Truth & Rumors > MLB

Is Lou losing Cubs clubhouse?

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It's too early and too much of an overstatement to suggest Lou Piniella is losing the clubhouse a mere two months into his first season as Cubs manager. But his managing style has worn on some veteran players, many of whom spent most of the first two months trying to figure out his lineup patterns and some of whom bristle at his willingness to publicly criticize mistakes.

Chicago Sun Times

Lou Piniella, AP Lou Piniella, AP
June 5, 2007  07:56 AM ET

I don't see this as any one persons problem. There are new players to the team, young guys trying to make it up to the bigs and stay up, new manager, players that aren't doing what is expected of them whether it be catching a fly ball, running bases or pitching to their ability. Anyone that has ever played organized sports knows that when things aren't going well everyone starts pointing fingers in every direction for every reason. I agree with the statement made this past weekend while our coach was suspended..."all we need is a good win, a good inning and outing from our pitchers, a solid offensive day and things will turn around. Cubbies have won 2 in a row, they put 5 or 6 more together and things will start to change. I agree that a lineup needs to be established and stuck with so these guys can prepare mentally on a daily basis but to say this all the managers fault this early is a little bit of a stretch. Whether you like Lou or not it's a little early to put all the blame on him. He isn't the one dropping fly balls and making terrible running mistakes.

June 5, 2007  07:58 AM ET

I forgot...or pitching like crap...on top of dropping fly balls and making terrible running mistakes.

June 5, 2007  08:45 AM ET

Yes Lou is losing control in the clubhous. Especially because of the Fight that boiled over in to the clubhouse.

June 5, 2007  08:49 AM ET

As a LONG time Cub fan, I can deal with the losing IF there is a major league effort on the field. This is something that I have not observed for several years. If this is what is bothering the manager then some of the "veteran" players need to heed his call. When I watch a major league game I want to see a major league product. I can attend a minor league game and see a more consistent effort and usually fewer "mistakes" than these athletes.

June 5, 2007  09:16 AM ET

From what I understand, in Chicago, is that the talking media heads are calling for Lou's dismissal. I'll say this. Its far too early. I'm a Met fan and there are still people clamoring for Willie to get the axe..and though he may not be a fantastic in-game tactician, he is a winner. Lou is a winner. It'll pull through. That clubhouse fight is a product of Z losing his dam marbles...not necessarily a product of management.

June 5, 2007  09:28 AM ET

He needs to start acting like a coach and doing the things that best help the team. Constantly throwing his players under a bus will not get his team to preform to the best level. Yes, they are professional athletes, but how many of us could preform best when our boss would constantly berate us for any mistake we make. Lou is a joke and will eventually get fired only to have this same team win the world series in the comming years under a better coach.

June 5, 2007  09:33 AM ET

Piniella is a wannabe saviour that players begin to tone out eventually, it is surprising that the Cubs players have done it this fast. You can only centre guys out and shout aloud for so long before you are just a dial tone.

June 5, 2007  09:45 AM ET

Lou is a winner, this much is true.
But as Cubs fans, this is something we've already been through.
The skipper kicked up a lot of dust with his almighty shoe.
With or without him--and after two inspired Cubs victories, prospects remain blue.

June 5, 2007  09:46 AM ET

I wouldnt call him a 'wanna-be' saviour. Thats a bit strong. Its June and the Cubs are bad. Is the sky still blue?

June 5, 2007  09:46 AM ET

Wow. The poor psyche of those players. You guys are acting like they're third graders who can't handle a little criticism every once in a while. They just need to man up and perform regardless of any personality conflicts with the manager. Hell the Texas Tech college basketball team could put up with ten times what Lou dishes out and still overachieve. He may deserve criticism for the line-up-go-round but he's also stood behind two proven guys who have been in a mental funk....Big Z and Eyre. He's just expecting more out of them and everyone else.

June 5, 2007  10:01 AM ET

They knew what they were getting when they hired him, now they act surprised. He is the same guy, exactly.
Maybe his style is too aggressive for the Cubs? All I can say from having watched him is that he is usually right about what he is criticizing and he doesn't pull any punches.

June 5, 2007  10:20 AM ET

Piniella is a good manager but a little overrated IMO. He NEVER can take the blame for a team's struggles. It's always the players or the front office and never is Lou's fault. Hey Lou, if the front office went out and got an All-Star player at every position, they wouldn't need a $10 million manager in you. The front office spent a lot on him and then went out and spent over $300 million for Lou. They still have a lot of holes, but some of the blame HAS to go on Lou.

June 5, 2007  10:35 AM ET

This was the whole reason they hired Lou in the first place. They wanted someone with more fire and the opposite of Dusty. They wanted someone who would not put up with people like Sosa leaving that last game of the year before it was over. It is not like Lou is a first year manager and they didn't know what to expect. This is what Lou has always done.

If there is one thing I can't stand it is over paid players on a losing team crying that a manager is too tough and hurt their feelings. What they really should do is fire some players, but it won't or can't happen. In real life if you don't like your boss you just have to suck it up or quit. They don't fire the boss if he is too tough in real life. Bunch of overpaid whiny man children. I am sick of paying $40 a ticket, $10 a beer, and $5 for a bag of peanuts so they can cry that their boss is too tough and called them a bad name.

I think I will just watch the WNBA, women's college softball, and tournament scrabble from now on instead.

June 5, 2007  10:55 AM ET

Lou's biggest mistake is that he's talking about performance, not taking action on it. The next time one of his "Major League" relief pitchers walks the first or second batter he faces, his next pitch should be made in Des Moines, under the careful eye of Larry Rothchild who will accompany the pitcher. Watching Matt Murton attempting to play defense is like watching Shaq shoot free throws. After 7 ERRORLESS games in the minors, consider bringing him back to the big leagues. Until indifference has consequences, incompetence will continue

June 5, 2007  11:10 AM ET

i guess I can imagine Girardi is the manager

June 5, 2007  11:11 AM ET

Yea, I mean, I cant see him cursing out the entire Tribune Company, Jake. That would be tough.

June 5, 2007  11:31 AM ET

Let's remember that many of these thin-skinned players spent the last four years playing for the ultimate country-club, inmates-run-the-asylum "players' manager" in Dusty "Aw, dude, I don't know" Baker. Under Baker, who never called out a player or replaced his pet causes in the lineup when it was obviously needed (see Neifi Perez, Todd Hollandsworth, etc.), Cubs players actually spent in-game time calling the broadcast booth to complain about what was being said about them during the telecast. Now that the situation has turned 180 degrees and they're no longer skating by, they're all sensitive. Very predictable. Get over it. Lou's a real manager, kids.

June 5, 2007  11:35 AM ET

As a Cardinal fan I find all of this hilarious. A huge payroll, a well known manager, and the Cubs are worse than we are. The difference is we won the World Series last year! Classic.

June 5, 2007  11:46 AM ET

Seems the chickens are coming home to roost....was'nt "Sweet Lou" the same guy that was in a scuffle with one of his players in the locker room a few years ago? Trouble seems to follow him....

 
June 5, 2007  12:03 PM ET

I don't see where Lou is loosing control of the Cubs.....Afterall "HE CAN'T LOOSE WHAT HE NEVER HAD" and for those who say Lou is a winner... well maybe he has managed teams that have won many games but howmany times has he held the championship in his hands????
Let me answer that for you....ONCE with the Reds in 90' he is a B.S. artist He is smart tho, afterall he saw how much talent is on the Cubs roster this year and snaked his way into the managerial spot... which should have been Joe G's I say the sooner the Cubs cut the ties to him the better then they can start playing to their potential and get into the playoffs where they have as good a chance as any team out there.....Look how well they have done the last two games under Trammell!!!

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