Lou trying to live and yearn

Piniella knows what he wants to see on field, but it wasn't there yet in an all-too-familiar Cubs loss

CINCINNATI -- Sloppy baserunning, crucial wild pitches and a game-determining passed ball. Apparently, the Cubs can do these things no matter who the manager is or how many hundreds of millions of dollars they have spent on the payroll.

The new Cubs lost to the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Thursday in a game that looked an awful lot like plenty of old Cubs teams. It also featured Lou Piniella's first argument with an umpire as Cubs manager.

No base-throwing.

Welcome to Chicago, Lou.

No, Cubdom hasn't gotten to Piniella already. It was a mild argument about whether Cesar Izturis' double off the top of the right-field wall should have been ruled a home run. Piniella walked halfway to the umpire waving a circling index finger, signaling a homer. Then he calmly went back to the dugout.

''I was wrong,'' Piniella said.

This was the end of Piniella's first series as Cubs manager. The team is 1-2.

And at this point, any Cubdom that happens is happening to Piniella, not because of him.

A butt-kicking manager with World Series experience is a little new for this franchise. This is going to take a little time, assuming it's possible at all.

''What do I take away from this [series]?'' he said. ''It's the start of the season. I'm learning about this team.''

Honestly, things already do look different under Piniella. It's hard to explain, but he seems to be pulling strings and not just letting the game happen to him.

At least, as much as that's possible.

In Wednesday's game, the Cubs led 4-1 in the ninth, and Piniella put in closer Ryan Dempster, who lost a lot ogames and a lot of confidence last year. He is a big piece of what this year's team is going to be.

Dempster got the first out, then walked the next guy. Ken Griffey Jr. was up next, and Dempster threw ball one to him.

And then Piniella came out to talk to Dempster. He said something that lasted about five seconds, then turned and went back to the dugout.

''He said I looked good in my pants, which was nice,'' Dempster said. ''I hadn't noticed.''

Oh, brother, these closers are weird.

What did he really say?

''I just wanted to relay a message,'' Piniella said, ''that we needed to throw strikes.''

This is what he said:

''It's 30 degrees out here. We're winning by three. Throw strikes.''

And he did, and the Cubs won.

Yes, the Cubs led 2-1 on Thursday when Will Ohman threw a wild pitch in the seventh. Michael Barrett's passed ball let a run score. Alfonso Soriano was picked off first base. Ryan Theriot was thrown out at third on a ground ball.

But there have been good signs, too. The Cubs were ridiculed for spending so much money on Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, yet both of them pitched well. Lilly gave up one run in seven innings and struck out nine Wednesday. And Marquis, who typically is good when his pitches stay down and awful when they don't, allowed one run in six innings Thursday.

Meanwhile, in two games, I've seen Aramis Ramirez run hard twice.

Twice!

Piniella is direct and blunt. And so far, politics and sugarcoating don't seem to exist.

''He respects effort,'' Theriot said. ''It does make you better, the way he goes about his business.

''As a player, the only thing you can ask for is to know what's going on. He doesn't let things fester.''

For the first time in a while, the Cubs have a manager who seems to be in control. Jim Riggleman let Sammy Sosa run things. Don Baylor tried to take control by saying something about Sosa's need to improve. Then he backed off.

Dusty Baker was sitting there watching the game happen, explaining why Ramirez only runs hard sometimes.

Under Piniella, look at the change in the way the Cubs have dealt with Mark Prior.

He's in the minors now.

Whatever Prior's injuries, fact or fiction, it always seemed that he came back on his terms, whenever he felt he was ready. He sat out when he felt like it, too.

Now, Piniella is deciding. Prior said he isn't hurt, and Piniella sent him to Des Moines. Prior will be back when Piniella says he's ready.

It wasn't a show of who's boss. Piniella doesn't need a show.

He is the boss.

Piniella showed that to Dempster on Wednesday.

''Most of the time, the pitching coach will go out,'' Piniella said. ''When I go out, we don't talk mechanics.''

He told about the time years ago that he instructed his pitching coach to take out a pitcher. They had a long talk, and the coach came back to the dugout without the pitcher.

Next pitch, home run.

''I told him, 'Next time, carry him out if you have to,''' Piniella said.

This doesn't mean he's magic, or that the Cubs are going to the World Series. Cubdom happens.

It's going to be interesting to see whether Piniella breaks the Cubs or they break him. These are two pretty strong and opposing forces.

''Bad baserunning in the seventh inning,'' Piniella said. ''We got picked off first and tagged out at third.''

He chuckled at how that sounded.

''We'll get these things corrected and go forward. What can I say?''

We're going to find out.