Read this post before you post a diary today!
There is no doubt going to be a lot of activity here at BCB this morning, as we anticipate the 9 am (CT) press conference in which it is expected that Jim Hendry will announce that Dusty Baker is not returning as manager, and that likely the entire coaching staff is also going to be let go.
I would NOT expect any announcement of any replacements today.
I'm guessing -- just a guess, mind you -- that you're going to want to talk about today's events. That's why I'm putting this post up early.
So, without me going on and on and on about something that hasn't yet happened, please use THIS THREAD as the discussion thread for the press conference, instead of loading up the diary section with a dozen diaries on this topic.
Thanks. We do, as ever, await developments.
UPDATE [2006-10-2 9:59:17 by Al]: As noted in the comments, the press conference will be at noon.
UPDATE [2006-10-2 10:34:09 by Al]: It is my understanding that ONLY Jim Hendry will appear at the press conference.
[editor's note, by Al] Adding this note at the bottom of the main post, because if I put my thoughts in the comments, they'll get lost, and I didn't want to start another thread.
Dusty Baker brought the Cubs closer to a World Series than any manager since 1945. Is that good enough? No, it's not. Even in 2003, many of us -- me included, and you'll see that if you go to my old blog (link on right sidebar) and search the 2003 archives -- criticized his pitcher use and lineup construction. But he won.
It was all downhill from there, and unfortunately, I think his biggest problem is that he really didn't understand us, and we didn't understand him. We never knew him. He never knew us and our history; he never seemed to take the time to get to know Chicago. Even now, he doesn't seem to have left California in his sensibilities.
I wish him well. I know some of you disagree, but I believe he is a good man, who like any of us has his troubles, but he simply failed at his job, in many ways because he had had success in the past and thus thought that his methods were the reason for that success, and continued to do things he'd always done, even after it was proven that those things were failures.
It is onward now, to choose a new man for this job, and let us hope Jim Hendry goes in with an open mind, and chooses the BEST man for this position.