Interview with 670 The Score's Dan Bernstein
I shot a few quick questions about our beloved Cubbies to The Score's Dan Bernstein and he fired back some quick answers.
I have a ton of respect for Bernstein's knowledge and opinion. And let me say, it was hard to think of good questions to ask someone who asks good questions for a living.
Anyway, HUGE thanks to Mr. Bernstein for bringing a glimmer of credibility to this blog.
DBrown: What is the Cubs biggest concern going into the 2006 season? Is it the defensive outfield? Do they need another power hitter in the middle of the lineup? Or is it something else?
DBernstein: The biggest concern is whether or not they have improved enough relative to their competition. Are they now better than St. Louis or Houston? Can they hold off an improving Brewer team? They were a fourth-place team last year that has made only marginal off-season changes.
DBrown: The Cubs have played awful fundamental baseball the last two seasons. Can Dusty and his staff find a new way to instill the fundamentals? Is it just a matter of the players not concentrating? How do the Cubs fix this?
DBernstein: There needs to be accountability for fundamental mistakes. Talk is cheap: players who fail to execute the basics of the game need to be disciplined.
DBrown: I've heard a lot of fans complain that the Cubs "overpaid" for Eyre and Howry. The same fans who wanted to spend whatever it took to land Furcal. Is "overpay" still as valid a term as it was a few years ago? Don't teams spend the necessary money to get the guys to make the team better?
DBernstein: "Overpaid" or not depends on several factors -- how his salary affects the money available for other players (present and future), what the market rate is for similar players, and whether or not he is performing well.
DBrown: The Cubs have two unproven players in their projected 2006 starting lineup: Matt Murton and Ronny Cedeno. Can you win a World Series with these two guys in your starting lineup?
DBernstein: It is impossible to answer that question, as nobody has any idea how good Murton and Cedeno are. Young players will prove their mettle in the second half of the season, after the league knows their tendencies.
DBrown: If the pitching staff stays healthy, and there's no reason to believe it will, is this team good enough to compete in the playoffs?
DBernstein: If the pitching staff stays healthy, they could reach the postseason. Many other teams can say that as well.
DBrown: Can the Chicago Cubs win a World Series with Dusty Baker as manager?
DBernstein: Dusty Baker's managerial skill has been lauded only when he's been able to ride on the back of at least one steroid-bloated slugger. His reputation, it seems, is as much a product of the steroid era as the meaningless statistics posted by the freakish perpetrators themselves.
I have a ton of respect for Bernstein's knowledge and opinion. And let me say, it was hard to think of good questions to ask someone who asks good questions for a living.
Anyway, HUGE thanks to Mr. Bernstein for bringing a glimmer of credibility to this blog.
DBrown: What is the Cubs biggest concern going into the 2006 season? Is it the defensive outfield? Do they need another power hitter in the middle of the lineup? Or is it something else?
DBernstein: The biggest concern is whether or not they have improved enough relative to their competition. Are they now better than St. Louis or Houston? Can they hold off an improving Brewer team? They were a fourth-place team last year that has made only marginal off-season changes.
DBrown: The Cubs have played awful fundamental baseball the last two seasons. Can Dusty and his staff find a new way to instill the fundamentals? Is it just a matter of the players not concentrating? How do the Cubs fix this?
DBernstein: There needs to be accountability for fundamental mistakes. Talk is cheap: players who fail to execute the basics of the game need to be disciplined.
DBrown: I've heard a lot of fans complain that the Cubs "overpaid" for Eyre and Howry. The same fans who wanted to spend whatever it took to land Furcal. Is "overpay" still as valid a term as it was a few years ago? Don't teams spend the necessary money to get the guys to make the team better?
DBernstein: "Overpaid" or not depends on several factors -- how his salary affects the money available for other players (present and future), what the market rate is for similar players, and whether or not he is performing well.
DBrown: The Cubs have two unproven players in their projected 2006 starting lineup: Matt Murton and Ronny Cedeno. Can you win a World Series with these two guys in your starting lineup?
DBernstein: It is impossible to answer that question, as nobody has any idea how good Murton and Cedeno are. Young players will prove their mettle in the second half of the season, after the league knows their tendencies.
DBrown: If the pitching staff stays healthy, and there's no reason to believe it will, is this team good enough to compete in the playoffs?
DBernstein: If the pitching staff stays healthy, they could reach the postseason. Many other teams can say that as well.
DBrown: Can the Chicago Cubs win a World Series with Dusty Baker as manager?
DBernstein: Dusty Baker's managerial skill has been lauded only when he's been able to ride on the back of at least one steroid-bloated slugger. His reputation, it seems, is as much a product of the steroid era as the meaningless statistics posted by the freakish perpetrators themselves.
posted by dbrown @ 5:09 PM
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