A mellow Lou Piniella was the man the Cubs chose to manage them this year.
A fiery Ryne Sandberg could have been the one instead on the hot seat in Arizona, both in spring training and on Wednesday night when the playoffs begin.
He could be someday. After all, when the 64-year-old Piniella inevitably steps aside, Sandberg very easily could become the Cubs’ next manager.
“I like their chances,” Sandberg said on the phone from Mesa, Ariz., where he is managing young wanna-be Cubs in the instructional league.
“I felt from the beginning when Lou took charge that the Cubs had some of the best talent in the National League on paper. They’ve lived up to that.”
Mr. Fire and Mr. Ice changed identities over the summer.
The notoriously stormy Piniella was a good boy after one early outburst. The typically stoic Sandberg was ejected four times while managing the Class A Peoria Chiefs and even got slapped with a two-game suspension for bumping an ump.
Upon hearing of Sandberg’s first heave-ho, Piniella grinned back in May and said: “Good for him! There’ll be more where that came from!”
Who knows what would have gone down had it been a hard-charging Ryno rather than ol’ Sweet Lou who ran the Cubs this season?
Sandberg touched base with Jim Hendry on that possibility late last fall, just in case the general manager and new President John McDonough were in a mood to play a hunch and give Dusty Baker’s job to a true-blue Cub.
Having no previous managerial experience worked against Sandberg, but keep in mind that Ozzie Guillen had none when the White Sox gave him a chance … and look how that turned out.
At 48, Sandberg is five years Guillen’s senior. And much like the manager whom Jerry Reinsdorf and Ken Williams recently granted a long contract extension, Sandberg has an insider’s knowledge of — and a special bond with — the team for which he played.
Yet even though McDonough expressed a desire for someone who “gets” what being a Cub is all about, he and Hendry opted for gun-for-hire Piniella, who managed four other teams and didn’t have a clue about Wrigley Field’s traditions and lore.
Piniella was picked over another candidate, former Cubs catcher Joe Girardi. Coming off a last-place finish and with the franchise about to be put up for sale, Cubs management couldn’t afford too great a risk.
Fans won’t ever know if the Cubs would have missed the playoffs under Girardi or Sandberg. Or could they have won a lot more than 85 games and not been stuck in October with home-field disadvantage?
Sandberg plans to attend Games 1 and 2. His homes are in Phoenix and Chicago, but you know where his head and heart are.
“It’s a powerful lineup that they have, one that could carry them a long way,” Sandberg said of the Cubs. “Maybe all the way. If they can get on a roll, they’ll have a shot because the National League doesn’t appear to have a dominant team.”
Sandberg played in two division series. Each went the full five games, and in both the home team took Game 5.
He isn’t the one filling out the lineup card. But he can tell that Piniella’s is pretty well set.
“Alfonso Soriano is an explosive-type player,” Sandberg said. “He can put up a number in a second.
“I think Jacque Jones really stepped up in center and gave this team a big lift. He’s earned the right to play every day, against a lefty or a righty.”
Is a late-inning defensive replacement necessary?
“Not in center. You could have an opportunity with a Sam Fuld in right field late in the game. It depends on the situation and how much you need Cliff Floyd’s or Matt Murton’s bat.”
Third base is a lock, which wasn’t the case back when Sandberg was a Cubs infielder.
“Aramis Ramirez has become one of the better third basemen in the league, offensively and defensively,” Sandberg said. “He’s come a long way defensively since he first came to the team.
“At short, Ryan Theriot earned his spurs. I’ve been surprised because he’d been a second baseman primarily. He’s been a good fielder and a scrappy hitter who makes things happen, kind of a David Eckstein.
“Mark DeRosa is not a secret weapon. He’s just a guy who quietly gets things done. He comes from a background of winning teams, and he brings class and a winning attitude to that Cubs clubhouse.
“Derrek Lee is solid. He’s quality. He’s another guy who just carries the team on his back at times.”
And behind the plate?
You’ve got Jason Kendall, the seasoned vet, or you’ve got Geovany Soto, the novice who might come through if given a shot.
“That could be the one place where you’ll need to play your hunches,” Sandberg said.
Go with the experienced guy or with the face of the future. Same decision the Cubs had when they chose a manager.
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mikedowney@tribune.com
