What a Difference a Year Makes: Bruce's 4/2 Article on Lou

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I found this article quite refreshing.

 

Link.

 

•Early on, Piniella had one of his “nice conversations” (read: where Piniella does all the conversing) with young pitcher Angel Guzman. Piniella wanted Guzman to use his great stuff and throw strikes. Guzman made the team.

 

•After the fourth exhibition game, a stinker of a loss against the White Sox, Piniella gathered his coaching staff for a late-night session before letting his team know the next day that how they were playing was unacceptable. The Cubs finished spring training with a winning record.

 

•In the last week of spring training, Piniella spent 30-45 minutes with left fielder Matt Murton discussing the finer points of hitting, with Piniella picking up a bat and showing as much as he was telling.

 

•Another of Piniella’s “nice conversations” took place with shortstop Ronny Cedeno, whose career seemed in jeopardy a few short weeks ago. Cedeno made the team, too.

 

•Piniella exhorted and cajoled and demanded that his pitchers throw strikes and put hitters away once they got ahead in the count. This is still a work in progress, but things were moving in the right direction by the end of the Cactus League.

 

•Gone are the days of a manager saying, “Walks clog the bases.” Piniella’s mantra was “get on base any way you can,” and “you don’t always have to swing at the first pitch.”

[RichHillIsABeast]

I like Piniella a lot.

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

I know the season hasn't started yet, but I'm beginning to like Sweet Lou more and more every day. I have to admit, when they first signed him, I was skeptical. But he seems very focused on doing things the right way, and he's not afraid to help guys out when he sees a problem. It's a welcome change.

[rocket]

it's the regular season now, so i guess we'll really see how lou is.

 

i like it so far.

[Banedon]

I've come around on Lou big time. I wasn't a fan of his hire, but so far (and admittedly, they haven't done much yet) he's proving me wrong.

[Bergy92]

we just need 1:10 pm to get here...

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

we just need 1:10 pm to get here...

Amen brother

[RynoRules]

Pretty much what Banedon said. .

[wastra]

I've come around on Lou big time. I wasn't a fan of his hire, but so far (and admittedly, they haven't done much yet) he's proving me wrong.

 

At this point, unless Lou is preaching one thing to the media and a totally different one to the team, it seems to me that if the Cubs fail, it will be due to the roster NOT following his advice, not management.

 

That's totally opposite Baker, where you could read everything he said to the media and think "If the players follow his advice, they WILL lose."

[Laura]

I sort of feel sorry for Lou. I hope he doesn't get Cubbed into submission.

[Roast]

Well, we lost. Is it time to fire lou yet? :-)

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Well, we lost. Is it time to fire lou yet? :-)

 

Yes, he should have had Izturis batting 14th.

[Roast]

Well, we lost. Is it time to fire lou yet? :-)

 

Yes, he should have had Izturis batting 14th.

 

Haha. When derosa was batting with two guys on (4th inning?) I told my boss "watch, they're gonna walk DeRosa so they can pitch to izturis."

 

I looked like a real baseball genius. I then predicted a soft ground ball to second.

 

...I came close with that one.

[gflore34]

It'll be interesting to see what actions Lou will or won't take if Izturis makes a habit of swinging at the first pitch (and hitting a weak gb) after the no. 7 hitter has drawn a walk. Will he make lame excuses for him ala Dusty? Or, will he bench Izturis?

[papabear58]

It'll be interesting to see what actions Lou will or won't take if Izturis makes a habit of swinging at the first pitch (and hitting a weak gb) after the no. 7 hitter has drawn a walk. Will he make lame excuses for him ala Dusty? Or, will he bench Izturis?

 

Lou wouldn't make an excuse for his 90 year old mother who couldn't brush her teeth the way he wanted it. No way he coddles anyone... hmmm... Mark Prior anyone?