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Strategies & Market Trends : VOLTAIRE'S PORCH-MODERATED -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cactus Jack who wrote (56092)	11/8/2002 8:35:40 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 65232

Mystery team eyes Baker Cubs to meet with ex-Giants skipper Monday By Teddy Greenstein Chicago Tribune staff reporter November 7, 2002, 11:32 PM CST A wild-card team has entered the Dusty Baker sweepstakes. But Cubs officials, who set up an interview with Baker for Monday, are confident that nothing will stop them from getting their man to manage the team. So which team also covets Baker? It's not the Seattle Mariners. "There is no possibility that Dusty Baker will be our manager," Seattle general manager Pat Gillick said Thursday. Fair enough. But that wasn't all that tumbled from Gillick's lips. "Everyone is assuming that Dusty is going to Chicago," he said. "We don't think that's completely true. We have some intelligence that a team with an existing manager would be interested. If so, we could be interested in that team's manager." That comment is sure to fuel speculation that Boston is in the picture. The Red Sox at one point were believed to have interest in Baker. Although their current manager, Grady Little, is under contract through next season, some believe Boston management is not completely sold on him. It's also worth considering that Little and Gillick have a connection. Gillick was a top executive in Toronto from 1976-95. Little managed Toronto's Class A team in 1985 before joining the Atlanta Braves' farm system. Even if the Red Sox intend to make a play for Baker, Cubs officials don't seem concerned. The Red Sox have one of the game's highest payrolls, but they've yet to hire a full-time general manager, so Baker wouldn't know the identity of his boss, and it doesn't seem to be a good geographic fit. Friends say Baker would not want to stray so far from Northern California. And he'd rather train in Arizona than Florida. Jeff Moorad, Baker's agent, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Baker, meanwhile, was at home in San Bruno, Calif., spending time with his 3-year-old son, Darren. Before departing for a weekend hunting trip, Baker spoke with Hendry on Thursday morning for about 10 minutes. They exchanged pleasantries and agreed to a Monday meeting in San Francisco that Cubs President Andy MacPhail also will attend. Assuming all goes well, Baker could be introduced as the Cubs' manager as early as Tuesday. The team would like to move quickly so it can involve Baker in its off-season plans. "If they're interested," Baker said of the Cubs, "I'm interested." Baker mentioned that he hasn't interviewed for a job in 10 years. He might ask more questions than Hendry does. "I want to talk to them about the minor leagues, the day games, the city, the prospects, the expectations," he said. "I haven't really thought about what I'm looking for in terms of years [on a contract]. Two is too short. Three is about the time you should start showing some results. Four is probably about right. Don [Baylor] had four, didn't he?" Yes, he did. Baylor signed a four-year, $5.2 million contract before the 2000 season. Baker likely will command a four-year deal worth between $14 million and $16 million. Baker hasn't begun to discuss terms with Hendry, who can finally talk about Baker without the fear of a tampering charge. "I've always admired Dusty," Hendry said. "His teams play aggressively and give a good effort from start to finish. He uses his whole bench and supports his players. "When you talk to players after they [leave the Giants], they have nothing but admiration for him. That says a lot." Baker got along well with Barry Bonds and plans to do the same with Sammy Sosa. "I'll talk to Sammy," he said. "It's his town and his team, and I wouldn't come in to change that. We can work it out. We'll just have to talk. I'd tell him you want leadership from your best player. Sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't, but you want it. "Sammy is to Chicago what Barry is to San Francisco—the poster boy for the team. Only with Barry there's more guys on the poster." Copyright © 2002, The Chicago Tribune