Well baseball fans, the entertainment quotient for the 2007 season increased tenfold last week when the Cubbies hired the irascible Lou Piniella to take the helm at Wrigley Field next year. I must admit I was pleased with the hiring of Piniella, not so much because I am fond of the Cubs, but instead, because there are few managers in baseball as fun to watch as Sweet Lou. Piniella has a short fuse to a choleric personality and is famous for his on-field tirades with umpires. Few skippers, with the possible exception of Earl Weaver, are able to match Piniella when it comes to blowing his top.

Piniella is most famous for the hissy fit he threw while managing the Seattle Mariners. Sweet Lou took issue with a close call at first base and fired out of the dugout like he had been shot out of a Howitzer. After screaming in the ump’s face for several minutes, spraying spittle like a lawn sprinkler, Piniella threw his hat on the ground, stomped on it repeatedly, then picked it up and threw it into foul territory. The umpire tossed Piniella out of the game, but Sweet Lou wasn’t finished. He ripped first base out of its mooring and tossed it down the right field line. I guess he didn’t think the quality of his base-toss was good enough, because Piniella then ran down the foul line, picked up first base, and heaved it even farther into the outfield.

Yes, Piniella can throw a fit, not to mention a base, with the best of them.

Piniella has a good track record as a manager. He piloted the 1990 Cincinnati Reds to the World Championship, beating a heavily favored Oakland team in the World Series. The 1990 season, although successful, was not without controversy, however. Piniella actually managed to get into a fistfight with pitcher Rob Dibble in the clubhouse, in front of the television cameras no less.

No one ever accused Piniella of being laid back.

After managing the Reds, Piniella skippered the Mariners with great success, taking the team to the playoffs four times. Piniella’s last managerial stint was with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The team finished in last place each year Piniella was there, but it was no fault of his own. Joe Torre would have finished in last place with the talent-poor Devil Rays.

Piniella figures to be in for a tough ride in his first season with the Cubs. Chicago was the most disappointing team in baseball in 2006. The team had the second worst record in the National League and spent most of the summer battling the hapless Pirates for last place in the Central Division.

One has to wonder if the Cubs will be any better next season.

Other than Derek Lee and Aramis Rameriz, the Cubs are a little iffy. Rumor has it that Chicago will try to make a deal to acquire Alex Rodriguez from the Yankees. Piniella managed A-Rod in Seattle and the two have a close relationship. Rodriguez, despite being overwhelmed playing in the Big Apple, claims he wants to remain a Yankee. The Yankees, for their part, state they have no desire to deal Rodriguez. Still, if the Cubs pony up the right players, the Yanks may bite.

Without a doubt, the Yankees would want a front line pitcher in any deal for A-Rod. Carlos Zambrano figures to be at the top of the list. The Cubs, however, state they are not willing to part with Zambrano, their staff ace.

We’ll see.

Rodriguez would be a great fit for the Cubs. A shortstop for most of his career, A-Rod could return to that position with the Cubs and not have to man the hot corner, like he does in New York.

Will the Cubs and Yankees make a deal? For that matter, how long will it take Piniella to throw his first tirade in Wrigley Field? Stay tuned.