The Daily Herald's Bruce Miles, one of the best team beat reporters in the nation, makes the case that Dusty Baker doesn't have to sacrifice wins in order to play Matt Murton and Ronny Cedeno ("Cubs succeed when Murton, Cedeno both start," 9/10/2005):

Cubs manager Dusty Baker says he wants to strike a balance between using younger players and winning.

The numbers say he can do both.

Neither left fielder Matt Murton nor shortstop Ronny Cedeno was in Friday night’s starting lineup against the Giants.

But when the two rookies have played, the Cubs have done well. To wit:

• The Cubs are 4-0 since Aug. 30 when both Murton and Cedeno have been in the starting lineup. Overall this season, the Cubs are 5-3 when the two have started the same game.
• Murton came up from the minor leagues on July 8. In games when he has started and Cedeno has not, the Cubs are 6-5.
• In games Cedeno has started but Murton has not, the Cubs are 2-2.

What’s more, when the Cubs were in the throes of a season-crippling eight-game losing streak in early August, Baker virtually ignored the two rookies.