Does unkle Lou contribute to some extra wins?

[A New Era]

I know many of us have complained how the cubs "didn't show up" to play against many of the bottom feeder teams, when they could whoop good teams, over the last few years.

 

Does having a passionate "demand winning" type manager help pick up the cubs so they stop loosing to the likes of the pirates, and the red, and the marlins of the world?

 

Or is this stupid talk. Flame away, but I thought this was about time I brought this back up again.

 

Dusty was a

 

-I didn't see it from the dugout

-I don't want my kid to see me angry

-It's the players job to perform

 

type manager

 

Lou is a

-I demand %100 every day

-I defend my players

-I don't excuse lackadaisicle play

 

type of manager.

 

Does that help? And if so, by how much? Talent wins, we all know that. And we did add talent. But we also added new coaching. . Does the fact that we did a 180 in terms of what type of man leads this team compared to the last 4 years?

 

I for one, am excited to see this man manage my beloved cubs. Yes I'm always been a fan of "fire", but I don't mean he will make the team "play with passion". . But his fire and demanding of playing %100 will help this team gel.

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

Personally I think that it will depend on the personality of the club. I see him as being the Anti-Dusty with a chance to have the results the same.

 

You can tell some people they cant do something and they will do it to shove it in your face. Some will do it because they want to prove they can. The vast majority will wait and see where the wind blows. The other end of the spectrum will sull up and pout because you dont "respect" them. While the last will smarm and back stab to get even.

 

As a coach you have to find the first guys and turn them on to your game plan so that they will lift the others up. Otherwise the bottom end will drag everyone else down to the level they occupy.

 

The danger I see with Lou is pushing the wrong button with Lee, Wood, ect and getting a shut down. See Texas and Showalter and before that Arizona. Also look at Oakland last year and Macha. Two managers who make demands like Lou's who are now unemployed as skippers in MLB.

[CubsWin]

I'd love to find the won-loss records of managers in their first years and compare those numbers to the won-loss records of rest of their careers, especially for managers who have managed before and are not joining an expansion/obviously rebuilding team.

 

I don't have any stats that suggest this, but it seems to me that veteran managers seem to get the most out of their teams in the first couple of seasons they are with their club. Baker's time with the Cubs certainly followed that pattern. Leyland with the Tigers. But there is just something energizing about how a new manager can wipe the slate clean and start fresh leaving any past failures behind.

 

Of course the Cubs have added a lot of talent this off season so it will be near to impossible to determine whether any gains in wins are due to Piniella's presence. Unless, of course, I can find those very specific and obscure stats I was talking about...

[A New Era]

Everything I heard about Piniella is that he is hard nosed, and demanding. Yet he seems like a very pleasant southern type guy. I don't know if he will show that pleasant face in the dugout. But if he does at any point I think the players will like him and generally want to do well.

[Rob]

I've always been of the mind that it's extremely hard for a manager to win a ballgame, but very easy for him to lose one.

 

That being said, while Lou may not actively win any games for us... just so long as he loses less for us than Dusty did, there should be a profound impact.

[KingCubsFan]

I don't think it's as much Lou winning games as it will be the addition of wins simply by the subtraction of Dusty

[NoDak]

I've always been of the mind that it's extremely hard for a manager to win a ballgame, but very easy for him to lose one.

 

That being said, while Lou may not actively win any games for us... just so long as he loses less for us than Dusty did, there should be a profound impact.

 

Good analysis. I agree. I have long had differences with those who argue that the manager is a huge influence on won/loss record. While there are some exceptions (Bobby Cox comes immediately to mind) the fact is that rarely does a manager really have a huge "positive" impact on a team that can't be explained any other way.

 

Baker came in and got outstanding seasons out of Wood, Prior. A rejuvenated season out of Karros, Grudzielanek, Lofton, Borowski. An .800 OPS from AGonz...In short lots of things broke right for him and he was hailed as a genious. He was the same Dusty in 04-06 and gained VERY different results. Similar things happened with Leyland in DET. We'll see how good he is over the next couple of years.

[CubinNY]

I've always been of the mind that it's extremely hard for a manager to win a ballgame, but very easy for him to lose one.

 

That being said, while Lou may not actively win any games for us... just so long as he loses less for us than Dusty did, there should be a profound impact.

 

Good analysis. I agree. I have long had differences with those who argue that the manager is a huge influence on won/loss record. While there are some exceptions (Bobby Cox comes immediately to mind) the fact is that rarely does a manager really have a huge "positive" impact on a team that can't be explained any other way.

 

Baker came in and got outstanding seasons out of Wood, Prior. A rejuvenated season out of Karros, Grudzielanek, Lofton, Borowski. An .800 OPS from AGonz...In short lots of things broke right for him and he was hailed as a genious. He was the same Dusty in 04-06 and gained VERY different results. Similar things happened with Leyland in DET. We'll see how good he is over the next couple of years.

 

I agree as well. I am hoping the Lou will be a results oriented manager. Dusty seemed to a philosophical oriented manager.

[illiniguy]

This reminds me of that article by ? who said having Dusty was like 5 free wins each year for the Cubs back in '04. Good call by whoever wrote that one.

[YearofDaCubs]

I don't know what Lou will provide us but I'm one happy person to see Baker out of here. The guy that past couple of years was terrible.

[J.R.]

the addition of wins simply by the subtraction of Dusty

 

This is true.

[Soul]

Another thing I will be interested to see is how he works after the honeymoon period is over.

 

I've been fooled too many times with coaches & managers that get a good initial boost, but once they get kicked in the mouth a little bit they never recover. Dusty was a prime example of this. The latest is Savard.

 

If Lou starts out hot, I'll be watching to see what happens after that first losing streak.

[CuseCubFan69]

Another thing I will be interested to see is how he works after the honeymoon period is over.

 

I've been fooled too many times with coaches & managers that get a good initial boost, but once they get kicked in the mouth a little bit they never recover. Dusty was a prime example of this. The latest is Savard.

 

If Lou starts out hot, I'll be watching to see what happens after that first losing streak.

 

What happens if the first losing streak are the first 10 games? A nice 1-9 start coulde a very interesting start for the Cubs.

[A New Era]

A NICE 1-9 start? :D

[Sammy Sofa]

A NICE 1-9 start? :D

 

I at least want them to lose the first game. The last few have been these big wins and that make us feel great and then season goes to utter crap. Start off at the bottom and work up, because the other way ain't working.

[Fred Hornkohl]

A NICE 1-9 start? :D

 

I at least want them to lose the first game. The last few have been these big wins and that make us feel great and then season goes to utter crap. Start off at the bottom and work up, because the other way ain't working.

 

Seeing as how I will be attending the CUBS' home opener for the first time in 25 years...... I vote for a big win on that day.

[A New Era]

A NICE 1-9 start? :D

 

I at least want them to lose the first game. The last few have been these big wins and that make us feel great and then season goes to utter crap. Start off at the bottom and work up, because the other way ain't working.

 

Yeah but 1win - 9losses?

[NCCubFan]

A NICE 1-9 start? :D

Better than 0-10.

[CuseCubFan69]

I was answering the soul post when he commented on the honeymoon being over and I was thinking if the Cubs had a "nice" little 1-9 start right from the beginning if the honeymoon would be over right then and there.

 

And Fred, they'll win for you on Opening Day so our hopes will be on an undefeated season only to have them crushed the next game.

[Fred Hornkohl]

I was answering the soul post when he commented on the honeymoon being over and I was thinking if the Cubs had a "nice" little 1-9 start right from the beginning if the honeymoon would be over right then and there.

 

And Fred, they'll win for you on Opening Day so our hopes will be on an undefeated season only to have them crushed the next game.

 

[sigh] sounds like the story of my life !

[CuseCubFan69]

I was answering the soul post when he commented on the honeymoon being over and I was thinking if the Cubs had a "nice" little 1-9 start right from the beginning if the honeymoon would be over right then and there.

 

And Fred, they'll win for you on Opening Day so our hopes will be on an undefeated season only to have them crushed the next game.

 

[sigh] sounds like the story of my life !

 

Fred you're all about class....keep that chin up!