Piniella Has No Idea What He's Getting Into

The Cubs have hired Lou Piniella to be their next manager. Piniella, 63, signed a three year deal worth somewhere between $10-$12 million early Monday. There's a press conference scheduled later today.

Now I think that this is the right move for the Cubs to make. It's just I know how it's going to end.

Horribly.

Piniella is a great manager. We've seen what he did in Cincinnati and Seattle. Of course, we also saw what happened in Tampa with the Devil Rays. Well, I have bad news for Lou. The Cubs are the Devil Rays, just with 100 more years of misery and curses, and a lot more media attention.

The fact is, this is Lou's second choice. He wanted that Yankees job, and when he found out that he wasn't going to get it, then he started campaigning for the Cubs job.

Be careful what you wish for, Lou, because you just got it.

''I really feel strongly that Lou is the perfect guy for the task. I think he is very enthused. And his winning track record speaks for itself. I'm very, very pleased, and I think Lou will be a good fit for the Cubs and the city.''

-Jim Hendry

I seem to remember Hendry saying that same kind of thing with the last manager he hired. Dusty Baker. We're all aware how that turned out.

Lou Piniella is a winner, but he's not a good enough manager to make the Cubs a winning team. He's inheriting a team with Carlos Zambrano and a bunch of kids in the rotation. A bullpen with a lot of questions. A team that needs a lot stronger play in the middle of the field from second base, and shortstop, and is probably going to lose it's centerfielder, Juan Pierre.

In a nutshell he's signing on to coach a horrible team. To make matters worse he's now working for a GM in Jim Hendry who needs to win next season to keep his job, and he's working for a team whose owners may be selling the team in the near future.

Things at Wrigley Field just aren't stable right now.

Now, if the Cubs can follow up on signing a big name manager by going out and getting a few big name free agents like a Barry Zito or Mike Mussina, then maybe this will work. The Cubs just need to realize that Piniella alone is not going to be enough to save this ship.

There's already talk that Piniella wants to bring A-Rod to the Cubs from the Yankees, as the two share a father/son type relationship due to their time together in Seattle when Rodriguez was in his early 20's. You'd have to believe that part of the negotiations in taking the job were Piniella telling Hendry he wants him to pursue A-Rod.

On the surface the Cubs getting Rodriguez makes perfect sense. Much like the Cubs, A-Rod is all about appearance and disappears in the postseason. But I don't see how it would work. The Yankees want pitching, and the only pitcher on the Cubs that would interest New York is Zambrano.

If the Cubs get rid of Zambrano, I don't care if Jesus Christ manages the team, they won't win.

So enjoy these happy feelings while you can Cubs fans, cuz come April things are going to go right back to normal. The Cubs will lose and Piniella will be throwing more than bases around the field.