Chicago Cubs: Lou Piniella Not as Calm as Portrayed

So Lou Piniella is calming down with age, huh? 

All the talk that Sweet Lou has turned, well, sweet, seems to have been premature. 

Piniella seems to have jumped the gun concerning starting pitcher Rich Hill.  Hill, one of the most consistent performers in last year's Cubs' rotation, is rumored to be out after another subpar performance on Friday resulting in a 5-3 Cub loss. 

After the game Piniella said, "Hill can't start like this in the big leagues.  C'mon.  Every time he pitches it's an adventure.

"He's doing his best, but we have no bullpen. I don't know what the solution is, but I can't start him any more until this thing gets taken care of."

Okay.  So Hill lasted a feeble two-thirds of an inning on Friday. Yes. He has 18 walks in 19.2 innings this year. Sure. He has contributed to increased innings for an already taxed bullpen.

But to take him out of the starting rotation a month into the season?  This doesn't seem right.

Last year, in his first full season, Hill pitched 195 innings in 32 starts.  He accumulated 183 strikeouts and a 3.92 ERA.  He ended up with an 11-8 record despite being one of the pitchers with the worst run support in the league. 

As the Cubs' third starter, one would think the team and its manager would be ecstatic with those numbers.  Despite the walks, Hill's overall performance thus far does not support a demotion.

Hill started the year on a high note, pitching six innings and allowing only two runs in his first start.  After one bad start, he pitched five innings in each of his next two starts, allowing three total runs. Even after Friday's disaster, his ERA is only 4.12. 

Not to mention that Piniella hasn't given Hill a consistent schedule.  Twice this season Sweet Lou has made Hill wait eight days between starts—once due to his performance and once because he didn't want Hill to face the Brewers.

Does a proven starter with a 4.12 ERA after five spaced-out starts deserve a demotion to the bullpen, or even to the minor leagues? 

Of course not. 

A right-minded manager should be aggravated with Hill's performance so far, but should continue sending him out every fifth day to give him a chance to regain his consistency.  

So one now must look to Lou, who may or may not have a legitimate reason for his treatment of Hill.

I have always liked Lou.  He tells you what is on his mind most of the time—an admirable quality in a manager.  He is a player's manager.  Lou isn't afraid to take a suspension or a fine in defense of his team.  

The media and fans even speculated last year that Lou's only ejection of the 2007 season was planned to spark his team.  And here lies the mystery. 

Why would Lou simply desert Hill so early in the season? Could it be because he has two starters in the bullpen who have both performed fairly well?  Or has Lou begun to pick favorites in his clubhouse? 

If so, both of his admirable managerial qualities aren't as true as previously thought.

Either way, the Cubs will need Hill down the stretch this season. 

The real question is whether the Cubs have a calm older Piniella, or a fiery manager hiding his true feelings.