06-01-2010, 01:12 AM
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec--><b>Rok</b> said: That isn't what I meant by "out to lunch." I do think Lou cares, but he seems exasperated and paralyzed by events around him. That's what I meant. And giving in to certain impulses to rock the boat (like trying high risk, low reward experiments such as moving Z to the pen) are not the types of calculated gambles that a manager who actually understands his own roster would take. Being caught off guard by your leadoff hitter only walking once in the past 30 days is another sign of a manager who has overstayed his welcome. Re-read Bruce Miles' articles over the past few weeks and then tell me if Lou still sounds like a manager who is on the ball or not. I'm not saying that firing Lou would automatically turn this team into a champion, but I also don't believe for a second that Lou played no part in constructing the roster over the past 2 seasons or that he is filling out the lineup card in the best possible way recently.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
BT, I'm always impressed with your points, especially since they are often diametrically opposed to my way of thinking, yet you almost sway me to your side.
However, rok's posts in this thread have been spot-on, IMO. He's really saying perfectly what I'm having trouble putting into words: that we're not hysterically calling for Lou's head, and expecting a 180 degree shift in the Cub's fortunes. It's simply that Lou is acting like a 65 y old man who's exasperated, defeated, and out of ideas.
Like tom, I enjoyed Lou's early tenure, especially the anti-Dusty qualities. But every man hits a wall; I think Lou has hit it.
For some illumination, look at what happened when Tampa Bay replaced Lou with a smart, young, hungry manager. (Yes, I know it took him a full year to turn things around. And yes, he was given the helm of a team that had sucked for so long, that they'd accumulated a lot of high-draft pick young players. Lots of qualifiers here, I admit.)
But you can't argue with the results. Sometimes, <i>any</i> change is good change.
BT, I'm always impressed with your points, especially since they are often diametrically opposed to my way of thinking, yet you almost sway me to your side.
However, rok's posts in this thread have been spot-on, IMO. He's really saying perfectly what I'm having trouble putting into words: that we're not hysterically calling for Lou's head, and expecting a 180 degree shift in the Cub's fortunes. It's simply that Lou is acting like a 65 y old man who's exasperated, defeated, and out of ideas.
Like tom, I enjoyed Lou's early tenure, especially the anti-Dusty qualities. But every man hits a wall; I think Lou has hit it.
For some illumination, look at what happened when Tampa Bay replaced Lou with a smart, young, hungry manager. (Yes, I know it took him a full year to turn things around. And yes, he was given the helm of a team that had sucked for so long, that they'd accumulated a lot of high-draft pick young players. Lots of qualifiers here, I admit.)
But you can't argue with the results. Sometimes, <i>any</i> change is good change.
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance