Lou surprised, amused by debut of Aquafina commercial
PHOENIX - If the Cubs had any influence with CLIO Award officials, there's no doubt which television ad would be their choice for first prize.
Manager Lou Piniella's ad for Aquafina water, an ad in which he throws a tantrum while arguing with an umpire, started running Wednesday.
That was a surprise to Piniella, who filmed the commercial in August and thought it wasn't going to run until the spring.
In his office late Thursday afternoon, he had a chance to see the spot for the first time. There he was on the TV, at Wrigley Field, screaming at an umpire, picking up and heaving third base, then going back to the dugout to drink an Aquafina.
He got a kick out watching the comedy. The commercial was also being shown in the clubhouse, generating plenty of cheers, hoot and hollers from the players.
"Hey, Lou ... Yay, Lou!" were some of the audible screams that could be heard in the office.
Ryan Dempster stopped in the skipper's office to give his twisted seal of approval.
"That's good (deleted) right there," Dempster said.
Piniella was getting ready for Game 2 of the National League Division Series after suffering a 3-1 loss in Game 1 the night before at Chase Field. It was a game in which he was criticized for some of his decisions.
"Where was that Aquafina when I needed it last night?" he joked.
Cubs open/close with Brewers
According to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Cubs will open the 2008 season March 31 at Wrigley Field against Milwaukee. It's the first time since 2001 the Cubs will open a season at home.
The Cubs and Brewers engaged in a long battle for the NL Central title this season, with the Cubs winning by two games. The two teams didn't meet in September.
If the Cubs and Brewers are in another division race in '08, September should be interesting. The Cubs are scheduled to host the Brewers on Sept. 16-18, then close the season with a series Sept. 26-28 at Miller Park.
Local hero I
Former T.F. South High School and UIC standout Curtis Granderson, now a star outfielder with Detroit, will serve as a guest analyst today on TBS.
Granderson will join Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken and Frank Thomas in the studio, and will appear on various pregame shows, game breaks and postgame shows.
In 2006, Granderson helped lead the Tigers to the World Series. This year, he became just the sixth player in major league history to record 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a season.
Local hero II
Umpire Mark Carlson, who hails from Joliet, is a part of the crew for the Cubs-Arizona series. Carlson worked the right-field line in Game 1 and the left-field for Game 2.
Also in Arizona ...
The Arizona Fall League gets rolling Tuesday, and seven members of the Cubs organization will play for the Mesa Solar Sox: pitchers Matt Avery, Justin Berg, Sean Gallagher and Rocky Roquet, infielders Josh Lansford and Joe Simokaitis, and outfielder Sam Fuld.
Short hops
Ted Lilly became the first Cubs left-hander to start a postseason game since Steve Trout in 1984. ... The Cubs nixed a chance for a full-squad workout today. They weren't scheduled to arrive in Chicago until 6 a.m.