Need a read on this series? Check with Lou

Oh, that dreaded book.

You remember it.

The one most managers live by, and the one for which most managers get fired.

Dusty Baker swore by his and now he spends his evenings boring viewers to tears on ESPN.

Lou Piniella undoubtedly had one, but he misplaced it years ago.

Not only is that the most glaring difference between the two, but it's also the reason the Cubs are still playing baseball.

"He's definitely the one who kept us together when things were rough,'' veteran Ted Lilly said. "He never panicked and he never changed.

"He made it pretty clear, too, that he's going to do things his way. He's not afraid to try different things or play different guys.

"He rides the hot hand. That's good if you're a player. You know there's a reward for playing well. It should be that way.''

And don't expect that to change during this postseason run, whether it's extended or not.

"Look, I don't have some magic formula, but you can see when a guy's got a tired bat or a guy's got a hot bat,'' Piniella said. "It's not that difficult to determine who the best player is to play.

"That's how we did it during the regular season, and I wouldn't anticipate us doing things much different now.

"We tinkered quite a bit this year, and we'll continue to do that if something isn't working.''

In other words, don't be surprised by any surprises, in the roster for this series or the next, in the lineup today or tomorrow.

It shouldn't be a shock that Piniella will bring back Carlos Zambrano on three days' rest Sunday in Game 4, and then has Lilly ready on his regular rest for Game 5.

Piniella's already done it, and been criticized for it. Think he cares?

All he considers is that if Zambrano melts down, he will have Lilly -- who has been more consistent than Zambrano -- available for Game 5, and he doesn't have to place his entire season on the shoulders of an emotionally unstable starter.

True, most managers abhor the idea.

In the 1984 NLCS, Jim Frey held back Rick Sutcliffe when the Cubs had a chance to clinch in Game 4, expecting to use Sutcliffe in Game 1 of the World Series.

Steve Trout, who actually was hotter than Sutcliffe down the stretch, would then have been ready for Game 5, which the Cubs lost with Sutcliffe on the hill.

On Sunday, the Padres held out Jake Peavy, figuring they'd win in Milwaukee and have Peavy for Game 1 of the NLDS. Peavy pitched the wild-card tiebreaker Monday night in Colorado and was awful before San Diego lost in extras.

There's your book.

Piniella doesn't use one anymore because he's simply in it to win it, so his playoff roster might raise some eyebrows and his lineup decisions might leave grins agape.

He doesn't care -- about anyone's opinion or anyone's feelings.

He knows that conventional wisdom suggests the D'backs' pitching, speed and defense will give his team fits, especially since the Cubs are capable of playing terrible fundamental baseball.

But Arizona also has a small margin for error because of a dearth of offense, while the Cubs can make up for their mistakes with the longball.

Of course, that was the regular season, and in the playoffs, good staffs tend to beat good lineups, especially one like the Cubs' that has come to rely on the home run of late.

That being the case, it wouldn't be shocking to see Piniella suddenly change the Cubs' brand of baseball at the most unlikely time of year and start moving runners if he gets the chance.

"We trust each other and we trust Lou,'' Mark DeRosa said. "There's a lot of postseason experience in this room and we know what to do.

"There's a fine line between being excited and not getting caught up in it. They're baseball games and you have to play them like regular baseball games.

"On the other hand, this is why you play the game, for this chance to be here right now.''

And Piniella doesn't intend to let the playoff atmosphere affect his players.

"I already told them that the real pressure was getting to the playoffs. They've been through a lot of that,'' Piniella said. "I don't think I need to talk to anybody. I think the experience they've gone through the last two months is much more beneficial than anything I can say.''

With three World Series titles as player and manager under his belt, Piniella speaks from experience.

His style comes from his gut.

Conventional wisdom says Diamondbacks in five games.

We're tossing the book and going with the Cubs in five.

In Lou We Trust.

brozner@dailyherald.com