The Tribune has the best Dusty Baker quotes from every season he was with the Cubs.
Some highlights:
- On Antonio Alfonseca as his closer:
That closer is the guy with the black hood on that's pulling the rope on the guillotine to take the last breath out of the opposition for a loss, and to take the last breath out of anything is tough. I'm a hunter, and I'll shoot a dove or a quail, and right before I'm about to wring his neck, it'll peck me one more time. He can't do anything to me, but he's fighting for his last breath.
- On seeing a billy goat before Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against Florida (middle right):
I was on Madison Street in front of the Billy Goat Tavern, and there was that dude out there with a billy goat and a camera crew. I just said, `Oh, Lord.' I waved to 'em, but they didn't know it was me. He was a pretty handsome old goat though. He's not your normal, can-eating, tied-up-in-the-back goat. He was a handsome goat. This goat looked like he came right off a goat contest.
- On not showing emotion during a losing streak:
I remember (former Braves manager) Eddie Mathews turned over a food spread once. What good does that do? What's that? To get your blood pressure up and you can die of a heart attack? After Eddie turned it over one time, it was hot dogs, and we thought it was ridiculous. We even went and washed the hot dogs and ate 'em.
