Dusty Baker says that he has "a pretty good idea" of who he's going to start at second base this season, he's "just not going to say right now." The Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey thinks Baker's comments on Sunday mean he's going to start Jerry Hairston, Jr. Specifically, Morrissey quotes Baker as saying:

"You've got to have pitching and defense first on paper and then offense. Look in the [World Baseball Classic], the teams that have done the best are the ones who pitch the best and play the best defense and play the best fundamentally, especially early in the year when the weather is cold. Offense really comes into play when the weather heats up. To win games, you've got to catch the ball and be able to throw it to the right base."

Baker's quote could actually give an edge to Neifi Perez instead of Hairston, but I think Morrissey is right about this: "The Cubs like the idea of Juan Pierre leading off and the fleet Hairston batting second." Recall this Dusty Baker quote from the summer of 2003: "I love speed, I just can’t say it enough."

Meanwhile, speculation continues to revolve around Todd Walker being traded, if only the Cubs could receive some value in return. Walker, though, just wants to stay and help this team win: "I know I love this team," Morrissey quotes Walker as saying. "That's what makes this difficult. In the past, I've never really been attached to a team. And in this game, you really shouldn't be. You can get moved any day. That's what's made this tough for me: I don't want to go anywhere. I think we have a great chance to win."

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Walker v. Perez v. Hairston