Quotable

"Everybody says (Aramis Ramirez) doesn't hustle. He just hustled at the wrong time and wrong situation. Sure, he was watching the ball running to first. You just can't get thrown out at third with nobody out in that situation." - Cubs' manager Dusty Baker on Aramis Ramirez dogging it to first, then trying to "hustle out" a triple.

"Hustled at the wrong time"? Dear lord. Isn't hustle required all the time? Point #437 on the "Fire Dusty Now" list.

And if Dusty allows Ramirez to start today, then you have Point #438. Dusty sure is doing little to avoid the tag of enabler whose players know that there is no penalty for playing the game selfishly and incorrectly.

"(Cubs fans) been hearing that too long in Chicago. They've been hanging in for 100 years now. Nobody wants to hear it at this point." - Cubs' manager Dusty Baker on asking fans to be patient

Whew. I wouldn't want to base my existence on preaching patience only to have the manager I support tell me that such an idea is idiotic.