News
Fire within: Lou's drive hasn't wavered
Cubs (35-35) at White Sox (35-38), 3:05 p.m. CT
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
06/26/09 9:14 PM ET
CHICAGO -- There has been much debate lately in Chicago as to whether Lou Piniella still has the "fire" for the job. He hasn't been ejected from a game -- yet -- and he hasn't tossed anything onto the field. "I've got as much fire as I ever have," said Piniella, now in his third season with the Cubs and 22nd year managing. "I hurt after losses, I care about my players and how they play and how the team is performing. |
"But I don't see the correlation between me going out there and trying to sell Aquafina products and argue with umpires or yelling and screaming will change anything. I just don't see it. I don't see the correlation between that and the club playing better."
You know the FOX-TV team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver would love to have Piniella go ballistic during their broadcast on Saturday for Game 2 of the Cubs-White Sox intracity Interleague series. Milton Bradley saw Piniella's fiery side first-hand Friday. The Cubs manager put an end to Bradley's temper tantrums when he sent the outfielder home after a helmet-throwing, water-cooler-tossing incident in the dugout. The two exchanged words in the clubhouse, and Bradley left after the sixth inning of the Cubs' 5-4 win over the White Sox. General manager Jim Hendry said he would talk to Bradley prior to Saturday's game."We'll have a conversation, that's for sure, before [Saturday] and hopefully we'll move forward and put some of our troubles behind us," Hendry said.
Piniella did this behind closed doors. He's seen enough video reruns of his dirt-kicking antics. It did seem to have an effect in the past. Times are different.
"I was younger then and it was a different era," Piniella said. "I grew up in the era of Billy Martin and Earl Weaver and those guys, and they were successful. The era has changed now and you have to change with the era. I basically adhere to the fact that you treat these guys like men, you put them on the field, and you let them play and you stay out of their way as much as possible." That should give Buck and McCarver something to talk about. The Cubs were preseason favorites to three-peat in the National League Central but find themselves in third place. Piniella has no complaints about the hustle or work habits. They simply haven't come through with clutch hits, which began even before Aramis Ramirez injured his shoulder May 8. "Whether we're 10 games over .500 or one game under, the fact remains that we're not out of touch with the teams in front [in the division]," he said. "I've said all along we'll make a run here, and I firmly believe that. We just have to be a little patient with this thing. Me going out there and arguing with umpires or yelling at players is not going to change a thing." Piniella is signed through 2010, and doesn't like all the attention on him. Hendry doesn't see any dropoff in his manager's enthusiasm for the game. "He's not missing anything," Hendry said. "We just haven't played as well [as expected]." Piniella was asked if he will be back in 2010. "If it's up to me, look, I like this job, I enjoy this job, I really do," he said. "I've had fun here. This is a wonderful city. The Cubs are a wonderful, wonderful franchise. Wrigley Field is a special place. Why do I have to be talking about myself during the middle of June or the Fourth of July. Let's talk about the team. My situation is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned." So he won't stage an outburst during the Cubs-White Sox series? "One of these days, I'll put on a real nice show and I'll tip my cap and that'll be the end of it," he said with a smirk. "The problem is the league office will be ready to suspend me for a few days and I don't know what good that will do. "I'm 65 years old. I think what you all want me to do is have a heart attack on the field. I think you all want me to have a heart attack on the field and be carried away." All you need to know is that he cares. "Believe me, I care as much as I've ever cared," Piniella said. "Believe me, I want to win as much as I've ever wanted to. I'm trying to do it a different way, and I wish I would've done it this way 10 years ago. "The bottom line is you've got to win. That's really what matters. If we were 10 or 12 games over .500 and we were in first place by four or five games, and I was calm, cool and collected, you people would say, 'Boy, look at this guy. What a calm, cool and collected manager we have here in Chicago.' But since we're 34-35, we're under .500, the guy's got no fire. The bottom line is winning. I realize it. I've been in it a long, long time and you've got to win. When you manage, you've got to win." Pitching matchupCHC: RHP Ryan Dempster (4-5, 3.83 ERA)
While far from spectacular, Dempster certainly pitched well enough to win against the Braves on Monday, but was saddled with the loss. He labored through 6 2/3 innings and 118 pitches, scattering eight hits and allowing two earned runs. Monday's start was Dempster's fifth straight in which he pitched at least six innings. In his start against the White Sox on June 17, Dempster allowed three earned runs in six innings pitched, but walked six batters at Wrigley Field. CWS: LHP Mark Buehrle (7-2, 3.17 ERA)
The southpaw ended a streak of five straight starts without a victory, dating back to May 19 against the Twins, by hurling seven scoreless innings against the Reds during a 4-1 victory at Great American Ball Park on Sunday. Buehrle yielded just five hits and allowed only two runners to reach second base and allowed one to reach third base, while striking out three, walking one and throwing 67 of his 103 pitches for strikes. Buehrle improved to 19-6 lifetime in Interleague Play, 27-11 lifetime in June and captured his 20th win in 28 decisions over his last 37 starts dating back to June 1, 2008. Buehrle has a 4-4 record with a 4.57 ERA in 10 starts against the Cubs. He also holds a 72-41 mark and 3.62 ERA lifetime at U.S. Cellular. Tidbits
Ramirez (left shoulder) did take batting practice on Friday, and could begin a rehab assignment soon. ... Starting time for the July 6 game between the Braves has been changed to 6:05 p.m. CT. ... Mitch Atkins gave up three runs on three hits over 7 1/3 innings in Triple-A Iowa's 5-4, 10-inning win over New Orleans on Thursday. Sam Fuld had four hits and two stolen bases and So Taguchi had three hits and a season-high three RBIs. ... Hung-Wen Chen gave up five runs over 5 1/3 innings in Double-A Tennessee's 8-4 loss to Montgomery. Tyler Colvin reached base twice, going 1-for-3. ... Ryan Searle gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in Class A Daytona's 6-4 loss to Fort Myers. ... Josh Harrison had two hits in Class A Peoria's 4-1 loss to Wisconsin. Michael Brenly reached base twice and is batting .314 this month. ... Hak-Ju Lee extended his hitting streak to six games in Class A Boise's 5-4 win over Salem-Keizer. Tickets
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• Sunday: Cubs (Carlos Zambrano, 4-2, 3.48) at White Sox (John Danks, 5-6, 4.43), 1:05 p.m. CT
• Monday: Cubs (Rich Harden, 4-4, 4.95) at Pirates (Zach Duke, 8-5, 3.09), 6:05 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Cubs (Ted Lilly, 7-5, 3.41) at Pirates (Ross Ohlendorf, 6-6, 4.75), 6:05 p.m. CT
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
