Imagine the stories he could tell….if he wanted to share the secrets from the field, the locker rooms, the PONY league and the manager’s office. For the past forty five years, Lou Piniella has lived Major League Baseball. As a star player, motivating coach, jump-to-your defense manager. When the Cubs signed him, it took me about all of a single game to get over my “there’s a Yankee in the dugout” disdain and welcome Sweet Lou. His temper matches his passion for winning. What’s not to like?
So, if you had a once-in-a-lifetime to lunch with the Skipper, what would you ask him? My list is long….
- I’d start on a topic that’s haunted me since the Cubs traded Michael Barrett ON his bobble head day. What really happened between Z and Barrett? How I wished for a reconciliation.
- Baseball superstitions fascinate me. What was the meaning behind the numbers that graced his uniforms? Did his luck change with different numbers? What’s the wildest superstition he’s seen in action? Will he admit to any of his own?
- One he’d never answer. Make it two. Favorite ump? And the worst?
- Who is the mayor of Wrigley Field on Four Square? Does he follow Ozzie on Twitter?
- He seems like much more than a manager to some of the talent he’s developed. What’s the best advice he’s ever given A-Rod?
- What DO he and Tony talk about at dinner and does the outcome of the game ever spoil the meal or the friendship?
- Favorite ballpark (as player and manager) and why? (It won’t be the Kingdome, right?)
- Let’s talk rings. How does he compare the first as a manager to the second as a player?
- Fiery reputation: real or rumor? How does he balance motivation and fear?
- And I have countless about the current staff. How did he recognize Theriot had the stuff for the bigs? How did Geo respond to his “too much rice and beans” comment? How is Z adjusting to the pen? What impact is Maddux having?
And finally, the question the that burns in the heart of every Cubs believer. Could this be the year?
