02-13-2009, 10:56 PM
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"Last year, we had a darn good baseball team," Piniella said. "We just need to figure out how to stay [in the postseason] longer. I'm going to do things a little differently than I did last year as far as getting ourselves more prepared.
"I'm from the school where if something doesn't work, I tend to blame myself, and rightfully so -- I'm responsible for what happens on the field. I'm not assuming anything; I'm expecting we'll play well."
What did he learn from getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series?
"I learned a lot," Piniella said. "I'm 0-6 in the postseason [with the Cubs]. There's room for improvement."
He's been reading about coaching philosophies in former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy's book. Piniella is quick to remind that the Cubs have done things right. After all, they have won the NL Central two years in a row.
"We've built nice expectations here, changed the culture here a heck of a lot," Piniella said. "Now we have to figure out how we go further. That's part of the equation for me. Resting is part of the equation."
What that means is regulars like Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Aramis Ramirez will likely get more days off during the season. Position players don't report until Tuesday, so we'll have to wait for their reaction. Piniella feels his squad is more versatile and that he has more left-handed options with the new additions, which include switch-hitters Milton Bradley and Aaron Miles.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->There are decisions to be made. The Cubs will carry 12 pitchers, but which ones? How many outfielders? Infielders? Micah Hoffpauir has a chance to be a key left-handed bat off the bench, and could get playing time at first. The Cubs need to feel Hoffpauir can be a better-than-average sub to give Lee a day off.
"One of the things I've noticed a lot here in Chicago the two years I've been here is the fact that you need to rest your team," Piniella said. "With this roster, I should be able to do that more than I did in the first two years."
<b>With 39 Cactus League games, expect to see a variety of lineups. Miles and Mike Fontenot will get time at third</b>. Reed Johnson and Joey Gathright could play all three outfield positions. Although the roster is nearly set, someone can still win a job, or at least impress the front office in case they are needed during the regular season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ace 1, Clapp 0.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Hendry met with Piniella and the coaching staff Friday. His message: Keep getting to the postseason and sooner or later, they'll break the door down and end the Cubs' drought, now at 101 since the franchise last won the World Series.
"We have to put [last year's postseason] behind us and get very positive this spring," Piniella said. "We have to go out and get off to a good start and re-establish ourselves as the top team in the National League and give ourselves another chance in the postseason. That's all we can do. We can talk about last year and the year before and so on and so forth, but it doesn't do any good. We know what we need to do with this club this year, and we're going to get it done."
Zambrano is well aware of the expectations.
"The goals are the same -- keep winning and keep going to the playoffs," Zambrano said. "We have a bad taste from the last two playoffs. We need to do a better job in the playoffs, and that's our goal -- to go to the World Series and win it all. That's the main concern right now."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"When I first stepped into the clubhouse, I saw [Ryan] Dempster had [Wood's] locker," Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano said. "<b>Woody was a big big part of our team and leadership. We will miss him. He sent me a message, a text message to Venezuela, and a tear came out when I saw that message</b>. But this is a business. Sometimes you're here, and tomorrow, who knows?"<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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"I'm from the school where if something doesn't work, I tend to blame myself, and rightfully so -- I'm responsible for what happens on the field. I'm not assuming anything; I'm expecting we'll play well."
What did he learn from getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series?
"I learned a lot," Piniella said. "I'm 0-6 in the postseason [with the Cubs]. There's room for improvement."
He's been reading about coaching philosophies in former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy's book. Piniella is quick to remind that the Cubs have done things right. After all, they have won the NL Central two years in a row.
"We've built nice expectations here, changed the culture here a heck of a lot," Piniella said. "Now we have to figure out how we go further. That's part of the equation for me. Resting is part of the equation."
What that means is regulars like Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Aramis Ramirez will likely get more days off during the season. Position players don't report until Tuesday, so we'll have to wait for their reaction. Piniella feels his squad is more versatile and that he has more left-handed options with the new additions, which include switch-hitters Milton Bradley and Aaron Miles.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->There are decisions to be made. The Cubs will carry 12 pitchers, but which ones? How many outfielders? Infielders? Micah Hoffpauir has a chance to be a key left-handed bat off the bench, and could get playing time at first. The Cubs need to feel Hoffpauir can be a better-than-average sub to give Lee a day off.
"One of the things I've noticed a lot here in Chicago the two years I've been here is the fact that you need to rest your team," Piniella said. "With this roster, I should be able to do that more than I did in the first two years."
<b>With 39 Cactus League games, expect to see a variety of lineups. Miles and Mike Fontenot will get time at third</b>. Reed Johnson and Joey Gathright could play all three outfield positions. Although the roster is nearly set, someone can still win a job, or at least impress the front office in case they are needed during the regular season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ace 1, Clapp 0.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Hendry met with Piniella and the coaching staff Friday. His message: Keep getting to the postseason and sooner or later, they'll break the door down and end the Cubs' drought, now at 101 since the franchise last won the World Series.
"We have to put [last year's postseason] behind us and get very positive this spring," Piniella said. "We have to go out and get off to a good start and re-establish ourselves as the top team in the National League and give ourselves another chance in the postseason. That's all we can do. We can talk about last year and the year before and so on and so forth, but it doesn't do any good. We know what we need to do with this club this year, and we're going to get it done."
Zambrano is well aware of the expectations.
"The goals are the same -- keep winning and keep going to the playoffs," Zambrano said. "We have a bad taste from the last two playoffs. We need to do a better job in the playoffs, and that's our goal -- to go to the World Series and win it all. That's the main concern right now."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"When I first stepped into the clubhouse, I saw [Ryan] Dempster had [Wood's] locker," Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano said. "<b>Woody was a big big part of our team and leadership. We will miss him. He sent me a message, a text message to Venezuela, and a tear came out when I saw that message</b>. But this is a business. Sometimes you're here, and tomorrow, who knows?"<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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