According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, cubs manager Lou Piniella is not sure if he wants to manage the team following this season.
Piniella, who still has one year left on his contract after this season, is the reining National League manager of the year. While Piniella admits he still has the "fire" to manage, the critics appear to be weighing on him.
"I still have fire", he said Thursday morning. "It's more under control. The amazing thing is when I was younger and I showed it more, then I'd be criticized at times. ‘This guy is showing too much fire'. I understand this business. I've been in it time, and the bottom line is you have to win. It doesn't matter if you have fire, no fire, passion, no passion, stupidity, smartness...all of these things don't even come into the equation. What comes into the equation-for the fans, for the organization, for the people watching-is you either win or you lose. It's a simple thing. "I'm doing the best I can. That's all I can do. Last year we won 97 games and I was the manager of the year in the National League. And all of the sudden this year, I don't have any fire? That's why we're not winning? "I don't buy that at all.", said Piniella yesterday.
Ok now take a deep breath... (A lot to digest there).
Piniella, who is without question one of the most respected managers in baseball, and probably a future Hall of Famer, is clearly getting tired of the media blaming him for the Cubs struggles.
Having said that, "Sweet Lou" couldn't be more right in terms of what he said. If you think Piniella doesn't have fire your crazy (reference Jerry Manuel for lack of fire).
The Cubs, the city of Chicago, and any fans of the organization would be insane to think they can get a better manager than Piniella right now.
Piniella is 100 percent right, if you win nobody cares about anything, if you lose, they do.
I understand the frustration of Cub fans and the Chicago media. They are desperate for a championship and rightly so.
I just hope they understand, sometimes you don't realize what you have till it's gone (ask the Yankees about that one).