Yes, the bigger issue here is how Carlos Marmol's pouting might impact his performance, but I still find some enjoyment in the swift, not-so-subtle justice that Lou reigns down on his players from time to time. This quote brought a smile to my face
I'm sure he is somewhat disappointed, or he is disappointed," Piniella said. "But he needs to get over it and pitch and help us win baseball games. And I know he will. He's a good young man, and he competes well.
Lou just has an uncanny way of slapping his players on the butt while patting them on the back at the same time. There is a lot made of how he can "get the most out of his players," and a lot of that I just think is just nonsensical cliches, but quotes like this show Lou has a conscious way of getting the message across to his players. A quote like this toes the fine line of being a hard-core motivator and player's best friend perfectly.
I have always thought that fiery managerial styles a la Billy Martin and ultra-supportive ones like Dusty Baker's are problematic. Both have their upsides when it comes to a manager's interaction with players, but both also have clear downsides that I think outweigh the positives.
With Dusty I think Cub fans saw the negatives of his cuddly, teddy bear approach to his players. How many times did Aramis appear lethargic, most likely because there was no fear of backlash from his manager? How much nonsense did Sammy Sosa get away with (though I admit he would have been a chore for any manager)? How many meaningless at bats did Cub fans witness by the likes of Ramon Martinez and Neifi Perez because Dusty felt some kind of misguided loyalty to them?
Picture Lou in any of those situations, and I think it is pretty obvious that Aramis and Sammy would encounter a red-faced manager in the clubhouse and players like Martinez and Perez would be replaced (see Cesar Izturis replaced by Ryan Theriot), and thank god for that.
- Greg M.
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