The Tribune today had some interesting commentary on the differences in style between Sweet Lou and Dusty.

Ramirez and Theriot agreed the biggest difference between Baker and Piniella is Baker was more like a fellow player than a manager.

"Dusty cared about his players so much and he'd do anything in the world for us," Theriot said. "That's probably a trait that sometimes isn't a great one. He was a great friend and a guy who gave me an opportunity to play.

"It's just a different style, a different feel. If you mess up now, Lou is going to come down on you. He doesn't care what you think. There have been times he has come down on me. He doesn't discriminate. It's everybody. No favorites."

"I didn't see him like a manager, I just saw him like a friend," Ramirez added. "He's a players' manager. Lou is a little different. Lou is all about winning the games and playing good ball."

This pretty much confirms what a lot of us suspected.  

Also, the Suntimes postulates that Sweet Lou's leadership style and his ability to keep things in perspective will come in handy down the stretch.

''So much riding in August?'' Piniella said during his pregame chat with reporters. ''I don't know. I think you are going to have a hell of a lot more riding [on the games] in the middle of September than you are now -- if we play the way we expect to play.''

Several minutes later, watching batting practice near third base, Piniella chuckled at the excitement that the media horde from Chicago, Milwaukee and other parts of the country was trying to generate at Wrigley Field.

And this is exactly what you want from your manager this time of year. This is why Piniella still stands out as general manager Jim Hendry's best move during a busy offseason.

Piniella continues to provide the right touch this team needs. His true value should shine in September.

A year after coolly guiding the Cubs to the National League Championship Series, manager Dusty Baker was as uptight as his players in 2004. It showed down the stretch, as the Cubs fumbled away the wild-card lead to the hard-charging Astros.

I generally agree with this.  Sweet Lou is a huge upgrade from Dusty when it comes to leadership.  He has taken charge of this team in a way Dusty never did.  I believe he'll get the best out of this team down the stretch.

Fine article on Kerry Wood in the NYTimes Play Magazine.  It's heartbreaking.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-wood.html?_r=1&ref=sports&ore f=slogin

The author seems to conclude that pitching while fatigued is the cause of most pitching injuries.  Yet he also seems to dispute the notion that minor league pitchers should be coddled and held to strict pitch counts.  I suppose he's saying that stamina must be built over years at the minor league level before a pitcher reaches the major leagues.  Interesting.