Baker hopes to return to the dugout.

[HollywoodLeo]

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9773833

It's looking like Baker's becoming the front runner.

He has a good track record, but I fear for our pitchers' health if he takes over.

[padrefanforever]

Nah....I think it's posturing on his part........I think he realizes this isn't a fit, but needs to be out of the public's eye in order to keep his name in the circles where he could be a fit.......like Texas or DC

[OBBoltsFan]

Upon further review, I feel that if Sandy thinks Dusty offers us our greatest chances of winning, I think Baker would be a great opton.

[padrefanforever]

I would hate to think of what he'll do to Peavy, CY & Clay......not to mention our bullpen.......good god......we have a good thing going here, why on earth would anyone want to taint that with a SF retread and Chi castoff

[OBBoltsFan]

I would hate to think of what he'll do to Peavy, CY & Clay......not to mention our bullpen.......good god......we have a good thing going here, why on earth would anyone want to taint that with a SF retread and Chi castoff

I really don't think he had much to do with Prior and Wood being babies. He never had any problems until joining the cubs, and his average starting pitcher even then only threw 3 or 4 more pitches per start than the average.

If you're going to argue against Baker, the best argument would be that he is almost identically the same as Bochy in his career marks and his clubhouse demeanor, and I thought the whole point of dropping Boch was for change.

[HollywoodLeo]

The point was brought up at the UT that Baker didn't really "misuse" his starters in San Francisco when he had a good bullpen.

Also that Kerry Woods issues started before Baker got there.

[padrefanforever]

We didn't drop Boch.......lol he had a year left, and could have been given an extension before the ASB next year for all we know.........SA doesn't just give out extensions.....Bochy left w/ a year left on his contract.....we did NOT drop him

[padrefanforever]

Baker however was dropped by both SF and CHI.........in SF he had the most prolific power hitter of alltime, and couldn't win........and in CHI he had one of the most prolific power hitters of our time and couldn't win.....

Here he'll have neither of those, and be required to actually coach, and when that happens, bad things follow

[HollywoodLeo]

Baker was 2 outs away from winning the WS in San Fran, and one out away from making the World Series in Chicago.

[McKain]

Dusty Baker definitely abused starters - he's the reason Livan Hernandez isn't going to have a career beyond age 32.

Checking out Baseball Prospectus, and their Pitcher Abuse Points stat, which basically weighs how many pitches thrown over 100 a guy gets...
In 2006, the #2 pitcher in the league was Carlos Zambrano.
In 2005, the #2 pitcher was Zambrano, #3 was Prior.
In 2004, the #3 was Zambrano, Kerry Wood was #16.
In 2003, the #2 was Wood, Prior was #4, #11 was Zambrano.
In 2002, the #2 was Livan, #4 was Russ Ortiz, #15 was Jason Schmidt.
In 2001, the #3 was Livan, #28 was Ortiz.
In 2000, the #2 was Livan.
In 1999, Livan was #2 (he pitched 63.2 innings under Baker, and STILL was this high, but I'm unsure if it's counting his 160~ IP with FLA), Ortiz was #3, Shawn Estes was #26.
In 1997, Estes was #19. Mark Gardner was #15. Wilson Alvarez was #21.

In 1998, 1996, 1995, 1994, and 1993 Dusty had no starters ranked in the top 30 in the league in PAPs. Way to go, Dusty.

Baker clearly abuses his pitcher more than most managers in the game, though it seems he grew into that rather than bursting into it right off the bat.

[padrefanforever]

Thank you statman.......that's shows exactly what I knew to be true .....do you mind if I copy that for another forum ?

[HollywoodLeo]

Doesn't Livan generally go long innings/pitches no matter where he goes?

I know he went well beyond 100 against us a few times this past season.

If you take Livan out of that stat sheet the tenure with the Giants doesn't look that bad.

[padrefanforever]

Dusty isn't going to manage for less than 1M either......which is what's being talked about here........Bochy make 1.9, they want to pay less........Baker isn't going to be less......This can't possibly be SA or KT's guy, it the antithesis

[McKain]

Go right ahead and copy it. I'm coo'.

Leo: Livan was abused in Washington, too, under Robinson, but if I showed you Robinson's sheet, it'd look very similar.

Essentially, Livan broke into the league, threw an absurd amount of innings in Florida, moved to San Fran, and vaulted into Dusty's "abuse the **** out of this guy" list.

[love_that_reefer]

You guys have really become pussies and I hope you know that. 100 pitches is a bullshit limit and since when is it bad to go over that? Remember when pitchers wanted to go 9 innings? Baker never had a problem with this until going to Chicago where Wood and Prior got hurt. Baker has always been known as player's manager. The only knock on him is that in the playoffs he ****s up like in 2002 and 2003. And are you guys really talking about Livan Hernadez in a SF uniform where he lead the league in losses? Yeah I hate to see what Baker would do to Peavy. Maybe get him 200+ innings for a change?
I don't see him managing in SD or anywhere else this year.