Two More Precincts Heard From

It’s not just Cub Fans who are blathering about the new manager (whoever that may be). The pundits are feeding at the trough with a gusto not seen since...well, since the script against Dusty Baker was approved.

Check out the redoubtable Rick Morrissey from today’s Tribune:

Hiring Lou Piniella says you're serious.

Hiring Bruce Bochy says you're still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

No offense against Bochy, who has done a decent job in San Diego, but this is the time for the Cubs to make a statement, not to ask a question.

Statement: Piniella is the kind of manager who, through sheer force of will, can lift a team.

Question: Assuming you're not a family member, would you be able to pick Bochy out of a lineup? Didn't think so.

A better question: Do the Cubs honestly believe they can sell Bochy to a fan base that needs Red Bull intravenously just to stay awake these days?

[snip]

If the Cubs believe the status quo is just fine, they should hire Bruce Bochy, a name that sounds more like it should belong to a handbag designer than a baseball manager. And we can watch him try to measure up to Ozzie Guillen, the mouth of the South Side.

But if the Cubs come to the conclusion their fans have decided winning is important, they should hire Piniella. He'll fill the seats. He'll feed the fire. Something will happen, for better than worse.

The Cubs should hire Piniella because it will “make a statement” and “fill the seats?” This from the same Morrissey who wailed and gnashed his teeth that the hiring of John McDonough “proved” the Cubs were more interested in marketing than winning?

Bravo for life’s little ironies.

Ken Harrelson throws his support behind Piniella, too. I’m too lazy to post a clip, but you can find it here. Props to the Hawkeroo for offering a few more reasons why Piniella is a great manager other than the “proven winner” nonsense that’s been part of this week’s approved script. But given Harrelson's track record as a GM, is his blessing really a good thing?

Cubs’ GM Jim Hendry says the hiring process will be over soon. Thank God. It’s time Cub Fan and the punditocracy stop politicking for their favorite candidates and get on with the next step – figuring out why the guy Hendry brings in is a complete idiot who will almost certainly be an utter failure. That’s how we roll in Chicago...