Reds' Baker is sticking with Stubbs
Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker sounds willing to ride out a super funk by center fielder Drew Stubbs.
"I hope he comes around soon because it's driving him crazy," Baker said. "You've got to tighten your belt and fight. That's what it's all about."
After going 1-for-5 with four strikeouts in the Reds' 6-2 win over Arizona, Stubbs is 2 for his last 22, and in a longer stretch he's 4-for-33 with 19 strikeouts. But Baker continues to bat Stubbs first or second.
Baker says he pays no attention to social media, but he knows he's getting lit up.
"Everybody's looking for the perfect team and the perfect lineup," he said. "There aren't any. You know what I mean? Even the mighty Yankees aren't perfect. We've got a better record than they do.
"The Yankees and the Dodgers with payrolls twice as much as ours try to get perfect and still aren't perfect.
"The name of the game is winning. You're always going to find something that you aren't doing. It depends on how your outlook in life is -- whether you're a half-full or half-empty person. I find that most people are half-empty."
Stubbs might be moved down in the order Saturday when Joey Votto returns.
"He gets in funks," Baker said. "I've tried to figure it out. He gets a little passive early in the count. That puts him in a hole. Then you foul off a pitch and you're two strikes. You can't hit unless you swing."
But Baker added, "We need him out there so badly on defense. He's a big part of our pitching staff, to tell you the truth."
