Cubs need to fire Lou Pinella to play in a World Series

[skysurfer]

I just got this wild thought today that the Cubs need to fire Lou Pinella if they are serious about playing (and maybe winning) a World Series.

Pinella has made 7 playoff appearances as manager with only one World Series appearance (a win). Since 1990, Choke Lou has 6 playoff appearances with 3 losses in a DS and 3 losses in a LCS. In short, he's not a big game manager in his last 6 playoff appearances as manager.

If Cubs fans want to put up division or wild card flags, Lou's your guy as he's pretty good at getting to the postseason. He's just awful in postseason with only 1 WS appearance/ring out of 7 tries.

 

[yourbeliefs]

So it's really Lou's fault that the Cubs got swept, AGAIN? His coaching caused the 5 errors in one game and caused all the players being stranded on base? Lou told Soriano to go into "A-Rod" mode for the series? I don't think that the Cubs are one manager away from winning it all. Their problems seem to run deeper than that.

 

[HD MM]

So it's really Lou's fault that the Cubs got swept, AGAIN? His coaching caused the 5 errors in one game and caused all the players being stranded on base? Lou told Soriano to go into "A-Rod" mode for the series? I don't think that the Cubs are one manager away from winning it all. Their problems seem to run deeper than that.

Yeah, I guess Cubs fan are looking for a scapegoat and Pinella's the guy.

I hate when fans are quick to blame managers over a teams lack of performance. These are all professionals that get paid large sums of money to play the game they love. I tend to think the players should be held more responsible. Players play, coaches coach. I don't seem to recall a tactical decision by Pinella that cost the Cubs the series. This sweep is all on the players.

 

[skysurfer]

So it's really Lou's fault that the Cubs got swept, AGAIN?

Didn't you see the Black Cat scamper in front of the dugout or the black cloud hovering over Lou in the dugout?

yes, it's the players fault the Cubs lost but I think Lou is a bad luck playoff charm. He won the World series in his first managerial year that he reached the playoffs, but has failed to even sniff a world series in the next six (what manager has a worst losing streak right now in playoff appearances without even playing in the world series?)

Lou does have good regular season luck - 7 playoff appearances in 21 seasons of managing for a .333 playoff appearance percentage.

 

[hallrk]

The only way the Cubs can win is to break the curse. The only way to do this is on opening day next season is have Bartman ride around on the field on a goat while getting a standing ovation. Then all Cubs fans can breathe a long sigh of relief.

 

[wolfjc]

I thought that I read that Lou just got re upped until 2010 so I don't think that he is going anywhere.
Plus we are talking the Cubs here what do you expect just be glad they made it into the playoffs.

 

[Ramy]

Pinella is definetly not the problem. He isn't a jinx or anything. The players let all the talk get to them and then they feel 100 years of pressure on them to win the World Series before they try to win a game at a time.

 

[John W]

I didn't know that they were still in it......

 

[Diamond Jim]

Bartman ride around on the field on a goat while getting a standing ovation.

That's what gaged me enough to to end my 40+ years as a Cub fan. That boy had nothing to do with that fly ball not being caught or the fact that the shortstop let a routine doubleplay ball go between this legs. To blame that failure on him was a crime.

 

[SabresRule]

The Cubs also could have won game 5 of that series and finished it off BEFORE the Bartman game.

 

[Diamond Jim]

The Cubs also could have won game 5 of that series and finished it off BEFORE the Bartman game.

That is true. I forgot about that.

 

[Jimbo]

Wasn't Lou the Manager when the '90 Reds won it all in a sweep ???

Jimbo

 

[Diamond Jim]

Wasn't Lou the Manager when the '90 Reds won it all in a sweep ???

Yes he was.

 

[Ramy]

Wasn't Lou the Manager when the '90 Reds won it all in a sweep ???

Jimbo

Sure was.

 

[skysurfer]

Wasn't Lou the Manager when the '90 Reds won it all in a sweep ???

Jimbo

yes, go figure he won the WS in his first playoffs as a manager and hasn't sniffed the WS ever since in 6 more tries.

 

[Jimbo]

yes, go figure he won the WS in his first playoffs as a manager and hasn't sniffed the WS ever since in 6 more tries.

So this is Lou's fault ?
See post # 2

Jimbo

 

[salsadancer7]

So this is Lou's fault ?
See post # 2

Jimbo

exactly!

Lou is ten times better than that arm killer, Dusty "I-have-not-seen-an-arm-I-cannot-waste" Baker....THE most overrated manager in the history of baseball!

 

[hallrk]

That's what gaged me enough to to end my 40+ years as a Cub fan. That boy had nothing to do with that fly ball not being caught or the fact that the shortstop let a routine doubleplay ball go between this legs. To blame that failure on him was a crime.

I totally agree. If the Cubs organization had any integrity they would have brought him out on opening day the next season and had him throw out the first pitch. Instead they just let it fester into something that didn't need to be.

 

[Jimbo]

For all those that love Scoscia and hate Lou.
I think I heard that Scoscia's record in the post season was like 5-13, by the standards some people are holding Lou under he Scoscia should have been gone LONG ago.

Jimbo