Time to play GM---How would you fix the Cubs?

[The Badass]

Anyone who has followed baseball for any period of time, knows how badly the Chicago Cubs are cursed, year after year.

Now you can blame all the goats and Bartmans and whatever other curse you want, but it comes down to putting the right team on the field and not "playing it safe" to watch that bottom line instead of going for the World Series.

How would you fix up this team?

I personally don't think Dusty is the main problem here, but he sure is not helping his case by turning on his own players right now. He doesn't have "his team" intact so he is riding excuse after excuse. Dusty is used to winning from San Fransisco and really doesn't have it in him to go through rough times in order to make a true winner out of the franchise, therefor, the Cubs should let him go. It's going to take a very stong-willed, resilient and intelligent manager to really change the mindset of this team.

As for the team as a whole, the GM and owners need to forget this idea that they can field second rate, glorified minor leaguers and past their prime players and expect to have a winning combination.

Maddux needs to go, as does Kerry Wood. Sorry, but Wood is just not going anywhere with the Cubs.

This offseason, the Cubs need to go after at least TWO serious workhorse starters (please not Smoltz or Clemens), they need to get a real center fielder/leadoff hitter. Why the hell did they let Lofton go?

Bottom line, the Tribune company and the GM, for once, need to stop worrying so much about their astonomically high bottom line, free up some cash and get some serious players and a real manager and let go of this concept of being the "lovable Cubbies" and "Wrigley Field sells itself", and put together a real team before the White Sox completely embarass them by pulling a three-peat in the World Series (very possible), while the Cubs continue their march towards futility immortality...100 years with no World Series title...just the idea of having a distinction like that should light up Cubs' brass to put together a major league team for a change.

 

[Undertaker]

Make them a softball team!

lol

Just kidding! I don't follow baseball, but I am a Bears fan!

 

[Freshness]

Anyone who has followed baseball for any period of time, knows how badly the Chicago Cubs are cursed, year after year.

Now you can blame all the goats and Bartmans and whatever other curse you want, but it comes down to putting the right team on the field and not "playing it safe" to watch that bottom line instead of going for the World Series.

How would you fix up this team?

I personally don't think Dusty is the main problem here, but he sure is not helping his case by turning on his own players right now. He doesn't have "his team" intact so he is riding excuse after excuse. Dusty is used to winning from San Fransisco and really doesn't have it in him to go through rough times in order to make a true winner out of the franchise, therefor, the Cubs should let him go. It's going to take a very stong-willed, resilient and intelligent manager to really change the mindset of this team.

As for the team as a whole, the GM and owners need to forget this idea that they can field second rate, glorified minor leaguers and past their prime players and expect to have a winning combination.

Maddux needs to go, as does Kerry Wood. Sorry, but Wood is just not going anywhere with the Cubs.

This offseason, the Cubs need to go after at least TWO serious workhorse starters (please not Smoltz or Clemens), they need to get a real center fielder/leadoff hitter. Why the hell did they let Lofton go?

Bottom line, the Tribune company and the GM, for once, need to stop worrying so much about their astonomically high bottom line, free up some cash and get some serious players and a real manager and let go of this concept of being the "lovable Cubbies" and "Wrigley Field sells itself", and put together a real team before the White Sox completely embarass them by pulling a three-peat in the World Series (very possible), while the Cubs continue their march towards futility immortality...100 years with no World Series title...just the idea of having a distinction like that should light up Cubs' brass to put together a major league team for a change.

I would blame Dusty for some other things though Baker's performance and decision-making as a manager. Some have criticized Baker for:

Overuse of starting pitchers, possibly leading to short-term and chronic injury (Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Russ Ortiz, Robb Nen, Chad Fox)
Handling rookie players poorly, putting them in positions to fail or unfairly passing them over in favor of unproductive veterans
Ignoring statistics when filling out the lineups. For example, in a good portion of 2005 he put Corey Patterson and Neifi Pérez in the top of the batting order, despite having two of the worst on base percentages on the team. Apparently not having learned his lesson, Dusty has batted Juan Pierre and Perez 1-2 more than a few times so far in 2006 despite their low on-base percentages.
Earning the nickname "double switch Dusty" Baker often overlooks that a pinch hitter doesn't need to be placed in the field.
Baker almost never comes out of the dugout to back up a ballplayer on a disputed call.
Saying that walks clog the bases for guys who can run.
Saying last September that he "had to play veterans" to "maintain the integrity of the post-season races."

They never added another guy with a alot of power/contact ability. I think they should of added another guy behind Lee and Ramirez since over the past few years they let Sosa and Alou go. They also should of signed a few more starting pitchers going into the season, because at this point Wood/Pryor don't have that credability to starting over the couple years. I think they should of kept Corey Patterson also even if he had a back up role for the team. He had the potential to be 20 to 30/30 guy and hes still pretty young, so he could do so.

 

[scalizi]

I say let the Cubs be the only team allowed to use steroids...LOl...
Prior and Wood are two great aces...but they're like the Kevin nash's of baseball...they can't fart without getting hurt. Derek Lee is hurt, a bunch of others....All that money they get and they aren't there to contribute. As a GM you hafta eat the money and wait for their contracts to expire to free up the $$$ to rebuild.

 

[1789]

Trade prior/wood. You could get tejada and say melvin mora. That could be good. That is where i would start because there is no point in having them because they get hurt every day and when they arent hurt they cant even throw good any more.

 

[Banned Dysturbed]

Trade prior/wood. You could get tejada and say melvin mora. That could be good

Considering how much a gamble either of those guys would be for another team, you're probably overestimating what teams would be willing to give up at this point. Prior was rumored for Tejada before the season, but each additional injury likely lessens his value.

there is no point in having them because they get hurt every day and when they arent hurt they cant even throw good any more.

With that in mind, why would someone give up someone good to great for someone who there is "no point of having"? Doesn't make much sense, if any, at least for another gm.