2005_11_01_archive

Dusty Proofing

The Daily Herald has some key details on Glendon Rusch's contract.

Rusch will make $2.75 million next year and $3.25 million in 2007,

with performance bonuses based on starts that could add $500,000

each year.

Jim Hendry is learning. Dusty Baker's key way of motivating his

players is by trying to get them to earn all their bonuses. Dusty

doesn't hate rookies per se, but he'll play a veteran over a rookie in

order to get that veteran their incentive bonus. Rookies don't

generally have those clauses in their contracts.

That's why a Matt Murton sits while a Todd Hollandsworth gets at bats.

Holly had a "minimum at bats" bonus. Want to know why LaTroy Hawkins

was the closer for so long? He had a bonus for games finished. Ryan

Dempster didn't have one of those. Therefore, Dusty gave LaTroy every

opportunity to earn that bonus.

It seems Jim Hendry wants Dusty to have Glendon start. Dusty is now

properly incentivised. Expect Jerome Williams to work out of the pen

or to be trade bait.

// posted by Chuck @ 11/01/2005 11:42:00 AM

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Look at This But Not At That

Where's Eric Hipple when I need him? In Sunday's Bears game, the Bears

got "screwed" on a bad call by the refs. See, the Lions' Jeff Garcia,

about to [DEL: go down :DEL] be sacked again, threw the football at no

one to try to avoid being tackled. The Bears scooped up the seemingly

live ball and ran it into the endzone for an apparent defensive score.

After some grotesque hemming and hawing and lobbying by Steve

Mariucci, the refs declared it had not been a lateral pass, but a

forward pass. The Lions were penalized for intentional grounding. The

Bears lost a replay challenge and a time out.

All day yesterday in the papers, radio and blogs, all you heard about

was this play. How the Bears were lucky to overcome this screwjob.

Why the silence on the play in which the Bears got the same break and

prevented the Lions from getting a defensive score?

See, no one is talking about the play where Thomas Jones caught a

swing pass, took three steps, and then fumbled as he was hit. The refs

called that play incomplete. I don't think I saw a word in ANY of the

papers about that play.

Selective memories, I guess. How about far and balanced? The Bears got