Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker was in town for this weekend series against the Cubs, and that means the Chicago media was hungrily grabbing tons of quotes from the former Cubs manager.
The most interesting one is probably Baker’s declaration that he has ideas of how to fix the current iteration of the Cubs. They are ideas, he says, that he tried to implement when he was the manager – but wasn’t allowed.
”Every once in a while, I think about how close we were [in 2003] and how different things might have been,” Baker said during a recent conversation with the Sun-Times. ”That wasn’t how it was supposed to be. You continue with your life and try not to look back on things. You look forward. You can’t do anything about the past and what-ifs.”
Baker said he knows what he would do to change the culture and fortunes on the North Side — things he suggests he wasn’t allowed to do — but he’s not revealing the formula.
”They didn’t want to hear them when I was there. Why would I want to tell them now?” he said. ”Ask me when I get through managing.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
I’ll admit – I’m curious. Given that Baker hasn’t had any real success since 2003 until this year, however, I’m skeptical that he’s got the magical cure in his back pocket.
Hmm. Does that read as bitter?