Baker denies being 'annoyed' over contract
May 11, 2006
BY MIKE KILEY Staff Reporter Chicago Sun Times
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins, who wrote last year that manager Dusty Baker would walk away from the Cubs when his four-year contract expired this year, wrote in Wednesday's editions that Baker was "mildly annoyed'' that he hadn't been offered a contract extension by the organization.
"I didn't tell him that,'' Baker said. "That's his opinion. I can't control what somebody writes.
"At this point, when you're losing, you can't be annoyed about nothing but losing. How do you expect to be offered a contract when the team just lost eight in a row? Honestly. I'm being as honest as I can be.''
Let the record show that Baker was laughing heartily when he said this. He is staying true to himself and not allowing himself to get mad or get caught up in controversial, media-generated issues.
General manager Jim Hendry received a two-year extension last month, and it's still anticipated that Baker will be offered an extension this year. That issue isn't a priority for anybody, however, with last place in the division not far away.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Cubs Prevent Barry Bonds From Tieing Babe Ruth - But Bonds Plays Today
Cubs stop Bonds, losing streak
By Bruce Miles
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO — The smell of success was extra sweet for manager Dusty Baker and the Cubs after Wednesday night’s 8-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Yes, the Cubs held Giants slugger Barry Bonds without a home run for the second straight night, keeping him at 713 for his career and 1 behind Babe Ruth for second place all time.
More important, the Cubs snapped an eight-game losing streak, during which they had scored 9 runs.
“It’s good to get that skunk off the boat because, I tell you, it was getting ridiculous,” said Baker, whose club is 15-18. “I should be happy, but I guess I’m more relieved than happy. We needed that one badly, real bad.”
The Cubs scored more than 3 runs in a game for the first time since April 28, when they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2.
Keeping Bonds and the Giants at bay by the Bay was starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who recorded his first victory of the season after 2 losses and 4 no-decisions.
Zambrano walked Bonds in the first inning. He got him on a routine flyout to center in the third. In the fifth, Zambrano got Bonds looking at a nasty hard sinker, and in the eighth Bonds popped out.
“I was throwing hard today, and I was relaxed against him,” said Zambrano, whose fastball was clocked in the mid-90s (mph) for most of the night. “That was the key — being relaxed on the mound.”
Baker revamped his lineup. He moved shortstop Ronny Cedeno into the leadoff spot and dropped Juan Pierre from No. 1 to No. 2. It seemed to work. Cedeno was 1-for-5 with a run scored, and Pierre was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
“Temporarily,” Baker said. “We’ll see. We’ll take it. We’ll take anything right now.”
The big hitter was right fielder Jacque Jones, who hit a 2-run homer in the second, a single in the fifth and a 2-run double in the sixth, when the Cubs batted around and scored 5 runs.
“That was the most runs we scored, it seemed, in a month,” Baker said.
Zambrano, who threw 110 pitches over 8 innings, struggled to find his command early. He threw 20 pitches in the first inning, when the Giants tied the game at 1-1. Zambrano gave up a leadoff walk to Kevin Frandsen in the second before Mike Matheny doubled. But Zambrano worked out of trouble and cruised from there.
“I think I was too rushed in that first inning; I was trying to do too much,” Zambrano said. “I relaxed. My pitches were in command today, and my sinker was good today. In the third inning and fourth inning, I started using it.”
By Bruce Miles
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO — The smell of success was extra sweet for manager Dusty Baker and the Cubs after Wednesday night’s 8-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Yes, the Cubs held Giants slugger Barry Bonds without a home run for the second straight night, keeping him at 713 for his career and 1 behind Babe Ruth for second place all time.
More important, the Cubs snapped an eight-game losing streak, during which they had scored 9 runs.
“It’s good to get that skunk off the boat because, I tell you, it was getting ridiculous,” said Baker, whose club is 15-18. “I should be happy, but I guess I’m more relieved than happy. We needed that one badly, real bad.”
The Cubs scored more than 3 runs in a game for the first time since April 28, when they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2.
Keeping Bonds and the Giants at bay by the Bay was starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who recorded his first victory of the season after 2 losses and 4 no-decisions.
Zambrano walked Bonds in the first inning. He got him on a routine flyout to center in the third. In the fifth, Zambrano got Bonds looking at a nasty hard sinker, and in the eighth Bonds popped out.
“I was throwing hard today, and I was relaxed against him,” said Zambrano, whose fastball was clocked in the mid-90s (mph) for most of the night. “That was the key — being relaxed on the mound.”
Baker revamped his lineup. He moved shortstop Ronny Cedeno into the leadoff spot and dropped Juan Pierre from No. 1 to No. 2. It seemed to work. Cedeno was 1-for-5 with a run scored, and Pierre was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
“Temporarily,” Baker said. “We’ll see. We’ll take it. We’ll take anything right now.”
The big hitter was right fielder Jacque Jones, who hit a 2-run homer in the second, a single in the fifth and a 2-run double in the sixth, when the Cubs batted around and scored 5 runs.
“That was the most runs we scored, it seemed, in a month,” Baker said.
Zambrano, who threw 110 pitches over 8 innings, struggled to find his command early. He threw 20 pitches in the first inning, when the Giants tied the game at 1-1. Zambrano gave up a leadoff walk to Kevin Frandsen in the second before Mike Matheny doubled. But Zambrano worked out of trouble and cruised from there.
“I think I was too rushed in that first inning; I was trying to do too much,” Zambrano said. “I relaxed. My pitches were in command today, and my sinker was good today. In the third inning and fourth inning, I started using it.”
