• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

Cubs to hire Piniella

Jump to latest Follow Reply
plum diamonds buckeye planet
Sort by date Sort by votes
Thump

Thump

Hating the environment since 1994
    • Report: Piniella agrees to manage Cubs

    ESPN.com news services





    CHICAGO -- Lou Piniella apparently will take his fiery brand of managing to "the Windy City."

    Chicago radio station ESPN 1000 reported Monday that the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a three-year deal with Piniella.

    Financial terms have not been finalized, but the radio station is reporting that Piniella will receive approximately $3 million annually. The Cubs officially will announce the hiring of Piniella on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

    Piniella, 63, faces a difficult task in turning around a Cubs franchise which posted a 66-96 record in 2006 and has reached the postseason just twice in the last 17 years.

    The subject of numerous recent rumors, Piniella owns a career record of 1,519-1,420 in 19 seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Seattle Mariners, the Cincinnati Reds and the New York York Yankees. He guided the Reds to a World Series championship in 1990 and twice was named American League Manager of the Year while with the Mariners.

    On Friday, Piniella took himself out of the running for the San Francisco Giants' opening. He has also spoken to the Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers, although he said the Washington job is not an ideal fit.
    Piniella, 63, has been working in television since parting ways with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after the 2005 season following three difficult years as manager.

    The Cubs chose not to bring back manager Dusty Baker when his contract expired.
     
    Source: Piniella expects Cubs to go hard after A-Rod

    By Gene Wojciechowski
    ESPN.com





    CHICAGO -- Lou Piniella, who will be formally introduced as the new Chicago Cubs manager Tuesday afternoon, wants to acquire embattled -- and possibly available -- New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

    mlb_arod_195.jpg

    Tom Szczerbowski/US PRESSWIRE
    A-Rod, fresh off another forgettable postseason performance, spent his first seven big league seasons under Lou Piniella in Seattle.



    Sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.com that Piniella, who is extremely close to Rodriguez, expects the Cubs to aggressively pursue the 10-time All-Star. The 63-year-old manager and the 31-year-old Rodriguez have what amounts to a quasi-father/son relationship; Rodriguez was managed in Seattle by Piniella from 1994-2000. It is that relationship -- and the tantalizing talent of Rodriguez -- that has prompted Piniella to want to explore a trade with the Yankees.

    Despite the Yankees' insistence that they have no intention of trading Rodriguez, the former two-time American League MVP seems to have alienated fans and perhaps even teammates with his postseason failures. For the second consecutive year, Rodriguez failed to drive in a run and helped contribute to an early exit by the Yankees, most recently a 3-1 Division Series loss to the Detroit Tigers. In the final game of that series, Rodriguez was dropped to an unheard-of eighth in the batting order. He finished the series 1-for-14 with no extra-base hits and is 4-for-41 (.098) with no RBI in his last 12 postseason games.

    Rodriguez has a no-trade clause and could veto any proposed deal. But the idea of playing for Piniella, in the slightly less-pressurized Chicago market, and for a franchise that loves star power could appeal to Rodriguez. So could a chance for a fresh start after a .290-35-121 regular season that wasn't good enough for Yankees fans.

    For the Cubs, whose management experienced the rare and unnerving sight of empty seats at Wrigley Field this past season, the attraction of Rodriguez is obvious. He would immediately strengthen a lineup in dire need of power. He is normally an accomplished defensive player. And despite his postseason difficulties, he has a career .305 batting average and 464 career home runs in 13 major league seasons.

    With the hiring of Piniella, it is understood that the Cubs will expand their payroll, which was close to $100 million in 2006. Depending on how much they want to spend, the Cubs are one of the few teams capable of taking on Rodriguez's salary. He is owed $95 million for the remaining four years of the landmark 10-year, $252 million deal, he signed with Texas. The Yankees are responsible for paying $66.6 million; the Rangers are paying the other $28.4 million.

    A Cubs deal with the Yankees potentially could include third baseman Aramis Ramirez (career highs of 38 home runs and 119 RBI in the regular season), but Ramirez can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this offseason. It is thought the Yankees would also want a quality starting pitcher in any deal involving Rodriguez.

    Piniella, who replaces Dusty Baker after the latter's four-season tenure in Chicago, agreed to a three-year deal, with a club option for a fourth, earlier Monday. He has hired most of his coaching staff and has decided, sources say, to retain Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
     
    Upvote 0
    See ya, Sweet Lou: Piniella says he will retire at end of season - Big League Stew - MLB? - Yahoo! Sports
    See ya, Sweet Lou: Piniella says he will retire at end of season

    After looking at his expiring contract, his new set of owners and his flagging Chicago Cubs team, we've all assumed for some time that 2010 would be Lou Piniella's final season on the North Side.

    Now that assumption has become official.

    Bill Madden of the New York Daily News — a close friend of the 66-year-old manager — reported on Tuesday that Piniella will play out the string with his disappointing team and retire at the end of the year.

    A release from the Cubs later confirmed the news that Sweet Lou is indeed saying so long.

    Contd....
    Click to expand...
     
    Upvote 0
    You must log in or register to reply here.
    Back
    Top