7/5

I can't watch anymore. A baseball team with this much talent playing this poorly this far into the season is absolutely inexcusable.

We had the same problem last year even with Alou and Sosa. This offense is anemic right now. And I'm wondering if there's an off-the-field reason that Jerry Hairston isn't getting into the lineup more often. He succeeds in the leadoff role, yet Dusty refuses to find a spot for him.

During this losing streak, I tell myself that the silver lining is that we may be getting closer to the end of the Dusty Baker era. I don't know if it's true, as his contract doesn't run out until 2006 and he makes $4 mil a year.

I'm still holding out hope that we can do what Houston did last year (and is doing again!) or what the Fish did in 2003. And that is make an improbable run. But what did those teams both do when they were failing? That's right! They fired their manager.

Let's start there.