FanHouse GeraldPerry

The Chicago Cubs were the best offensive team in the National League in 2008. Statements like these are usually regarded as opinions, but it remains an absolute fact. There's no way to argue against it.

In 2009, the Cubs' offense has pretty much sucked. It's fairly tough to argue with that as well. Naturally, Jim Hendry -- the Cubs general manager who decided that 97 regular season wins was somehow a mirage and the ridiculously small three-game playoff sample meant the team needed to get more left-handed in the offseason -- fired hitting coach Gerald Perry Sunday. The move reeks of CYA at its very worst, although with no real ownership in place, it's hard to see when Hendry will ever have to be accountable for his mistakes. Still, there's no way Perry was to blame for the '09 offensive woes.

After Lou Piniella's latest blowup on the umps who, admittedly, made a really bad call to end the Cubs 12-inning game with the Brewers Monday night, Piniella refused to speak to the media and reportedly was furious with the umps.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Piniella's hitting coach Gerald Perry may have taken it one step further:

Monday night's postgame incident in which hitting coach Gerald Perry got into shouting match with umpires in the tunnel was the second confrontation between Cubs personnel and umpires in four days. A similar scene Friday featured manager Lou Piniella.

Major-league sources said a report written by umpiring crew chief Brian Gorman and sent to Major League Baseball on Tuesday included a claim that Perry had to be restrained from going after umpire Paul Nauert and had challenged him to a fight.

Perry denied both charges. "No, it was just words," Perry said. "I said my piece, and that was it."

As for wanting to fight an umpire, Perry said: "I don't remember challenging an umpire to a fight. I would never do that."

Perry confirmed he was upset at the called third strike on Mark DeRosa that ended Monday night's loss to Milwaukee. Both teams had problems with Nauert's strike zone.

Whether he "challenged" the ump to a fight or not, Perry shouldn't have even been in a position to exchange words with umpire after the game is over. What good does this do? I'm all for trying to influence calls in the course of a game -- it works, people -- but after the game is over, why waste your breath? Stay away from the umps, Piniella, and tell your cronies to do the same.

Ugh. Is this what it has already come to for the Cubs?

Previously on the FanHouse:
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