No Need to See a Grown Man Tantrum
Do the Cubs really need a Piniella blow up?
By MAGGIE HENDRICKS
Updated 4:52 PM CST, Fri, Jun 26, 2009
When Lou Piniella was hired by the Cubs, Chicago girded itself for not only the manager's winning ways, but for his fiery temper. After all, Piniella was known as much for his fiery temper as he was for his success with the Reds, Yankees and Mariners. So now, halfway through his third season, as the Cubs are struggling to meet expectations, many fans are asking, "Where's the fire?"
"I understand this business. I've been in it a long time, and the bottom line is you have to win. It doesn't matter if you have fire, no fire, passion, no passion, stupidity, smartness ... all of these things don't even come into the equation. What comes into the equation -- for the fans, for the organization, for the people watching -- is you either win or you lose. It's a simple thing."
Piniella has a point. The Cubs won last year, and Lou stayed relatively calm. A good manager knows what works for his athletes, and screaming and yelling doesn't for everyone. Many people point to Piniella's tirade in 2007 as the catalyst for the team's run to the division title, but they forget about the trade of Michael Barrett and the fight between Barrett and Carlos Zambrano that same day. Many things drive a team, not just the manager's histrionics.
Is it time to worry about the Cubs? Yes, definitely. Worry about their lack of offense, thin infield and lack of a consistent closer. But the last thing you should worry about is why a grown man isn't throwing more temper tantrums.
Maggie Hendricks is a lifelong Chicagoan who has loved sports since she fell in love with Jody Davis at age three. She also writes for Cagewriter, Yahoo! Sports' MMA blog, and Fourth-Place Medal, Yahoo! Sports' Olympic blog.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 26, 2009 12:57 PM CST
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