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Friday, May 02, 2008

Chicago Tribune: Cubs blow it in 9th against Milwaukee (RR)

[The ending] provoked manager Lou Piniella into a postgame tirade after he smacked a dugout water cooler in the fateful ninth inning.

“You got a two-run lead going into the ninth and you let one get away… it’s a tough loss,” Piniella said.

He was just warming up.

The following question—the one that set Piniella off—was whether he’d thought about replacing sore-legged left fielder Alfonso Soriano with Reed Johnson in the ninth inning. Soriano helped the Brewers’ ninth-inning rally get started when Gabe Kapler’s fly ball sailed over his head for a double.

“You’re damn right I thought about it,” Piniella snapped back. “You think I’m stupid or something?”

The briefing ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

Chicago Sun-Times: Telander - Spontaneous combustion

NTNgod Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:52 AM | 29 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, Chi Cubs, Milwaukee

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1. NTNgod Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:59 AM (#2766186)

Sun-Times:

"I don't know what happened," Lou barely was able to say to the press.

Then WSCR-AM's Jesse Rogers asked if he had thought about moving center fielder Reed Johnson over to struggling left fielder Alfonso Soriano's spot late in the game.

Duck!

"You're damn right I thought about it!" Piniella spewed. "You think I'm stupid?"

Some near-profanity followed, with virtual smoke rising from Piniella's noggin like imaginary train puffs.

My brethren and I sat there thinking, what does one ask next?

I must admit my failure.

I looked straight at Piniella's raging eyeballs just a few feet in front of my own and simply could not bring myself to ask one of the questions pestering my brain: Is Soriano fundamentally incapable of looking at more than two pitches per at-bat?

I knew what would happen. Everybody knew. No matter what was asked.

The questioner would become a footnote to a meltdown of raging profanity, crazed arm gestures and epic Youtube replay.

So there was silence, and quickly Piniella stormed out of the tiny interview room, dropping muffled F-bombs as he left like a farmer tossing out seed.

2. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: May 02, 2008 at 04:32 AM (#2766197)

“You think I’m stupid or something?”

Left field is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get out of it

3. still hunting for a halo-red october (in Delphi) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 05:39 AM (#2766215)

It's called the difference between Marmol's line and Kerry's line:

Marmol: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K, 0 BB (note: those 4 k's were consecutive)

Kerry: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP

Methinks Lou has a decision to make...

4. Argu!!!! SATAN!!!! (Sessile Fielder) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 05:44 AM (#2766216)

Soriano probably should have caught Kapler's weird one-handed fly; Fukudome might have been able to get to Braun's. Yeah, those were fairly hard-hit balls, especially Braun's, but Wood doesn't deserve all the blame. His stuff looked plenty good against Cameron and on the first pitch to Braun. He was hitting 97 with a nice breaking ball.

5. Walt Davis Posted: May 02, 2008 at 06:17 AM (#2766222)

How about the obvious follow-up question: "well, why didn't you?"

6. Jim Wisinski

Posted: May 02, 2008 at 09:52 AM (#2766234)

Nice to see Piniella actually getting asked good questions, the Tampa Bay media was horribly soft and fawning when he was here and acted like he could do no wrong. The only time I know of that he actually got a decision questioned was by a New York writer.

7. zonk Posted: May 02, 2008 at 11:34 AM (#2766248)

I gotta say... I'm glad it was only May 1 and we're still 6 games over .500, so after the frustration of listening to the last debacle..err...inning, at least Lou's press conference was able to lighten the mood.

He almost... ALMOST... gave us a commemoration of Lee Elia.

Defensive alignments aside, Wood hasn't been too bad in the closer role. The problem is - he's clearly the 2nd best reliever on the team. Personally, I'm not so much in love with 'naming' Marmol the closer as much as I am ensuring that it's Marmol who pitches the key situations.

All that said, any half decent reliever should be able to get 3 outs when spotted a 2 run lead.

8. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 11:41 AM (#2766255)

Soriano probably should have caught Kapler's weird one-handed fly

Probably? I like my eight-year-old's chances on one like that; he certainly couldn't have butchered it worse. Soriano should've been charged with an error. And Fukudome had even less excuse on his, since he is at least theoretically healthy. I guess Wood could've r'ared back and struck 'em out, but at a certain point your defense has to execute.

9. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 11:42 AM (#2766256)

How about the obvious follow-up question: "well, why didn't you?"

I'm guessing he wanted to keep his teeth. Also note that if Wood had struck out the side, nobody would be asking him either of those questions.

10. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 12:21 PM (#2766280)

I'm not so much in love with 'naming' Marmol the closer as much as I am ensuring that it's Marmol who pitches the key situations.

Right. If Marmol had pitched the 9th, Wood would have pitched the 8th and we're in the same situation. These things happen.

11. Van Lingle Mungo Jerry Posted: May 02, 2008 at 12:29 PM (#2766288)

The briefing ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

Doesn't "The ________ ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door" work for all events in Lou's life? I mean you fill in the blank: "wedding," "funeral," "bris," "oral boards," "colonoscopy" ... the list is endless!

12. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: May 02, 2008 at 12:35 PM (#2766295)

The birth of his granddaughter ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

13. Dan The Mediocre Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:05 PM (#2766321)

The loss of his virginity ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

14. Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:08 PM (#2766328)

The screening of "Battlefield Earth" ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

15. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:20 PM (#2766338)

His acceptance of Jesus into his life ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

16. Moses Taylor demands to be housewarmed Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:32 PM (#2766346)

Defensive alignments aside, Wood hasn't been too bad in the closer role. The problem is - he's clearly the 2nd best reliever on the team. Personally, I'm not so much in love with 'naming' Marmol the closer as much as I am ensuring that it's Marmol who pitches the key situations.

He doesn't have much of a choice right now. The real problem is how bad Howry, Weurtz, and Hart are pitching. Marmol is the only reliable guy out there now, and he's pitching a lot. He can't pitch 3 innings every day.

I agree it wasn't all Wood's fault, but it most definitely was mostly his fault. By definition, his stuff couldn't have been great because he was getting smacked around. The Cameron AB was the only time he really did what he wanted to do. His location was off.

17. Gern Blanston Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:33 PM (#2766347)

Right. If Marmol had pitched the 9th, Wood would have pitched the 8th and we're in the same situation. These things happen.

Agreed. I'd also better about Wood being around if Howry'd stop sucking. (Or Wuertz, for that matter.) I've been a little disappointed in the Cubs' non-Marmol relievers this year. Well, Lieber's generally been good, but he's usually in the game when things are out of hand anyway.

18. Gern Blanston Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:34 PM (#2766349)

And I apparently owe Moses a Coke, or something.

19. Scott Lange Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:34 PM (#2766350)

20. Gern Blanston Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:36 PM (#2766354)

His acceptance of Jesus into his life ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

Take it to the Todd Jones thread.

21. Moses Taylor demands to be housewarmed Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:54 PM (#2766382)

Wood has an 0.93 WHIP and one homer allowed in 14 innings. Admittedly he has hit three batters that aren't getting factored in there, but I think his ERA is misleading. He's going to be fine, as long as nobody panics.

That's going to be hard for people to do if he keeps blowing saves. For some reason, people place more emphasis on those appearances for closers that the other times they're out there.

It's too early to even begin to speculate whether or not he has the makeup to close or if he's LaTroy Hawkins, but that's not gonna stop people. And if he's only giving up runs in those situations, well that's only going to throw more fuel on the fire.

22. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:57 PM (#2766384)

Take it to the Todd Jones thread.

8-D

23. Greg Schuler Posted: May 02, 2008 at 02:53 PM (#2766447)

So there was silence, and quickly Piniella stormed out of the tiny interview room, dropping muffled F-bombs as he left like a farmer tossing out seed.

What's the big deal? It's not like it hujrts anbody. ####### fuck #### fuck.

24. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:16 PM (#2766470)

The Confession ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door

25. Bunny Vincennes Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:36 PM (#2766506)

Has Soriano done anything but suck in infinite ways to start this season?

26. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles Posted: May 02, 2008 at 06:13 PM (#2766673)

No Dugout so this will do.
Rotoworld reporting that Gallardo might be out for the year. Yost must be feeling awful for pulling a Dusty yday.

27. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: May 02, 2008 at 06:21 PM (#2766683)

mlb: gallardo with torn acl

brewers put him on 15 day dl, recalled bush. gallardo's basically done for this year.

28. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles Posted: May 02, 2008 at 06:24 PM (#2766686)

Not only did you post the same news, you posted it in the same random thread. I am getting worried that mind is working along the lines of Levski. Oh the horror, the horror!!

EDIT : just being facetious

29. Argu!!!! SATAN!!!! (Sessile Fielder) Posted: May 02, 2008 at 07:08 PM (#2766743)

####.

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Chicago Tribune: Cubs blow it in 9th against Milwaukee (RR)

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