Editor's Note: The Justice regrets the publication of this column which appeared in our Oct. 21, 2003 issue. Due to several editing errors the bigoted and inflammatory language was not caught before press time. Serious reader complaints eventually led to the resignations of several editors—both directly and indirectly responsible for the column's publication. Daniel Passner was consequently prohibited from contributing to this newspaper.Since the current World Series reads like a standard inter-league play match-up, I would like to focus for a moment on the recent National League Championship Series, namely a certain Chicago Cubs manager who, despite his ineptitude, is on the fast track for the Hall of Fame. This "legendary" manager happens to be Dusty Baker, and the Cubs would be better off without him.

To quote a movie that was robbed of numerous Academy Awards, "D2: The Might Ducks," "You lost it for yourselves." Yes, that's right Dusty, you are pathetic and are now deservedly loathed.

First, let us look at some of the great acquisitions Dusty Baker prodded his GM to make during the Cubs' run for the playoffs. On July 31, Dusty decided his team needed a bit more "veteran presence." As a means to this end, he acquired one-time Cub centerfielder Doug Glanville for Jason Fransz and cash. The craziest thing about this trade is not that Dusty gave up a prospect who has the potential to be decent within the next few years, nor is it the fact that he acquired one of the few major league players with an Ivy League education (Glanville graduated with honors from UPenn,) but rather that Baker would even pursue a player as unilaterally awful as Glanville.

Over the course of his career, Glanville has proven to be one of the most useless offensive players in all of baseball, perhaps in baseball history, and yet Texas signed him for $2 million prior to the 2003 season. This means the Cubs doled out over a million dollars for a guy who proceeded to go 12 for 52 with one extra base hit, two walks and a caught stealing. Bravo, Dusty!

Next in the cavalcade of crap indirectly assembled by Baker was the acquisition of Tony Womack. Womack, one of the worst defensive infielders in baseball, has carved an entire career for himself based on one double down the line in the 2001 World Series (while he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks). During a not-so-illustrious career, Womack has never had an OPS above .702, and in his 298 at-bats prior to coming to the Cubs, his OPS was well below .550.

The worst part of this is that Womack made six million dollars in 2003. Chicago paid a cool two million for two months of poor defense, awful offense and alleged veteran presence." They endured all that just because Dusty said so. Right now, Dusty seems as smart as Jessica Simpson, and his breasts seem to sag more.

Also ill-advised were Dusty's acquisitions of sausage-slugging Randall Simon, Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez. Simon was a bad pick-up because the team already had Eric Karros and Hee Soep Choi manning first base. Choi looks to be one of the best offensive prospects in baseball, but he never gets a chance behind two players who are clearly inferior. Getting Simon was redundant and it cost the team an extra million dollars.

Kenny Lofton and Dusty Baker go together like Amos and Andy. Last year, when Dusty needed a stretch-run acquisition, he gave up more than he should have to pick up Lofton, and this year was no different. In last year's case, he needed an outfielder because his team (the San Francisco Giants) was racked with injuries and needed something to fill the void.

This year, Baker had no excuse for forcing Lofton into the fold in Chicago. Of course Lofton didn't exactly excel, and made no one forget about the injured Corey Patterson, or Bobby Hill, the top-ranked prospect given up to get Lofton and Ramirez.

Ramirez, making three million this year, produced surprisingly well. However, his 27 homers belie a sub-par average and almost non-existent plate discipline. His .789 OPS was only slightly above average for a third-baseman, and is deceptive because it was comprised disproportionately of slugging. He is, at best, average. The Pirates essentially threw in Ramirez to dump salary, as he is scheduled to make $5.5 million next year. Dusty, eager to get Lofton, took the bait like a delirious fish.

I have decided to continue this column next week, as baseball isn't going anywhere. In my next article, I will discuss Baker's mishandling of pitchers Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano that can only be described as abuse worthy of DYFS (The Division of Youth and Family Services). I will also discuss the unfair vilification of Cub fan Steve Bartman, the lovable rascal who supposedly cost the Cubs the pennant.

As I often like to do, I will end with a quote. This one comes from noted campus civil rights activist Joseph Shmulewitz '06. I cannot endorse it, but I find it fitting. In response to the praise being heaped on the skills of Dusty Baker, Shmulewitz responded, "The only thing Baker has a Ph.D. in is something that starts with an N and rhymes with Tigger, the cheerful scamp who stole all of our hearts in the Winnie the Pooh series.