasn't the one who hid the bats, because we've had a bad habit of leaving legions of men on base every game. But very often, for as long as I've played this humble game, I know that you need more than just solid wood to win it. You need a manager who would take the toothpick out of his mouth sometimes to rally his guys when they needed it most, a manager who went out to the mound to calm his pitchers down (someone get Larry Rothschild new cleats... they must be worn out from all that scampering up and down the dugout steps) and a manager who by the All-Star Game, realised that he should stop saying that it was "still early in the season."
Last year, it was too little, too late. This year, it's too much too late. Next time, Dusty, give Walk a bear hug.
Here's the deal: We're five-and-a-half games out of winning the wildcard race. But if Dusty had been this type of a ball manager all year round, we may not be fantasising about what would actually happen if the Marlins swept the Astros, the Cubs took seven out of seven from the Astros in the next three weeks and some Cub-like virus hit the Mets, Nationals and Phillies.
Where was Dusty when we really needed to not play a .500 par in June? Where was Dusty when we really needed to have a winning percentage in July? Where was Dusty when we went 0-8 to start August against the National League's weakest teams? Not in the clubhouse. Not calling closed-door team meetings. The handicapped Cubbies desperately needed a mulligan, but their manager decided to play bad caddie and they ended up in the quicksand trap.
OK, Dusty wasn't the one who hid the bats, because we've had a bad habit of leaving legions of men on base every game. But very often, for as long as I've played this humble game, I know that you need more than just solid wood to win it. You need a manager who would take the toothpick out of his mouth sometimes to rally his guys when they needed it most, a manager who went out to the mound to calm his pitchers down (someone get Larry Rothschild new cleats... they must be worn out from all that scampering up and down the dugout steps) and a manager who by the All-Star Game, realised that he should stop saying that it was "still early in the season."
Last year, it was too little, too late. This year, it's too much too late. Next time, Dusty, give Walk a bear hug.
// posted by Desiree @ 10:41 PM 
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Des,
So good to hear from you. Yes my family is doing fine. They were gone for the storm. The vet went the next day and checked on all the animals and all was fine. Just a lot of trees down on the property. We haven't got any weather here in Austin, where I am now. We did get a lof of people from Houston evacuating here though. How is Chicago?
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So good to hear from you. Yes my family is doing fine. They were gone for the storm. The vet went the next day and checked on all the animals and all was fine. Just a lot of trees down on the property. We haven't got any weather here in Austin, where I am now. We did get a lof of people from Houston evacuating here though. How is Chicago?
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