Hendry finds his man

As long as there are no problems in contract negotiations it looks like the Cubs have found their new manager. According to Chris DeLuca in the Chicago Sun-Times it will be a "refreshed" Lou Piniella.

Piniella, 63, declined to speak specifically about the Cubs' offer but said that is the only team he will consider managing next season. Sources confirmed Saturday that Piniella is the Cubs' choice and contract talks will begin soon. The team is hoping to announce Piniella as its 48th manager this week, before the World Series begins Saturday in Detroit.

A potential snag in talks won't center on money as much as length of contract. General manager Jim Hendry, who is said to have been cleared to make this hire on his own, has just two years left on his contract and might not be able to offer Piniella more than a two-year deal.

If the Piniella talks fall through, sources say the Cubs will formally contact the San Diego Padres about interviewing manager Bruce Bochy, who has been given the green light to meet with other teams. Former Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi -- the fan favorite who was a Cubs catcher and team captain -- fell out of contention and appears headed to the Washington Nationals.

Piniella comes to town with a track record that was great when he left Seattle after the 2002 season. What followed in Tampa were three forgettable seasons. Here is a look at Lou's big league managerial record:

Year League Team Age G W-L WP Finish
+----+-----------+--------+---+-----+----+----+------+------+
1986 AL East NewYorkY 42 162 90-72 .556 2
1987 AL East NewYorkY 43 162 89-73 .549 4

1988 AL East NewYorkY 44 93 45-48 .484 5

1990 NL West Cincnnti 46 162 91-71 .562 WS 1
1991 NL West Cincnnti 47 162 74-88 .457 5
1992 NL West Cincnnti 48 162 90-72 .556 2

1993 AL West Seattle 49 162 82-80 .506 4
1994 AL West Seattle 50 112 49-63 .438 3
1995 AL West Seattle 51 145 79-66 .545 1
1996 AL West Seattle 52 161 85-76 .528 2
1997 AL West Seattle 53 162 90-72 .556 1
1998 AL West Seattle 54 161 76-85 .472 3
1999 AL West Seattle 55 162 79-83 .488 3
2000 AL West Seattle 56 162 91-71 .562 2
2001 AL West Seattle 57 162 116-46 .716 1
2002 AL West Seattle 58 162 93-69 .574 3

2003 AL East TampaBay 59 162 63-99 .389 5
2004 AL East TampaBay 60 161 70-91 .435 4
2005 AL East TampaBay 61 162 67-95 .414 5

Thanks to baseball-reference.com for the data above.

Everybody knows what Piniella did with the 1990 Reds. What Uncle Lou did in Seattle might be the real impressive piece to his resume. The Seattle Mariners were a laughingstock little franchise in the Pacific Northwest when Piniella took over. During his ten years in Seattle the Mariners became one of baseballs better clubs. Piniella winning manager of the year honors in '95 and '01. The Mariners would have several postseason appearances, but Piniella would never get them to the World Series.

Now the challenge ahead of Piniella is unlike any he has ever seen before. This page wishes Uncle Lou all the luck in the world, he's gonna need it.