"I have never wanted to win more than I do right here, and I will, but this is Wayne Krivsky's team, not Walt Jocketty's and not mine. I just hope there is enough out there after the season that we can get to help us." - Dusty Baker in Dayton Daily News
Please grant me poetic license. I have to write this. With the passing of each day it's becoming more and more clear to me that Dusty Baker is emulating a Washington political hack - you know one of those guys constantly protecting his rear end. Nothing will ever be his fault. When he signed on he thought it would be a lay-up to have a winning season. McKannin (sp?) ran a .500+ ballclub for half a year with a multitude of players shut down or on the DL the final two weeks. And by gosh this was no name Pete McKannin. I suspect his thinking might have gone something like this:
"Certainly I can top that. I have the nucleus. I'll keep the coaching staff;no need to rock the boat. I'll get all kind of ballplayers lining up at the door to play for me and I'll have a big money reliever. I have just the guy to fill that void in center too."
He thought for sure this team would finish above .500 and even contend (as Castellini expected). He overlooked one weak component in his plan - himself. So, with things crumbling around him, in an effort to protect his ego and divert blame he mouths off to the Dayton Daily News. It's no wonder the players called a players only meeting. Their manager was dissing them!
Okay, Dusty, it's Krivskey's team and not yours or Jocketty's. But bear in mind that you're not Jocketty's manager and when the boss asks Walt "What the hell's wrong with this club," he may very well reply, "Bob, I need my own man" - and as GM he's certainly entitled to that.