Lou Piniella outraged by ESPN analyst's criticism

March 3, 2009

MESA, Ariz. — ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips might want to steer clear of Lou Piniella when the Cubs play Milwaukee on an April 12 ESPN telecast.

Piniella was fuming over a remark Phillips made recently on Chet Coppock's WMVP-AM 1000 radio show. Asked about Kosuke Fukudome's rookie season, Phillips criticized Piniella's handling of the Japanese outfielder.

"My view is Lou doesn't have a great deal of patience for assimilation into culture, assimilation into the team," Phillips said. "He is just not the most patient guy around, and he tends to verbalize his frustrations in an angry way. I think that may have affected Fukudome a little bit."

Piniella played Fukudome in 150 games and gave him 501 at-bats, sticking with the right fielder despite his struggles before sitting him for a brief stretch in September. Fukudome then started the first two playoff games before Piniella sat him in Game 3.

"I don't have much respect for Steve Phillips," Piniella said after hearing the comment Monday. "Let him be around a little more and see what transpires before he makes assumptions. I've lost total respect for this guy. If he had something to say, let him say it to me."

Zambrano watch: Carlos Zambrano acknowledges he must be more consistent to put together the kind of season he's capable of having. After going 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA in the first half of 2008, he went 4-3 with a 5.80 ERA in the second half.

"I have to be more in control of the situation and more focused on what I'm doing for the second half," Zambrano said.

Piniella said he was undecided on whether to give Zambrano his fifth straight Opening Day start or go with Ryan Dempster.

Zambrano reiterated he doesn't care whether he starts the opener.

The quote: Carlos Marmol on the possibility of facing Geovany Soto in the World Baseball Classic: "I'm going to strike him out. I'm going to try to. We're enemies out there. In here, we're good friends. There, it's different."

Extra innings: Ryan Theriot's .600 average ranks sixth among Cactus League hitters. … Jeff Samardzija will start Wednesday night against the White Sox in Las Vegas in a game televised on WGN-Ch. 9.