Don't Be Fooled Again

Back in 2004, the Cubs slowly leaked information that Mark Prior was hurt. What was going to be a few missed days from an Achilles problem stretched into 2 months with an elbow problem.

The Cubs were not honest with their fans. You'd think they have enough respect for us now that they wouldn't try that again.

They are trying it again. What else is the intelligent fan to make of this headline:

Rotation could include Rusch or Williams if Prior isn't ready

The actual article is even more familiar. And disgusting:

Since very little about the Cubs' pitching picture has been conventional the past few springs, manager Dusty Baker left open the possibility that both Rusch and Williams could be in there.

"You don't know what could transpire before (the start of the season)," Baker said Friday. "You might need both (Willaims and Rusch). Some of it depends on the progress and health of some of the other guys."

...

Baker repeated his belief that Prior would be ready to open the season as scheduled, but he left open all possibilities.

"They're a lock," Baker said of Zambrano, Prior and Maddux being his top three to start the season. "But we've got to get Prior to that point first. He's on schedule to do that, but until we actually get out there, you don'’t know what could happen to somebody.

"There are no locks when you play competitive games. You don't know if somebody is going to come up sore. You don't know if somebody's going to pull something or whatever. Yeah, I expect it (Prior to open the season in the rotation), but you don’t really know. I hope everything works out great."

Notice Dusty trying to set expectations that "somebody" (read: Prior) could get hurt in camp. This way, there's no shock when it's finally announced that Prior is hurt.

I'll make a similar prediction like I made a few years back. If Prior doesn't throw in a game by the second time through the spring rotation, he's a lock for the DL to start the season.

This is a near dead repeat of what they did two years ago.

I am soooooo glad I cancelled my season tickets years ago. To think of actually, directly, financing Andy MacPhail, Jim Hendry, and Dusty Baker's compensation makes my stomach hurt.