Cubs keep tearing it down to build it back up

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LOS ANGELESTwo weeks ago, Jeff Baker and Reed Johnson dressed up as Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer for the Superheroes-themed road trip from St. Louis to Pittsburgh.

No one knows if the Cubs executives are powerful enough to actually build a World Series winner here. But theres no denying that their fingerprints are now all over the organization.

Baker certainly recognized Hoyers outfitblue polo shirt with white horizontal stripes and khaki pantswhen he found out he was traded to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday for two players to be named later.

The costumes got us, Baker said with a smile in a corner of the tight visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.

This followed the deadline dealing for prospects that saw Johnson and Paul Maholm shipped to the Atlanta Braves, and Ryan Dempster and Geovany Soto traded to the Texas Rangers.

Once the Tigers claimed the veteran utility guy on waivers, it accelerated the process of promoting third baseman Josh Vitters and outfielder Brett Jackson from Triple-A Iowa, where Tony Campana will now play.

Theyre doing it the right way, Baker said. You kind of got to tear it down to build it back up.

Its that tough blend. Its a major market (and) it generates a lot of revenue. You just hope that the fans are going to be patient with emand some of these guys that are coming up and getting an opportunity here are going to be able to blossom.

Hoyer laughed off the costumes, which featured Johnson wearing a wig to replicate the general managers head of hair.

No ones going to do that again, Hoyer said.

But it did show how Baker and Johnson had the perfect outlook for playing inside the Wrigley Field fishbowl. Growing up, Baker lived all around the world as the son of a former U.S. Army colonel and West Point professor, and he easily moved throughout the clubhouse.

Baker and Johnson showed younger players how its done and helped build the team chemistry for a distraction-free zone. There will now be a leadership void.

Theres a reason that two contenders went out and traded for those guys, Hoyer said. Theyre both leaders. Theyre both great in the clubhouse and they both fill a really nice role on a contending team and well miss their presence in a lot of ways.

But given where we are in the standings and what were trying to do, its important to let those young guys play.

Baker was acquired from the Colorado Rockies in July 2009, or just as the cracks in the foundation were really beginning to show.

Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Marmol and Jeff Samardzija are now the only players left who experienced what it was like in 2008, when the Cubs won 97 games. So Baker wasnt really surprised to be saying his goodbyes.

When you see the direction theyre going here now, you knew that it was a possibility, Baker said. We made moves with Maholm, Reed, Demp and everybody. To be honest, I dont blame em. They got to go young, see what they got for the future.

At the same time, for me, I just made 21 games up in the standings, so Im definitely excited about that.

While Epstein and Hoyer are running things behind the scenes, theres no doubt who will be front and center for the next decade. Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro are now the faces of the franchise.

Its going to be Rizzs team, Castros team, Baker said. For those two, the leadership qualities are going to have to step up, and hopefully they can take it and run with it.

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