In a recent article for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal opines that the Cubs should consider firing manager Lou Piniella?  Why?  I’m not even sure that Rosenthal knows. 

In the article, Rosenthal admits that Piniella is blameless for the Cubs woes.  He admits that it’s not Piniella’s fault that neither Derrek Lee nor Aramis Ramirez are hitting.  He admits that it’s not Piniella’s fault that Jim Hendry provided an “inadequate bullpen,” which has included a season-ending injury to Angel Guzman and a multi-year deal with the underperforming John Grabow.  Finally, he admits that it is not Piniella’s fault that there is an everpresent doom and gloom surrounding the Cubs.  Even so, Rosenthal thinks it makes sense to fire Piniella.

Rosenthal says that Piniella won’t quit on his own, so the Cubs should end his misery and fire him.  Sort of a managerial mercy killing.  That way, Piniella will still get paid and the Cubs can move on without him.  Rosenthal suggests that the appropriate replacement for Piniella would be his bench coach, Alan Trammel.  Perhaps Rosenthal is basing his opinion on the stellar job Trammel did while managing the Tigers.  Oh, wait…

A point that Rosenthal makes in the article is that managers are seldom fired because of one mistake or one incident.  Instead, they are fired when a team needs a new energy and new direction.  I’ll admit, I was amazed when Jack McKeon took over a struggling Marlins team midway through the 2003 season and led them to a World Series Championship.  I was also surprised when Jim Tracy took over a Rockies club that underperformed under Clint Hurdle and then led them to the playoffs.  However, as Rosenthal himself admits, statistically speaking, changing the manager in the middle of the season rarely turns around a struggling team.

So, if Rosenthal knows that Piniella is not to blame for the vast majority of the Cubs problems and he knows that changing managers mid-season rarely produces desired results, why is he suggesting that the Cubs fire Piniella?  My only guess is that Rosenthal had a deadline and couldn’t think of anything else to write.  Other than that possibility, Rosenthal’s article makes absolutely no sense.

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The big news last night prior to the Cubs 4-1 victory over the Phillies was that the Cubs had re-signed reliever Bob Howry.  Howry was part of the Cubs clubhouse from 2006-08 before signing with San Francisco in 2009 and then Arizona in 2010.

Howry has had a rough go of it this year.  His 1-0 record belies the fact that he has a 10.67 ERA in 14.0 innings pitched.  In those 14 innings, he has walked six, struckout six, and givien up six homeruns (Ouch!).  As a result of his performance this year, the D-Backs released him earlier this week.  And as CSNChicago.com reported, the Cubs signed him off the scrap heap to bolster their anemic bullpen.  However, it now appears CSN Chicago jumped the gun.

During last night’s game, Len Kasper and Bob Brenly indicated that no deal had been reached with Howry.  Paul Sullivan on ChicagoBreakingsports.com reported that the Cubs had not signed Howry, although the team wasn’t ruling out the possibility.

You would have thought that would be the final word, but the plot thickens.  Following the game last night, Lou Piniella sounded like the manager of a team that had just signed Howry.

“If it happens, it would give us some experience in our bullpen from the right side.  I’m not saying anything’s going to happen.  I’m saying that when we had him before he was a rock in the clubhouse.  He was great with the young pitchers.”

Then, on his WGN Radio show, Dave Kaplan said that a deal was in place for Howry to join the Cubs and that the final paperwork would be completed in the next day or two.  He reiterated his belief on his blog by saying that the Cubs would announce Howry’s signing in the next 48 hours (from 10:30 CT last night).  He bases this belief on the fact that friends of Howry and his wife were told that the Howry’s will be moving back to Chicago.

I guess we will know soon enough, but my question is, why is it that big of a deal?  Is Bob Howry really the guy that is going to cure the Cubs bullpen ills?  It’s great that Howry was a rock in the clubhouse during his last stint with the Cubs, but is that going to help him get any batters out now?

Granted, players sometimes respond to a change of scenery, but is Howry really going to go from a pitcher with a 10.67 ERA to a difference maker in the Cubs bullpen?  I seriously doubt it.  Plus, I don’t see Howry taking on the 8th inning set-up duties.  He is more of a 6th or 7th inning guy, a role the Cubs have not had much trouble with this year.

If the Cubs do sign Howry, I wouldn’t place too much hope on the move or expect too much from him.  He will be a minor cog in the Cubs bullpen and will not suddenly turn the Cubs weak bullpen into a strength for the team.