Just heard Lou Piniella on the Waddle & Silvy show, and while he didn't come out and say the media played a role in the Cubs' playoff collapse, he left that window slightly open.
And he needs to shut it.
Lou said the pressure comes from the media and the media puts pressure on "these kids."
In 20 years of sports writing, all I've heard is that the media doesn't put any pressure on players or coaches or GMs. Allegedly, the pressure always comes from within.
If the media had anything to do with two straight first-round sweeps in the postseason, the Cubs need to find guys who don't care. They don't care about the media or about curses or a city's hyper-anxiety.
Truth is, I have a feeling Lou felt the media's heat more than the players. Now I like Lou. And he didn't come out and blame the media for the Cubs' collapse. In fact, he said the media in Chicago is good. And it was just one small part of a long interview, so I don't want to take him completely out of context.
And he did talk about how they need more offense and speed and a new approach with Kosuke. So it wasn't like he came out entirely blaming the media.
But it struck me.
And I'm sure it is difficult to be in Lou's situation. Just ask Ozzie, who always says the focus is much sharper on the Cubs.
But when you broach the subject of the media having an impact on your team, it becomes a snowball that keeps getting bigger. It's better to leave that unsaid.
Better yet, it's better to get players who don't care about the media.
Roman I think you misunderstood ole Lou. He blames the media because none of you would play third and bat cleanup for him last year. Lou had to get that dude that turned out to be t*ts on a bull in the playoffs two years in a row to do it.
Have a nice hump day everyone!
Who's looking good in the Pop Warner league?
It wasn't the "kids" who choked, it was the veterans who've been there before and should be able to rise above it. Lee, Ramirez, Soriano, Dempster, etc. were the ones who couldn't hack it. Although, maybe to Lou they are kids.
Good fair post Roman. Cubs and LOU folded like one of those egg-mcMuffins from his McDonald commercials. They enjoy the support of millions of fans and media all year long. Lou gets to COAST along with money spent on the very best players. Hendry is not to be blamed - LOU is. I like Lou too, but he is NOT being accountable for that collapse. Dusty never got that kind of support and if he had and lost back to back like that...fans would have poked him to death with tooth picks! Yall know it! And I better not hear a rebuttle from one Cubs fan!!!!
Lou is smiling and cheesing it off. Doing interviews with his loveable media friends and everyone is laughing it up. He is schmoozin it up, muggin and shruggin. Just like his McDonald's commercial "budah-bah-bah-baaah...Lou's Lovin it". Must be nice.
The millionaire 'kids' Lou mentioned, do they include youngsters like Derek Lee, Ramirez, Dempster and Soriano? Isn't that the reason these guys are getting paid obscene amounts of money to play? Isn't handling the pressure part of the deal? Lou's talking like he managed a pick up game of volunteer 16 year olds to play in the playoffs. There are young guys on every championship team. The Phillies just won after only 28 years waiting and their players, young and old, somehow dealt with the pressure. And Philly ain't an easy town to play for either. The bottom line is this, all the pressure came from within the team that took the field, and they couldn't handle it two years in a row. There was no one to lead the way. They need an airhead like Manny Ramirez who doesn't even know or care what planet he's on let alone the history of a team, to lead the way. Sign Manny and watch the Cubs actually look semi alive in the playoffs.
Oh man...can you imagine if coached in Philly, Boston or NY? Let's face it, the media in this town is and has been pretty soft on the Cubs and Bears especially. The Cubs well...because they're the Cubs. And the Bears, due to the fact that the 1985 title apparently grants you 100 years of immunity - as well as a lifetime of fortune for anyone on that team!
Yep, it's the fault of the "media" -- from Steve Stone on down. I guess "Grandpa" really was asleep in the dugout for most of the year (and all of the playoffs). It had nothing to do with Piniella getting outcoached each of the past two post seasons or his team getting outplayed.
This guy is a joke!
Yep, and all they need is a left-handed bat and they'll be great.
Yeah, right, Lou.
Hey, good signing on that Dempster dude. I bet he wins no more than 10 games next year and will be back in the bullpen by 2010.
Why don't you ask him right now what his excuse will be in 2009 when his club finishes two games over .500 because he can't control his clubhouse, his leftfielder's fragile ego or his pitching ace's lunacy?
Hey, Lou, maybe that pressure comes from being unprepared. That's what Ryan Dempster is saying. So just who does that responsibility fall on... the media?
Lou, face it. You are not that good of a manager. All that talent in Seattle and you never won the big bash. In Cincinnati, let's be honest. They won in spite of you. And Tampa? I'm sure they were happy to see you go. See they got this Madden dude who took them to a World Series (at 1/4 of your team's annual payroll). I'm sure if you were still in Tampa, the team would still be losing and you would be blaming your failure on the loss of wetlands or low tides or fertility rates among snakes or some other logical excuse.
What a freaking waste.
It is because Lou is Spanish and he would never have this whole "expect to win" thing hanging over his head if he were Irish. That is why you are seeing less and less black baseball players.
All bull aside... this is pure weakling crybaby stuff at best.
He is paid to manage a major league team and these are not "kids" even if they act like it when they get their asses handed to them by the Dodgers.
This is a team that has not won a title in 100 years and to pretend that the pressure is much higher for him than the managers of teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers, Braves and Phillies is pathetic.
The Cubs fans have put winning on the back burner for many many years and now that some of them are demanding results (and the White Sox winning the World Series played a big part in that) he is going to curl up and die?
Poor thin skinned rich man.
Baseball fans of the "other" team right here in Chicago are more demanding than Cub fans and that team and their manager do not cower in the dugout at the very sight of red, white and blue bunting hanging from the upper deck in October.
Here is a man who played in New York at the height of their zoo atmosphere, won a ring with the Reds where they had a long history of great teams to live up to, won 116 games one season with Seattle, and now he can't handle the pressure of leading the "just make sure the beer is cold" Cubs?
What happened to this guy?
It sounds like Lou is telling the Cub fans not to expect too much in 2009 and he is very happy to be nothing more than a decent team and embrace the cuddly image that they have spent years cultivating.
Give it up for your manger of the year Cub fans.
it was the players fault and managements fault this team is missing that stud that tells the media and everyone else to kiss it's but and just goes out and performs in spite of everything else going on around him ala BARRY BONDS ,MANNY RAMIREZ,MILTON BRADLEY,REGGIE JACKSON ,these guys have bad attitudes but they thrive on adversity ,in fact they use it for motivation ! these cubs run from it and pout about it and if Lou allows them to use these excuses they will never win ! and this suprises me since he played for Billy Martin and with Reggie Jackson and under the New Yew York medias eye !
i agree with your premise maurice t ,but i wouldnt count milton bradley in the sentence he's a flake . but i do agree with the fact that that team realy lacks a leader who is going to just step up and take the pressure off the others like manny did with the dodgers with attitude and production , leaders are born ,rarely made ! pressure burst pipes in some and some just thrive in it ! i truly think if bonds was on the cubs last year they would have beat the dodgers ,yes i said it and i mean it ,do you realy think billy goats and bartman talk and 100 year talk ,or manny talk would have phased him! he always killed the dodgers and he would have said manny who and went out and proved it just to steal mannys thunder!and the other players would have followed his lead seen as they are natural followers and the pressure and spotlight would have been all on Barry !That said if lou thought the media was appying to much pressure he should have went ozzie and put the pressure and cameras on him, drop this nice guy routine and go back to his old billy martin style of managing or something to loosen things up ,thats his job to no the pulse of his team !remember next year it will be 101 years so its not going away !
Cubs always have their own problems; but the media does nothing but provide trash and lacks bite. Show me something worthwhile. Give me a real topic to debate - seriously your article is about nothing- "Lou blames the media - but not really" That's the topic?!?. How about a real issue, not a blog about your weak impact on sports.
Sports Writers / Media are like dirty groupies backstage at a RATT concert - they only want to touch the limelight of something great before everyone realizes how trashy they really are. Provide some topic of value.
This Blog is a perfect example of the rambling non-sense - How could the media have any affect when the conversations are so docile and limp. You don't need different players you need a worthwhile media with bite.
Roman responds: Love the RATT reference.
Oh great - now I'm gonna have 'Round & Round stuck in my head all day!!!
I agree with the comments pointing out that the veterans led the collapse in the playoffs, as they did the year before. I'll grant that the veterans too often act like kids rather than professional adults,with Zambrano leading the way. One does get a bit tired of media overkill in many directions ( the Favre fiasco is a good example ), but only the baseball player dilettantes should be affected by it. the true pros should be able to ignore it and do their jobs in a workmanlike manner.
Talking to Baseball Managers after the Season is over is like...
still trying to put candles into Halloween pumpkins at Thanksgiving...
There is nothing in there man...its all turned to Mush!!!
"I agree with the comments pointing out that the veterans led the collapse in the playoffs, as they did the year before. I'll grant that the veterans too often act like kids rather than professional adults,with Zambrano leading the way."
You make an interesting point there.
I find it strange that some primadonna players like Bonds, A-Rod, Soriano, and Ramierez put up big numbers during the regular season, and then, as if on cue, disappear in the playoffs.
Then you have the other group of "full of themselves" hot dogs like Manny, Reggie Jackson, et al, that not only produce during the regular season, but are able to turn it up another notch come October.
I'm tired of seeing "potential" rewarded in all aspects of sports.
"Payment Upon Delivery", would be my policy if I were a general manager.