Cubs Blow It

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Oct 17, 2006 2:33AM

Leave it to the Cubs to mess up the easiest decision of the off-season, hiring Lou Piniella as their new manager over Joe Girardi. The Cubs and Piniella agreed to a 3-year, $10 million deal that will be announced during a Tuesday press conference.

The Cubs could have picked the Illinois native, Northwestern grad, former Cubs captain who took a team full of youngsters and kept them in the playoff hunt for most of the season.

Instead, they went with a retread manager who, while he won a World Series with the Reds in 1990 and led the Mariners to 116 wins in 2001, also melted down during his tenure with the mediocre Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He even started games with relief pitchers! Well, maybe that's one way Kerry Wood can remain a "starter."

We see Lou lasting for all of two seasons before he's had enough and finds a way back into the broadcast booth.