The not so surprising exit of Lou Piniella as manager of the Chicago Cubs is a telling moment for the Cubs organization. 

I am not going to take any shots at Lou because he is leaving the team to spend time with his dying mother.  If I had the money in the bank that he does and the career that he's had that I wouldn't do the same thing.  The only downside for Piniella is that as part of his legacy, he'll go down as having quit his last two jobs.  I'm sure that he can live with that, therefore the rest of us can too.

I don't necessarily think that he is a quitter.  I think he realizes that this team is in no danger of being competitive and that his mother probably won't last until October.  Rather than be a distraction by taking numerous leaves, Piniella has decided to step aside and be with his mother at the end.  For a man who has spent nearly a half century in baseball, he's missed a lot of family obligations in his life.  He's now at a point where you can be there if he wants to.  I get it, I'm okay with it and I wish him well.

Now, on to the rest of the stuff:

• Mike Quade is a curious choice to act as interim manager. It appears to me that he is being rewarded for his loyalty to the organization by getting to show what he can do the last six weeks of the season.  It is not a commitment, it is probably not even a chance to audition.  It is simply a thank-you present from a grateful Jim Hendry.
• Alan Trammel, it sucks to be you, but no one is ever going to give you another shot as a manager.  Believe me, I know how that sucks.
• The Cubs could have made a positive statement by promoting Ryne Sandberg TODAY and given him the chance to evaluate the team the last six weeks to get a feel for next year.  That would have solved all of the speculation.  By not doing this, Hendry is sending a clear message that he thinks he can do better from the pool that includes Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, The Genius and my personal favorite, Eric Wedge.  It is obvious that Hendry wants to talk to some people currently under contract to other organizations.  If I were Sandberg, I'd be a bit miffed.
• Any Cub coach who doesn't have his resume ready to go out right now is a fool.  None of you boys are coming back. That includes you, Larry.
• A year that was supposed to be glorious under new ownership continues to be a disaster.  The best thing that has happened to the Cubs this year is the Sox winning streak which pushed them to the back of the sports section.