Bigger Than "The Thrilla In Manilla" or "The Rumble In The Jungle," It's "The Reunion At Wrigley!"
Do you remember that supercharged night back in 1999 when former Cub manager Jim Lefebvre, then manager of the Brewers, returned to Wrigley Field for the first time as skipper of another club, in a much anticipated showdown with Jim Riggleman?
I don't either.
But Johnnie B. Baker, Jr., is no Jim Lefebvre, and Lou Piniella is no Jim Riggleman. These guys are managerial heavyweights, and as much as Baker and Piniella claim there is nothing special about Baker's return to Wrigley beside the fact that both the Reds and Cubs will be trying to get a leg up on an NL Central rival, we all know much, much better.
Here, then, is a comparison to help you distinguish the combatants:
THE TALE OF THE TAPE |
||
Dusty Baker | Lou Piniella |
|
Age | 58 | 64 |
Ht. | 6-2 | 6-2 |
Wt. | Way more than 187 lbs. |
Way, WAY more than 198 lbs. |
Playing Record |
19 yrs., .278 BA, 242 HR |
18 yrs., .291 BA, 101 HR |
Managerial Record |
15 yrs., 1168-1048 (.527) 3 times NL Mgr of the Year 3 division titles 1 NL Pennant |
21 yrs., 1611-1502 (.518) 2 times AL Mgr of the Year 5 division titles 1 World Series |
Record as Cubs Manager | 4 yrs., 322-326, .492 |
2 yrs., 92-82, .529 |
High Point |
Almost reaching '03 World Series |
??? |
Low Point |
Almost reaching '03 World Series | ??? |
Endearing Quirk |
Toothpick-chewing |
Base-throwing |
Commonly Used Noun |
"Dude" |
"Fellas" |
In His Corner |
Chris Speier Dick Pole Darren Baker |
Matt Sinatro |
When He's On The Defensive |
Brings Darren into post-game press conferences |
Gets loud and sarcastic |
Quote | "My name is Dusty. It's not Messiah." |
"What the hell do you think isn't working? You see the damn game!" |
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