Comfortably Zoned with Ralph Zig Tyko

Johnny Lee “Dusty” Baker, Past And Future Manager/ESPN Analyst

March 28, 2007 at 4:22 pm (Baseball)

Once upon a time the SF Giants, replete with a lifetime of bad vibes for carpetbagging from NY, employed a great batting coach. After a few years they made the competent Sacramentan the poster boy for the “Peter Principal” by promoting him to manager [it weakened two positions, for they never found a hitting coach of his caliber- especially not Bobby Bonds]

He proceeded to give Barry Bonds the run of the franchise, burned up bullpens, developed no young players, and celebrated early [earlier and earliest, as well], so very early in WS game 6. When it was determined that he had reached his level of incompetence, Johnny Lee “Dusty” Baker was fired. Before he and Giants owner Peter McGowan parted, both men revealed more about their respective characters than we baseball fans needed to know.

After being out of the game for 30 seconds, the Cubs of Chi-town, still fighting the “jinx of the black cat” from 1969, gave our hero a multi-year contract, where he was “Ortmanized.” Fired again, dagnabit.

So this morning, I tune in to see my Metsies play the Braves in a pre-season game. There’s Baker in the Lou Piniella role [“Remember me, court me, and hire me again, please, Mr. Team Owner.”] on ESPN. Not to worry, big guy, you’ll get yet another job. After all, Johnny Lee, you’re a known quantity.