The Lou Piniella Media & Interview Thread

[Amazing_Grace]

Lou is the man. Got to love his optimism. I'm also glad he was able to tell the nation that Prior is fine!

 

The nation ain't buying it. Prior will have to start 25+ games this year before people start believing again.

 

I certainly won't buy it after the Cubs decided to push back Prior's start for once and then decided, the next day no less, that they don't need to push back his start after all. There's too much history with this organization and this player for me not to be suspicious. If the Cubs get 10 starts out of Prior, I'll be surprised. If he starts 25 games, I'll be stunned.

[98navigator]

Lou is the man. Got to love his optimism. I'm also glad he was able to tell the nation that Prior is fine!

 

The nation ain't buying it. Prior will have to start 25+ games this year before people start believing again.

 

I certainly won't buy it after the Cubs decided to push back Prior's start for once and then decided, the next day no less, that they don't need to push back his start after all. There's too much history with this organization and this player for me not to be suspicious. If the Cubs get 10 starts out of Prior, I'll be surprised. If he starts 25 games, I'll be stunned.

 

I can understand feeling sort of jaded but I don't understand the idea that the Cubs are hiding something. All reports are that he's pitching and looking good which is a far cry from what went on under Dusty's watch; the back field pitching shrouded from the media...

 

There's new onfield management that has no ties to the previous group. Do you really think JH is telling Piniella or Rothschild to deceive the public? Or that JMcD is pulling the strings from Chicago? I guess anything is possible but it seems highly unlikely. If the Cubs were going to pull something to trick the fans, they would have announced Prior's pitching date just before regular season tickets went on sale and then balked on starting him...

 

You were suspicious when they planned to hold Prior back a start (and given his history it's warranted). However, I don't understand being against having him pitch on schedule. Which way is it?

 

As for Prior's number of starts, he made 30 in 2003, 21 in 2004, 27 in 2005, and 9 last season. So he's averaging only a bit over 21 starts in his full seasons. That's concerning but if he truly is healthy he should blow by 10 starts...

 

I can't blame you for taking a wait-and-see approach but there is room for optimism. He didn't throw off a mound at all last ST nor did he make a start. That's an improvement.

[Amazing_Grace]

Lou is the man. Got to love his optimism. I'm also glad he was able to tell the nation that Prior is fine!

 

The nation ain't buying it. Prior will have to start 25+ games this year before people start believing again.

 

I certainly won't buy it after the Cubs decided to push back Prior's start for once and then decided, the next day no less, that they don't need to push back his start after all. There's too much history with this organization and this player for me not to be suspicious. If the Cubs get 10 starts out of Prior, I'll be surprised. If he starts 25 games, I'll be stunned.

 

I can understand feeling sort of jaded but I don't understand the idea that the Cubs are hiding something. All reports are that he's pitching and looking good which is a far cry from what went on under Dusty's watch; the back field pitching shrouded from the media...

 

There's new onfield management that has no ties to the previous group. Do you really think JH is telling Piniella or Rothschild to deceive the public? Or that JMcD is pulling the strings from Chicago? I guess anything is possible but it seems highly unlikely. If the Cubs were going to pull something to trick the fans, they would have announced Prior's pitching date just before regular season tickets went on sale and then balked on starting him...

 

You were suspicious when they planned to hold Prior back a start (and given his history it's warranted). However, I don't understand being against having him pitch on schedule. Which way is it?

 

As for Prior's number of starts, he made 30 in 2003, 21 in 2004, 27 in 2005, and 9 last season. So he's averaging only a bit over 21 starts in his full seasons. That's concerning but if he truly is healthy he should blow by 10 starts...

 

I can't blame you for taking a wait-and-see approach but there is room for optimism. He didn't throw off a mound at all last ST nor did he make a start. That's an improvement.

 

For the record, I don't believe it's very likely the Cubs are deliberately misleading fans or trying to play up Prior's status to sell tickets or anything so nefarious as that. There just aren't a lot of people that just do nefarious things for personal or organizational gain. There are some, to be sure, and it's possible that things are being deliberately manipulated, but I don't think that's likely. I'm also not a coach and have no idea whether Prior should pitch or not.

 

Incompetence is a great deal more common than bad intentions in this world, and I think it's far more likely the Cubs organization simply does an awful job of handling their public relations and controlling what stories go out when and keeping organization members on the same page with regards to important PR issues. As a fan, I resent being told one thing by the organization one day and something else the next, because when that happens, it makes me think; well, if they were mistaken on the first thing they said, why should I trust that this second thing is any more accurate than the first thing? Whether it's because they allow reporters too much access and some coach says something to a reporter that they oughtn't, or that they make snap decisions then change their minds later or whatever. You can't say we'll do this today, and say, nope we'll do the opposite tomorrow, and expect to have any credibility whatsoever.

 

That's really all my issue is. I don't dislike Prior. I dislike the way the Cubs have handled the Prior injury news, and the way they seem to change their minds all the time. I wish the Cubs would get all their ducks in a row when they speak to the media, and try to keep their stories straight.

 

I'm skeptical about Prior because guys don't just routinely come back from the kind of injury histories to the same level they were at before they were injured. I don't think it's very reasonable for people to expect Prior to pitch like he did in 2003, probably ever again. It's not impossible, but it's not likely either. I'd gladly take Prior's 2005 line, especially if he can stay healthy for the postseason.

[texascub]

For spring trianing games that arent going to be on Tv, is there anyway to see or hear them? Will they be on the radio, or do you have get mlb.tv to watch them?

 

Of the 32 spring training games, MLB on XM will carry 13 of them for the Cubs; you can find the schedule here.

[98navigator]

The podcast of the program is now available for anyone who is interested:

 

Link

Edited February 28, 2007 by 98navigator

[karenmac]

they moved the info regarding mlb.tv - if you go to the

schedule > spring training option here:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/index.jsp

that's got the info for what's on TV. Not sure where the audio's going to be...guess I'll figure it out tomorrow. You can assume that mlb.tv will have all 14 games being broadcast by the cubs, in addition to any that might be broadcast elsewhere (for instance, I can remember that there was audio for A's games last ST).

 

Tomorrow we'll figure it out!

[Laura]

That schedule, though, shows every Cubs game as being televised and available via MLB.tv, which isn't going to happen. Ergh.

 

ETA: Looks like the improved picture quality will be available as MLB.tv Premium.

[Vinestal]

XM will be broadcasting basicly any game that has a radio broadcast.

[Laura]

Yahoo Sports has a video interview with Piniella about why he thinks he can succeed as Cubs manager.

[A New Era]

That schedule, though, shows every Cubs game as being televised and available via MLB.tv, which isn't going to happen. Ergh.

 

ETA: Looks like the improved picture quality will be available as MLB.tv Premium.

 

Yeah, they did that to us LAST year. I'm on hold waiting to talk to them on the phone before I sign up. I want to sign up for 1 month just for spring training games. .