Conquered by Cubs curse

In one dugout was a manager on his way out.

In the other was a manager back on the upswing with a young team.

Both managers bear their share of Cubs scars.

As far as each man's Chicago experience goes, you can sum it up like this: He came. He saw. He was conquered.

While Cubs manager Lou Piniella gets ready to sail off into Gulf sunsets in Tampa, former Cubs manager Dusty Baker has his Cincinnati Reds primed for a playoff run.

"I'm excited," Baker said Friday, before his team beat the Cubs 3-0 at Wrigley Field to hold first place for another day. "I'm not overly excited yet. I'm excited because this is what I live for. I'm excited because what I yearn for all the time (is) to win especially (since) the last four years have been tough - my last two years in Chicago, my first two years here trying to get this team to this point.

"That seemed like an eternity. It's great to be in this position. My personal record was hurt. My feelings were hurt inside. My reputation was hurt as a manager. I took it personally, and people gave it to me whether it's deserving or not, no matter what kind of team I've got. If you don't have the horses or your horses are hurt, it makes it very difficult to win. I don't care who you are or how good you are."

Baker managed mostly contending teams in San Francisco before coming to Chicago and getting the Cubs within five outs of the World Series in 2003. The 2004 team collapsed down the stretch, and the '05 and '06 teams were bad ones.

Now, he's trying to shepherd a young Cincinnati team to the National League Central title as it fights to hold off the St. Louis Cardinals.

"We did a pretty good job in September once we got everybody back," Baker said, referring to last year. "You have to learn how to win. You have to learn how to be the one being chased versus the one that's doing the chasing. That's a new position for this team and this organization."

Piniella made the playoffs his first two years in Chicago, but the Cubs have backslid since, and Piniella will retire at the end of the season.

Baker said preliminary talks have begun for a contract extension in Cincinnati.

Baker didn't sound surprised that Piniella announced his retirement.

"Nobody has to tell you when it's time," he said. "You know when it's time. I'm sure he probably wants to enjoy the rest of his life and do some things, especially in the summertime. Summertime is usually not our time."

Baker and Piniella played against each other in the World Series, and both men recounted the time when Piniella advised Baker that he should get into managing.

Piniella said it wasn't the first time he talked up another former player as a manager.

"I talked to Pat Gillick about the Toronto job back in the '80s," Piniella said, referring to the former Blue Jays general manager. "I suggested, 'You got a good guy on your staff: Cito Gaston.' You talk to these people, and they're baseball people, and you get a good sense of what they're made of and what they can bring to the party.

"Dusty's a good baseball guy. He knows the game. He was a successful player. He's had success as a manager. I thought that he would do a good job, and he has."