So apparently Chicago Cubs manager, Lou Piniella, loves Mark McGwire.  Recently he has been cited as saying all of the following:

“He worked on his swing endlessly,” Piniella said. “He swung and missed a lot early in his career. He learned how to make contact more and more. With his strength, the ball flew out of the ballpark.” …

Will McGwire have trouble gaining the respect of Cardinals players after acknowledging that he cheated?

“I don’t think so,” Piniella said. “I really don’t.

“He confessed. In this country, they forgive and forget. Who is out there that can’t confess to something? We in this baseball fraternity forgive him.”

Piniella said that since McGwire has been welcomed by Pujols, the Cardinals’ team leader, the rest of the players will accept him.

“Albert Pujols is on his side and that helps him immensely,” Piniella said. “He’s got to look at it as now he has a job to do. He’s got some good hitters to work with. Pujols is the best hitter in the game, so that’s a good start. Give them a little mental confidence and some fine tuning and you let them go. They’re all professionals.”

Although McGwire’s success could mean a few losses for Piniella’s team in its battle for the National League Central title, Piniella wishes the rookie coach well.

“I think he’ll do a nice job,” he said.

Piniella said he does not feel McGwire’s presence on the road will make it difficult for the Cardinals to concentrate on playing baseball.

“I don’t think it will be a distraction,” he said. “It would have been a distraction if he did not have his press conference. That would have been the topic all year long. Now that it’s old news, maybe when he shows up for spring training, the first week or so that topic will be revisited. But hopefully, they’ll leave him alone and let him do his job.”

Another test for McGwire will be how he is treated by boisterous Cubs fans when he visits Wrigley Field.

“I think Cub fans will treat him fine,” Piniella said. “We have a great rivalry. He’ll be accepted well. I think they feel he confessed and it’s over with.” NYTimes.com.

Thanks to some Chicago Cubs blog for pointing all of these out to me.  But honestly, does this sound like a manager of the Chicago Cubs?  He’s talking so positively about the Cardinals.  Worry about your own team buddy  :)  If I didn’t know better I’d think he was the Cardinals GM or something.  If your manager likes the opponent better than your own team Cub fans, you are going to be in big BIG trouble for 2010.

Well our behated Cubbies lost game one of their first “rival” series with the Cardinals yesterday.  Did you expect anything different?  They are the Cubs?  So the Cardinals decided that the Cubs suck SO BAD that they would throw a rookie pitcher today against Zambrano.  Not only a rookie – but his first ever MLB start.  Shows how little respect Tony Larussa and crew have for ZamDumbo who is on the mound for the Cubs today.

Anyone going to the game?  Expect more Cubs Sucktastic Tweets during todays afternoon fest.  What are the odds that Milton Bradley (let’s start going with Milton BADley) will be thrown out of the game again today? Heck the freakin umpire is filing a report on BADley.  Tough day for Cubs fans I’m sure.  Have you figured out yet that your team is JUST NOT THAT GOOD??????

When the new “Busch Stadium” was built in St. Louis they had grand plans of building up “Ballpark Village” across the street where the old stadium sat.  Well, this land has sat empty for over a year now and I think the Cardinals are still planning on some of this being done before this years All-Star game.

But, in the meantime, looks like they found very good use for this land – Hating on the Cubs!  Check it out.

What a big series this weekend in St. Louis. The Cubs travel to play the 2nd place Cardinals this weekend.  The horrid road team will likely lose 2 of 3 – we will venture to say that because the Cubs Suck – it’s another sweep!!!  Let’s have some fun with this one:

Cmon Cubbies.  Not everyone is as horrible as the Pirates.  But the Nationals are!  If you are going to be the “powerhouse” of the Central and break that 100 year curse – you have GOT to beat the Washington Nationals for crying out loud.  The bats just went dead in this series as the Cubs looked like the Cubs of old again.  Honestly, they made John Lannan look like Cy Young out there.

Ok, so enough bashing of the Cubs in this series.  Let’s look ahead at what is in store.  Kinda a big week for the Cubbies.  Playing at home vs. the Brewers than travel to St. Louis for a 3 game weekend series.  Not a good time to “quit hitting” Cubbies.  Any thoughts on these series?  I think the Brewers come in and win 2 of 3 in Chicago and then the Cardinals take 2 of 3 at Busch to put a hurtin on the loveable losers.

I can hear all of you sheep now – but the Cubs are still in first place – blah blah.  The Redbirds are just .5 behind with Milwaukee only 2 out.  You just don’t have the team to run away with the division and hide – as much as you wish you did Cubs fans.

Go Brewers… Go Cardinals…