Hendry, Piniella says things are just fine

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was jokingly asked if he'd like to give manager Lou Piniella a vote of confidence.

"Sure," Hendry replied Friday. "He's the same to me. We just haven't played as well, that's all. He's not missing anything."

The question arose because the subject of Piniella having or not having "fire" surfaced again this week.

It has been going on awhile, with Sports Illustrated even picking up Piniella's quote about not being a dragon and therefore not needing fire, a quote he spoke a week or so ago.

Piniella seemed perplexed by the whole topic before the Cubs beat the White Sox 5-4 at U.S. Cellular Field.

"I've got as much fire as I've ever had," he said. "I hurt after losses. I care about my players and how they play and how the team is performing.

"But I just don't see the correlation between me going out there and trying to sell Aquafina products, arguing with umpires. Yelling and screaming isn't going to change anything. I just don't see it. I don't see the correlation between that and the club playing any better."

Piniella may have shown some of that "fire" Friday when he sent right fielder Milton Bradley home in the sixth inning after Bradley had a temper tantrum in the dugout.

According to Piniella, that's as public as it gets.

"I have individual meetings with players," he said. "I had two of them (Thursday). I try to get these guys to play as hard as they can and as well as they can. But I just don't see myself having to go out there and basically probably make a fool of myself like I used to when I was younger to try and instill fire or help the team win more baseball games.

"I just don't see the correlation. I'm sorry."

During his younger days, Piniella was known to argue vociferously with umpires and even pick up bases and throw them.

Two years ago, he got into a dirt-kicking argument with an umpire at Wrigley Field.

That outburst was credited by some as "firing up" the Cubs, who went on to win their division after a terrible start. The Cubs won that year and last year largely because their players began performing up to expectations.

Piniella said he didn't want to put on a similar "show" this year.

"You want me to put on a show for the fans, one of these days I'll put a real nice show on, tip my cap and that'll be the end of it," he said. "You all want a show? We'll give you a show.

"The problem is, the league office will be ready to suspend me for a few days. I don't know what good that will do.

"I just don't know. I'm 65 years old. I think what you all want me to do is have a heart attack on the field. I think that's what you really want me to do, have a nice heart attack on the field and be carried away."