“Until the Cubs play like it’s just another game in the playoffs I fear the choking will continue.” should not be in the quote box.

Lou Piniella has a 23-27 postseason managerial record.

How many postseason victories in GAME 1 of the postseason (either the CS or DS depending on the year)? ONE – 2000 Mariners.

Interesting indeed. Let me know if you seek further research – I will save the info.

I agree, I never thought it was bad move. It was just a move that didn’t work. Hindsight is 20/20

but I only agree with it for the fact that the Cubs lost because they didn’t score. Had Z pitched a complete game and not let any more runs in…the Cubs still would have lost that game. The fact that he never pitched again wasn’t because he was pulled early, it’s because the team didn’t perform in games 2 and 3.

And CF81 is right — the Cubs didn’t score. Everyone conveniently forgets that part of it when they bring up this ancient history.

I’m not sure I buy into the whole article’s argument, although I have espoused a similar theory. I think that Lou fails to instill confidence in his players, but the more I think about it, I don’t think that or any other one single thing explains the Cubs’ loss. That’s frustrating because we’d all like to be able to say, “This is what has to change and then it will work.” I don’t think we can do it. We just have to put the best team out on the field next year and play the games.

But I woud disagree with the article’s use of the Zambrano decision from 2007. I agreed with it then and now.

It seems that one of Lou’s mistakes includes going too long with Dempster in Game 1, which according to this article might be a correction compared to removing Zambrano too soon. But I think other posters in other threads have pointed out how Lou seemed to handle some pitchers as if they must throw a strike on every pitch and others were given much more cushion. Others have also pointed out the apparent contradictions in publicly banishing Fukudome and then making him the starter and No. 2 hitter-surprise!

I think things like the above are Lou’s share for the losses, but not really support for the choke. Furthermore, reagrding using the bullpen on that last day, I think the vast majority of SPs will favor a day or two of rest at that point in the season.

There isn’t just one single reason why we lost/choked but sure the Manager deserves some blame as well.

… by doing what he did, Lou sent the message that: “Play differently than you have all year for the last week of the regular season” — in games against key playoff contenders — and then turn a switch and play differently again on October 1.

I would argue that this might have taken the mental edge away from the players. You’re right that they weren’t mentally ready. This may be one of the reasons.

The A’s were a far better team that year, but not only did Cincinnati beat them, they swept them.

Lou Piniella can be evaluated on his strategic player moves and non-moves. Like sticking with the guess hitting hack in the leadoff spot or playing Kosuke in the playoffs as opposed to Reed Johnson and Mike Fontenot. But there is no magical speech or couch session that gets 25 players to perform up to their capabilities in the post-season.

It may be a function of the older players that we have. All of that day baseball, too?

But one other example of choking or being tight mentally was Derosa indicating that it was “do or die” or something like that after game 1. That seemed to really upset Pinella and might be indicative of some of the team being apprehensive, tight, or down after game 1.

But i totally agree that this team died back at the end of August, they were not playing well and they would have been smoked worse by the Phillies. They couldn’t find that spark again.