the vote of confidence

[chasinf5s]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/05/jim-hendry-lou-piniellas-job-is-safe.html

[Sammy Sofa]

It's really not surprising. There's little reason for them to fire the guy when he's gone at the end of the year and Sandberg is likely just going to get the job. I'd love to see him get the boot, but I really don't expect it to happen.

[RedFlash]

It's really not surprising. There's little reason for them to fire the guy when he's gone at the end of the year and Sandberg is likely just going to get the job. I'd love to see him get the boot, but I really don't expect it to happen.

 

"The vote of confidence" is a bad thing for Piniella. In other words, Hendry just put Piniella on the hot seat.

[erik316wttn]

There's a reason the word "dreaded" is often used in association with the phrase "vote of confidence."

[bhogg]

Look, it is what it is. What can I do? What do you want me to do? We just need to do a better of job of hitting with men on base. I don't know.

[17 Seconds]

not really anything new here. i think we all knew that hendry would never fire lou. hendry needs to be the one to fall first.

[UMFan83]

It was a pretty strong vote of confidence. The quotes made it seem like someone asked him a question about a manager change and Hendry's response was something like he hadn't even considered doing something like that.

[Keener98]

It was a pretty strong vote of confidence. The quotes made it seem like someone asked him a question about a manager change and Hendry's response was something like he hadn't even considered doing something like that.

 

He was responding to Ken Rosenthals article, or him mentioning it on air Sat.

[cubsfan5150]

No way he gets fired, not sure he's even been fired since maybe his Yankee days. As far as everyone screaming that he needs to be fired... is it his fault that his guys don't execute? This isn't basketball where you teach the game, how to shoot, all that bs. It's baseball, you tell a guy to bunt, it's his job to do it. Not sure how so many of you are "baseball experts". Do any of you even coach?

[Irrelevant Dude]

The quotes made it seem like someone asked him a question about a manager change and Hendry's response was something like he hadn't even considered doing something like that.

Isn't it the job of a General Manager to consider all possible options to improve the team? Maybe Hendry doesn't think firing Lou would help, and he may very well be right, but if he has never even considered it then I don't think he is doing his job. That is the equivalent of the Bulls firing Vinny Del Negro, when everyone had known for months that he would be gone, then holding a press conference and stating they hadn't even thought about his potential replacement yet. If not planning for the future of the team, what exactly are general managers doing?

[Keener98]

No way he gets fired, not sure he's even been fired since maybe his Yankee days. As far as everyone screaming that he needs to be fired... is it his fault that his guys don't execute? This isn't basketball where you teach the game, how to shoot, all that bs. It's baseball, you tell a guy to bunt, it's his job to do it. Not sure how so many of you are "baseball experts". Do any of you even coach?

 

Its his fault when his piss poor bullpen management hurts the Cubs, or when he sac bunts with a guy hitting .350 to get to 2 guys hitting under .250. Or how about moving one of the teams top 3 starters to the bullpen, then dick with him there. But then again Im no coach so my post is completely irrelevant, and I have no right to criticize the "coach".

[cubsfan5150]

So I'm assuming that Lou had no idea how to handle the bullpen when he won the WS with the nasty boys. What about all those very good to great seasons with the Mariners. IMO you don't just become a crappy manager. What I see is a team that doesn't execute worth a flip. The fact that it's blamed on the manager is irrelevant.

 

I'm guessing that you think that Doc Rivers is a stud coach now? Just because he won a championship with the best team in basketball. He was a bum coach before the big three got there.

 

As a coach/manager you're typically only as good as your players execution. Tony LaRussa as much as it pains me to say, must do something right, but other than that, every other manager has failed somewhere in his career. Doesn't always make them a bad manager.

[Derwood]

So I'm assuming that Lou had no idea how to handle the bullpen when he won the WS with the nasty boys. What about all those very good to great seasons with the Mariners. IMO you don't just become a crappy manager. What I see is a team that doesn't execute worth a flip. The fact that it's blamed on the manager is irrelevant.

 

I'm guessing that you think that Doc Rivers is a stud coach now? Just because he won a championship with the best team in basketball. He was a bum coach before the big three got there.

 

As a coach/manager you're typically only as good as your players execution. Tony LaRussa as much as it pains me to say, must do something right, but other than that, every other manager has failed somewhere in his career. Doesn't always make them a bad manager.

 

so you see no problem with Soto batting 8th (or not at all) when he leads the team in OBP? (as one example)

[biittner77]

So I'm assuming that Lou had no idea how to handle the bullpen when he won the WS with the nasty boys. What about all those very good to great seasons with the Mariners. IMO you don't just become a crappy manager. What I see is a team that doesn't execute worth a flip. The fact that it's blamed on the manager is irrelevant.

 

I'm guessing that you think that Doc Rivers is a stud coach now? Just because he won a championship with the best team in basketball. He was a bum coach before the big three got there.

 

As a coach/manager you're typically only as good as your players execution. Tony LaRussa as much as it pains me to say, must do something right, but other than that, every other manager has failed somewhere in his career. Doesn't always make them a bad manager.

 

First rule of being in charge: everything is your fault. Piniella- and every other manager- knew that going in. When things go well they get too much credit. Somewhere Joe Morgan is probably gushing about the great job Dusty Baker has done as manager of the Reds- that is, if he has had a chance to see them play this year.

[scarey]

So I'm assuming that Lou had no idea how to handle the bullpen when he won the WS with the nasty boys. What about all those very good to great seasons with the Mariners. IMO you don't just become a crappy manager. What I see is a team that doesn't execute worth a flip. The fact that it's blamed on the manager is irrelevant.

 

I'm guessing that you think that Doc Rivers is a stud coach now? Just because he won a championship with the best team in basketball. He was a bum coach before the big three got there.

 

As a coach/manager you're typically only as good as your players execution. Tony LaRussa as much as it pains me to say, must do something right, but other than that, every other manager has failed somewhere in his career. Doesn't always make them a bad manager.

 

First rule of being in charge: everything is your fault. Piniella- and every other manager- knew that going in. When things go well they get too much credit. Somewhere Joe Morgan is probably gushing about the great job Dusty Baker has done as manager of the Reds- that is, if he has had a chance to see them play this year.

 

 

So... you recognize that the manager gets way too much blame/credit, but you're ok with Lou getting a large amount of blame for this Cubs team? That seems ignorant.

 

I'm not a Lou cheerleader, but the amount of blame he gets around here is comical at times. I think 5150 is saying the same thing. In the grand scheme of things, if you had swapped out Lou for whatever you think is the most effective MLB manager, there would be 1 or maybe 2 games difference in the record thus far IMO. I see no problem in criticizing Lou for in game decisions, but to put so much blame on the manager for a 17-22 team is just silly.

 

Also, the bullpen management is so overblown. The rotation hasn't suffered from having Zambrano in the bullpen as Silva and Gorzelanny have been good. The only problem is Zambrano is getting hit hard out of the bullpen and I don't think many people predicted that. If Lou has a hand in deciding if some of the relief prospects come up or not, I think that is problematic. However, if not, he has not been given great tools to manage in the bullpen... especially the overpriced, left-handed tool (pun intended).

[jersey cubs fan]

There's a reason the word "dreaded" is often used in association with the phrase "vote of confidence."

 

And that reason is the only time a vote of confidence is even an issue is when a team is surprisingly bad.

[Sammy Sofa]

Please. Acting like Lou has no options in the bullpen is absurd. Nobody forced him to go to Grabow as the setup guy when Marshall is just sitting there, twiddling his thumbs. He's shown time and time again in his entire time with the Cubs that he has little clue as to how to sensibly manage a bullpen.

[jersey cubs fan]

Please. Acting like Lou has no options in the bullpen is absurd. Nobody forced him to go to Grabow as the setup guy when Marshall is just sitting there, twiddling his thumbs. He's shown time and time again in his entire time with the Cubs that he has little clue as to how to sensibly manage a bullpen.

 

He will give second, third and ninth chances to veterans with track records. That's great with all star caliber position players, but a really stupid strategy with relievers. Relievers are not consistent performers.

[soapy]

which is usually why they are relievers to begin with.

[Sammy Sofa]

Exactly, and Lou taking his pentulant, childishly stubborn approach to them simply doesn't work. Grabow has shown nothing this year that indicates he should be the guy to you go to in the 8th in a 2-1 game, especially when you have Marshall sitting on the same bench.

[biittner77]

So... you recognize that the manager gets way too much blame/credit, but you're ok with Lou getting a large amount of blame for this Cubs team? That seems ignorant.

 

I think you should learn a new word other than ignorant.

 

Getting too much of the blame is part of the job. Piniella knows that and expects that and isn't bothered by it. Perhaps he should only be blamed for what he can directly control which is making out the lineup card, pitching changes and substitutions. Seems to me Piniella has done pretty poorly in all 3 of those facets.

[hardcorecubfan]

Come on guys, we are only 5.5 games back only in May and we are in the lousiest division in baseball, I am sure a verbal vote of confidence will change everything around. In fact when we make the playoffs Lou will point to that vote of confidence as a turning point and ignore the accomplishemnets of his players. :roll:

[Soul]

I can't wrap my mind about the Grabow thing, with Marshall just sitting there.

[Sammy Sofa]

I can't wrap my mind about the Grabow thing, with Marshall just sitting there.

 

I like how Lou basically did his best to downplay Marshall in the post-game press conference. I know he doesn't really ever rave about guys when he's talking to the press, but I'm pretty sure he summed it up with something like, "yeah, Marshall pitched well for us."

 

Would it kill Lou to make the guy who has a 0.787 WHIP and a SO/BB ratio of 5.40 the setup man?

[scarey]

So... you recognize that the manager gets way too much blame/credit, but you're ok with Lou getting a large amount of blame for this Cubs team? That seems ignorant.

 

I think you should learn a new word other than ignorant.

 

Getting too much of the blame is part of the job. Piniella knows that and expects that and isn't bothered by it. Perhaps he should only be blamed for what he can directly control which is making out the lineup card, pitching changes and substitutions. Seems to me Piniella has done pretty poorly in all 3 of those facets.

 

Yes, getting too much of the blame is part of the job. However, you already acknowledged that he's getting too much blame but you are purposely ignoring that fact and continue to place that superfluous blame on him. I guess I don't know a word meaning the act of purposely ignoring something. Contradictory doesn't seem right.

 

Maybe I'm missing something. There seems to be a notion that Lou is not using Marshall properly. I think you guys are taking one instance yesterday where Lou used Grabow instead of Marshall and blowing it out of proportion. Marshall has pitched in 21 out of 39 games so far this year. I would have preferred to see Marshall in Grabow's spot yesterday and in the long run it probably would have helped Marshall. Maybe he would have only had to pitch one inning instead of two. However, you can't act like it's crazy for Lou to want to rest a reliever that's been used in more than half of the games so far this year. He can't go on through the whole year using Marshall and Marmol in every pressure situation late in the game.

 

Again, he's made mistakes (leaving Dempster in to face Votto comes to mind). But to act like another manager would have this team on the right side of .500 isn't really looking at the big picture.