Rays/MLB

Dreadful Cubs might fire Baker, trade Maddux

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published July 9, 2006

Big changes are about to hit the Cubs, where manager Dusty Baker appears on the verge of being canned and there is speculation starter Greg Maddux will be traded.

First the manager.

Since the Cubs choked and went 2-7 to end 2004 and screw up a wild-card berth, the team, at best, has been treading water. At worst, it is creeping toward stagnation.

Rumors abound that Baker will not survive the All-Star break, and the name mentioned most in the Chicago media as a replacement is former Rays manager Lou Piniella.

Other possibilities noted by the Chicago Tribune include Rays special instructor Jimy Williams, Tom Kelly, Gene Lamont and Braves third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez.

"I'm evaluating everything," general manager Jim Hendry told the Tribune. "When you have this kind of year, I'm evaluating all situations.

"When you're 20-plus games under .500 ... I'll spend a lot of time over the break (evaluating), not just the way the (coaching) situation is, but also with our own players."

Baker said he is not worried.

"I expect to be here," he said. "Why not? I ain't walking death row."

Maddux, who has 325 career victories, is in the last year of a three-year deal and is without a no-trade clause.

Even Maddux seems unsure of what the future holds, especially considering he is 7-9 with a 4.89 ERA and 2-9 with a 6.31 ERA in his past 13 starts.

"I haven't really thought about it much," Maddux said of a trade. "I'm playing here. It's the greatest city to play in."

Hendry would not discuss the situation specifically but through the Tribune gave Maddux his endorsement as a pitcher.

"I think Greg has more than held his own since his 5-0 start," Hendry said.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Not only are the Tigers leading the AL Central, they are being compared with Detroit's beloved 1984 World Series champions.

Through 81 games (the mathematical end of the first half), the Tigers were 55-26, only one game worse than the '84 team.

If it maintains pace, Detroit would win 110 games. Even if it played .500, it would win 96. That is significant.

As Detroit's Free-Press reported, in the 10 full seasons of the three-division, wild-card format, 23 AL teams have won at least 95 games. All made the playoffs.

The Tigers haven't made the playoffs since 1987.

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING: This from the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News:

A bunch of Reds players were sitting in the clubhouse Tuesday watching a hot dog eating contest on television.

Said outfielder/first baseman Adam Dunn, "This is disgusting. Can you imagine what people in Ethiopia watching this think about us?"

To which teammate Kent Mercker responded: "Yeah, man, Ethiopians can't afford food, but they have TVs."

UNWANTED NOTORIETY: Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt on Wednesday became the first in four years to lose consecutive complete games.

Baltimore's Sidney Ponson did it in 2002. The last Houston pitcher was J.R. Richard in 1979.

Oswalt lost an eight-inning complete game to the Rangers on June 30 and fell 1-0 to the Cubs at Minute Maid Park as Houston went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12.

"You can do all you can do, and hopefully, it will turn around next time," Oswalt said after the second game.

HOW DO YOU FIGURE THIS?: Devil Rays superstar Carl Crawford can't make the AL All-Star team, but the lowly Pirates have two players on the NL squad.

Jason Bay got the most votes among league outfielders in the fan balloting, and third baseman Freddy Sanchez was named as a reserve.

Cut the Pirates some slack. They are, after all, hosting Tuesday's game at PNC Park. Still, it makes the AL look even worse for not finding a place for Crawford.

BREAKING THE RULES: One of the nicer All-Star stories is Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, who was picked up in December in the Rule 5 draft.

Such rags to riches stories don't happen often, and Uggla joins players such as Roberto Clemente, Cecil Cooper, Bobby Bonilla and Johan Santana, who went from Rule 5 anonymity to the All-Star Game.

Uggla, though, could be the first, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, to get there as a rookie.

"He's got a tremendous work ethic," Marlins coach Perry Hill told the paper. "You have to chase him off the field. He's a gamer, a down-in-the-dirt guy."

ODDS AND ENDS: After Oakland pitcher Esteban Loaiza was busted recently after a game for speeding and suspicion of drunken driving, the A's banned beer in their clubhouse. Outfielder Eric Byrnes told the San Francisco Chronicle some players weren't happy. He even brought a case of beer to the ballpark on June 30. "It's BYO (bring your own)," he said. "So I BYO'd it." ... Phillies leftfielder Pat Burrell, who has a $50-million contract, batted .194 in June.

[Last modified July 9, 2006, 02:28:08]