Brrrr!!! You're not in Tampa anymore, Lou
So before the game, Lou says, "We're not built to win in this weather." After the game, he changes his tune. Ah, hell, let me just quote the AP game recap:
"I was telling our general manager today, the way we're put together as a team, if we play in 40-degree [weather] all year, I don't think we're going to do very well because we don't have that type of team," Piniella said. "We have more power in our lineup. We need to bang it a little more, and once the weather warms up, we will."
After the game, Piniella wanted to make sure his comments weren't misinterpreted. He said the Cubs are more a fly-ball team than a small-ball group but still should be able to win cold-weather games.
[...]
"We got to play in cold weather the same way the other team does, and we got to win our share of ballgames in cold weather, the same way the other team does," Piniella said.
That just reeks of "Give me my horses," doesn't it?
Eight games. That's how long it took for Lou to start making excuses. Look, I'm still on the Lou bandwagon. Despite the 3-5 record, I've seen some good things. But this crybaby shit has got to stop. Did Piniella know what the weather in Chicago would be like in April when he took the job? I got news for you, Lou, it's like this in October, too. And I wouldn't be counting on an influx of speed and smallball to be added to this lineup before then. So quit your whining and start winning some ball games.
And it wouldn't hurt to drop Jacque Jones from the two-spot either. When I think of the perfect number two hitter, I start giggling because I just said "number two." But seriously, Jacque Jones doesn't make enough contact to bat second. With a legitimate stolen base threat on first (assuming Soriano wakes up), you need someone who can make contact batting second. Michael Barrett might be that guy. Matt Murton might be that guy. Mark DeRosa might be that guy. But Jacque Jones? Not that guy.
Anyhoo, today's game was full of ups and downs. The biggest downs were Marquis' awful first inning and Izturis' three errors. THREE. They ought start scouting the local circus because I'm sure the nearest clown could play shortstop and not look nearly as bad as Izturis did today.
What I did like was the lack of quit. Ninth inning rolls around, and the team rallies. Yes, two runs in the ninth when you're down four still counts as a loss in the standings. But sooner or later the fourth and fifth runs are going to cross the plate, and it's the lack of "quit" that we saw oh so much last year that I'm happy to announce is long gone. Dragged away by wild horses, presumably.