Why, Dusty?

Why, Dusty Baker, do you continue to play Neifi Perez? And not only do you play him, you start him.

And I swear, I'm not simply reacting to Perez's two-error misplay in the ninth inning today (on a simple relay play where he not only dropped the throw from right but overthrew the catcher on the relay like the worthless bum that he is when even a hobbled little leaguer with mono, two missing contacts, and one arm could have made the play, but Perez didn't because he totally sucks and I hate him so much and wish he would just...just...arghh!!!)

I don't necessarily even care about Perez's negative impact on the Cubs's win-loss total. (Though readers may know me as a Cubs fan, my concern for the success of that particular franchise has wained considerably in my old age.) I simply don't understand how Dusty Baker can justify his presence on the field.

If Dusty Baker actually believes that starting Neifi Perez gives him the best chance to win baseball games, he has either given up caring altogether (unlikely) or has truly and thoroughly lost his mind (more likely). And I say so without the slightest bit of jest (well, ok, a little jest, but less than my usual). However, if Dusty Baker is starting Perez because he believes that Perez has somehow earned the privilege or will eventually prove himself worthy of the playing time, then Dusty Baker has without a doubt lost his mind.

Let's examine.

Neifi Perez, first and foremost, stinks. And he doesn't just everyday, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum stink. It's stink of biblical proportions. Through today's play, he has a .461 OPS (.220 OBP, .241 SLG). Friggin' four sixty friggin' one. His lifetime OPS is .677, and remember; that's aided by five years in Coors Field. And no, Neifi Perez is not good enough in the field to make up for his hitting deficiencies. At one point, he may have been (he won the super carefully and objectively awarded Gold Glove in 2000!) But I have seen enough of him over the past handful of years to conclude that he's pretty average--and perhaps not even that anymore.

The way I started that last paragraph implies that I have a second point, but I actually don't. That's the long and short of it; Neifi Perez is brutally horribly awfully bad and really really sucks.

"But the Cubs are so banged up, and Todd Walker's having to play first base, and Neifi is really versatile and can play anywhere..."

Whatever. Without any examination of the Cubs farm system or waiver wires or anything, I feel very, very safe in assuming that someone somewhere out there could outperform Neifi Perez. Hell, I wouldn't even care if a replacement could outperform him; at least play someone for whom any justification at all could merit playing time. Give a young guy his first shot; give a vet with a sad injury story his second shot; give some independent leaguer's grandad his dying wish to see his boy play in the bigs; hell, give Augie Ojeda a call (at least fans liked him for his name).

I don't care. Neifi has to go.