Spot The B.S.

Here's a partial transcript from the Dusty Baker WSCR interview yesterday. This was posted in a discussion thread over at BaseballThinkFactory.org and I've shamelessly posted it here to make it easier to find (that assumes that this site is easy to find).

Spotting the falsehoods and doubletalk is a full time job.

WSCR: If you don't get Furcal, would you lead off with Corey Patterson again?

Dusty: That depends how he looks. He has the ability and skill, but not the knowledge. You have to lead off with the best guy you have. How much speed do we have? How many guys can steal a base? Sometimes it's a matter of supply and demand with who you have.

WSCR: Do you think he gives all his effort?

Dusty: I think so. I've talked to his parents about it and they say he keeps all his pressure internally, so it looks externally that he's not making an effort.

WSCR: I saw him drop an easy fly ball -- is he getting gun shy?

Dusty: Yeah, somewhat. Gene Clines, myself, and Gary Matthews have spent a number of hours trying to figure how to get the most out of him, but sometimes you're stuck with who you have. He is the fastest on the team -- Derrek Lee thinks he's the fastest in the league.

WSCR: Should the Cubs quit touting their prospects to lower the expectations?

Dusty: It's hard not to. You didn't hear much about Murton because he came over from the Red Sox. Regarding touting, it's not only the Cubs -- all teams do it. It's hard not to do with BA and other publications out there.

WSCR: Will you play the young players?

Dusty: I think that's an unfair rap because I haven't had any young players to play. When I was with the Giants, I only had 2 or 3 the whole time. One was Calvin Murray, who I played but he had a hard time hitting. Another was Pedro Feliz, who I was ready to play, but then we got David Bell. Another was Rich Aurelia, who I was ready to play but then we went out and got Shawon Dunston, Rey Sanchez, and Jose Vizcaino before he could get an opportunity.

WSCR: Well, last year you marched Hollandsworth out there over Murton.

Dusty: Hollandsworth had a track record. We knew what we thought he could do based on the half a season he had the year before. We're not here for a tryout camp -- we're here to win ball games. We didn't know what Murton could do. I had only seen Murton a game or two in training camp.

As far as Cedeno, this guy was a guy I touted and liked the whole time, but what are you gonna do -- just bench Neifi Perez, who's doing an outstanding job? You got to have players who are ready to play at the MLB level, especially with the pressure there is to win.

In Spring Training, I play every guy there is coming over there, because I remember what it was like when I was coming up and only getting maybe 1 at bats behind Hank Aaron and Rico Carty and I went in for defense. I was in the big leagues at 19 and it would be hypocritical not to like young players.

WSCR: As it stands now, would you be prepared to play Murton in LF, Patterson in CF, and Mabry in RF --with the hope of other names?

Dusty: That's not my every day lineup. We're working on some things, especially in the outfield, which was one of the lowest producing outfields in baseball. I can't mention names because that would be tampering.

WSCR: You need to improve your fundamentals. Even guys like Konerko and Thome can bunt, but not Aramis.

Dusty: I try to stress fundamentals every year, but some guys come over from other teams who don't. A lot of these things should be known even before you get to MLB, but it's something that's going around. My teams in the past, especially before I got to Chicago, we're very strong and we didn't beat ourselves.

WSCR: I've said that Dusty needs to show that he can win without a big time slugger. Unfair rap?

Dusty: Where would the White Sox be without Konerko's 40 HRs? People focus on things I can't do. Where would Phil Jackson be without Shaq and Kobe? I can only manage to the guys I have.