Lou's curious double switch

Piniella pulls plug -- for now -- on Guzman-Dempster role reversal, but inexperienced right-hander brings no credentials to closer job

Here we were, on the brink of Lou Piniella's biggest shakeup as Cubs manager. Closer Ryan Dempster and fifth starter Angel Guzman were going to swap roles in the blink of a blurry eye. It was the big secret Piniella had been dangling in front of reporters all weekend.

It had the potential to be a really bad move. But before it got to that point, it turned into one of the most embarrassing mixups at Wrigley Field since Sammy Sosa's mysterious exit at the end of the 2004 season.

For Dempster, it was a bizarre and unnecessary twist that resulted in a full 360-degree turn -- from closer to starter back to closer again without a pitch being thrown.

There was Dempster shortly after the Cubs' 10-6 loss to the White Sox on Sunday, embracing a move back to the rotation -- one he clearly had been relishing.

''It didn't shock me, but I was definitely surprised,'' Dempster said of Piniella broaching the subject of starting after the closer blew a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning Thursday night at Shea Stadium. ''I was excited. Honestly, it was was probably as excited as I've been in a long time. Excited to get back out there and start and, hopefully, do it for a long time.''

A long time? Less than 30 minutes later -- after a closed-door meeting with Piniella, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and general manager Jim Hendry -- Dempster was back in front of his locker, as near to red-faced as the unflappable closer can get.

''April Fool's,'' Dempster said. ''Um, yeah, obviously, we just kind of talked about things, and for right now, I'm going to go back down there and close.''

Huh?

For now, Dempster will continue to close and right-hander Angel Guzman will be groomed for a ninth-inning role he never has filled during his professional career.

This is a curious move.

Sure, Guzman has a 94 mph fastball, and Piniella's history -- think back to his Nasty Boys days with the Cincinnati Reds -- shows he prefers a hard-throwing closer. But Guzman has no credentials in the high-pressure atmosphere of closing.

Despite his horrible slide late last season, Dempster has the best credentials in the organization to close -- as long as Piniella sticks to working him in strict save situations. Yes, his 4.43 ERA is alarming for a closer, but take a look at the two sides to Dempster.

In his 10 save situations, Dempster has nine saves and a 1.64 ERA. And he had that snazzy 1-2-3 ninth inning Friday against the Sox. In his eight non-save situations, he's 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA. His blowup in New York on Thursday came when he was given a 5-1 lead to protect. Give Dempster enough rope, and he will hang himself.

The Cubs' bullpen has been a weak spot, but most of the trouble has come before the ninth inning.

Give Piniella credit for having no fear in making a bold move. But a knee-jerk switch of roles for Dempster and Guzman would be ill-advised.

Letting it play out over the next few weeks isn't such a bad scenario because the Cubs can test the waters with Guzman before sending Dempster on a one-way street to the rotation. And it's clear that once Dempster moves out of the bullpen, he has no desire to return.

''It's going to be a permanent thing,'' Dempster said. ''I'm not going to start three, four games and then go back and start closing again.''

Had they just thrown an untested Guzman into the job, it might have been disastrous -- not a risk the 20-22 Cubs can afford at this point.

''For the best for our team right now, and just given the situation that you would be asking guys who have never done it before on a pretty big stage to go out there and close,'' Dempster said. ''I have the experience, and I've been having a good year other than the game in New York and a game here against St. Louis.''

The whole idea of turning the closer into a starter in late May has at least created a buzz.

''It's a unique thing,'' right-handed setup man Bob Howry said. ''It's something I've never seen before.

''All those moves come from Lou's office, and it's his decision. They brought him in to run the team the way he thinks we can win.''

Knowing he has a huge task at hand -- turning a 96-loss club into an instant contender -- Piniella will leave his fingerprints all over this team, tinkering until he gets the right mix. You can't fault him for that. But you can fault him for the ham-handed way this non-switch played out.

Dempster was far enough into the process that he was talking about pitching a simulated game this week and possibly making a start Saturday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Talk about sending mixed messages to a closer who probably doesn't need his mind cluttered with any extra thoughts.

Maybe the next time the Cubs and Sox meet in front of the frothing-at-the-mouth Chicago media, Piniella won't play cat-and-mouse games that will make the Cubs look silly.