Manager Don Baylor insists he isn’t affected by all the speculation that he’s in danger of losing his job.
“Firings, no,” he said. “The way we’ve played, yes. How we play, how we lose, that’s what affects me more than anything.”
Baylor has remained remarkably poised in the face of a seven-game losing streak that has left the Cubs with the second-worst record in the National League.
His only apparent emotional outburst came after Tuesday’s dreadful 11-2 loss, which prompted the third-year manager to castigate his team.
“A lot of times it’s good for people to clear the air,” catcher Joe Girardi said. “If they have something to say, it’s important. A team is a family and you’re together a long period of time. You don’t want anger building up inside of people.”
Baylor knew his words would lose all meaning without a subsequent run of victories.
“What we’re all judged on is production,” he said, “producing on the field.”
Cubs officials say Baylor is in no immediate danger of being fired. They cannot promise he’ll remain on the job for the rest of the season, but that remains the most likely scenario.
“We remain supportive,” club President Andy MacPhail said Wednesday. “We know better days are coming.”
Although Moises Alou finally is healthy and playing every day, the Cubs still have seven players on the disabled list, including key relievers Tom Gordon and Kyle Farnsworth. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez and catcher Todd Hundley are also unavailable.
Some would say that when Kerry Wood ripped into his team for being “flat” and “dead” after Monday’s game, he wasn’t doing Baylor any favors. Wood simply was stating what he believes to be true and imploring his teammates to change it.
“You look at how many runs we’ve scored and how many hits we’ve gotten,” Baylor said. “That’s why we look that way.”
MacPhail knows when a team isn’t pitching well the front office generally takes the blame. When a team is failing to score, the players appear lifeless and the manager takes the heat.
MacPhail believes Baylor is not the cause of the Cubs’ problems. But he also has declined to issue a blanket statement supporting him because that would back him into a corner if the Cubs’ losing ways continue.
Prior pronouncement: All signs continue to point to Mark Prior making his major-league debut Wednesday against Pittsburgh.
Prior will start Friday in New Orleans for Triple-A Iowa with Jim Hendry, the Cubs’ vice president of player personnel, in attendance.
Prior was named the Pacific Coast League’s pitcher of the week after going 12 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He gave up seven hits and six walks while striking out 20.
By starting him Wednesday and then five days later on May 27, Prior twice would get to face the Pirates, who are hitting .228, lowest in the National League. The Cubs also would avoid having him face Houston’s dangerous lineup at Astros Field.
On the move: Even with a doubleheader on tap for Tuesday, Juan Cruz appears to be out of the Cubs’ rotation.
Baylor spoke to him Wednesday to try to ease his mind about his 0-7 start.
The Cubs are leaning to moving Cruz to the bullpen rather than demoting him to Triple-A Iowa.
“That would probably be a good situation for him to get back on track,” Baylor said.
Blackout: Wednesday’s game went off the air on Fox Sports Net because of technical difficulties during the seventh inning and FSN substituted the White Sox-Rangers game until it could resume telecasting with the Cardinals’ broadcasting crew.
