Push the calendar forward to Opening Day 2003.
In the corner of the third-base dugout at Wrigley Field, the manager is standing up and positioning his fielders. He’s wearing sunglasses and blue sweatbands and is chewing a toothpick. He’s the spitting image of a two-time National League Manager of the Year.
Is that Dusty Baker?
Well, according to whispers spreading through the league, it could be. People close to Baker, including two current managers, are telling selected friends in the media that he definitely is leaving San Francisco and the prospect of managing the Cubs intrigues him.
There are a couple of problems with this rumor. One is Baker might not leave the Giants. He got close to leaving after 2000 but decided to stick around. The other is the Cubs currently don’t have a vacancy.
Those two hurdles could be rectified within hours of each other once this season ends. Baker’s two-year contract is up. The same apparently is true about his patience with San Francisco ownership and fans who measure him more by his 1-6 postseason record than his 824 regular-season victories, which rank behind only the legendary John McGraw in the 119-year history of the Giants.
But it’s not a sure thing the Cubs will have an opening. General manager Jim Hendry insists he won’t make a decision on bringing back manager Bruce Kimm until the season ends.
We’ll take him at his word. But it can’t help Kimm’s chances to have Baker in the pool of probable candidates.
Spinning in circles: Many players have pointed out how the new labor deal includes no provisions to compel owners to put their increased revenue-sharing payments into payroll. Consider this blunt assessment from Boston’s John Burkett.
“The owners talk about a competitive-balance problem in the game, but I like to call it a `competitive-desire problem,’ because some owners don’t want to have competitive teams,” Burkett said. “My biggest worry is the owners who get the money are just going to put it in their pockets. . . . I’m skeptical. I want to see what they do with this money.”
Commissioner Bud Selig’s original plan included a minimum payroll, but the union dropped it after MLB’s opening offer of $45 million. Selig says owners would have been willing to negotiate upward off that but the union cited philosophical opposition to a floor, probably because it may make it easier for owners to push for a ceiling in future deals.
On pace: With a fast finish, both John Smoltz and Eric Gagne can match Bobby Thigpen’s record of 57 saves. Thigpen didn’t get his 50th until the White Sox’s 145th game in 1990.
Smoltz and Gagne enter Sunday with 49 and 48, respectively, in 141 games. The key for Smoltz could be Bobby Cox’s willingness to keep sending him out there with a playoff spot assured. Gagne will be under the gun as San Francisco could threaten the Dodgers’ lead in the NL wild-card race.
But a Giants run could benefit Smoltz. The Braves will play a 163rd game if their Aug. 15 tie with San Francisco has an impact on a playoff race.
Well-earned: Congratulations to Mets manager Bobby Valentine for being named to receive the Branch Rickey Award, which Denver’s Rotary Club awards to honor individuals in baseball who contribute to their community.
Valentine, a native of Stamford, Conn., was a perpetual-motion machine after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He worked almost 48 straight hours organizing relief supplies and loading trucks at Shea Stadium and befriended two families who lost a father in the tragedy, paying for them to fly to the World Series. He also donated $500,000 to various Sept. 11 funds.
“I think I’ve dedicated my life to giving,” Valentine said. “I think 9/11 accentuated the idea that’s what I’m all about.”
Numbers: Through Saturday, Arizona was an amazing 49-13 behind Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling and 38-42 behind every other starter. The Astros were almost as top-heavy, going 36-15 behind Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt and 39-52 otherwise. . . . The Reds were 43-26 against teams with losing records and 25-46 against winning teams.
Whispers: Atlanta’s disappointing crowds make it ever more likely the Braves will allow Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine to walk after the season. . . . A lot of people insist Roger Clemens is happy in New York, but the new labor deal increases the chance he’ll get No. 300 for the Rangers or Astros. . . . Pudge Rodriguez, who probably won’t return to Texas, will be the biggest gamble in this winter’s free-agent class. . . . If Montreal gains permission to move to Washington, look for Oakland to explore a new stadium in San Jose, Calif., which has been considered the Giants’ territory. . . . While considering stadium options, do you think the western suburbs will become an issue again after 2009, when the White Sox’s commitment to Comiskey Park has been fulfilled?
The last word: “I look through the same eyes, but I don’t see anything the same way.”–Former Rangers and Orioles manager Johnny Oates, who is battling brain cancer.
