By Dave Diamond

Home is where the heart is, not necessarily where you need to be professionally. Lou Piniella learned the hard way that this popular, and frankly lame, excuse for big-time baseball personalities rarely ends happily. Why risk losing respectability just to live 10 minutes from the ballpark?

The quiet and well-respected John Olerud and his sweet swing left the bright lights of New York to waste into obscurity in his hometown of Seattle. Meanwhile, Ken Griffey Jr. went home to Cincinnati, leaving behind a God-like persona and, apparently, two good hamstrings. And “Sweet Lou” wasted three good years of his managerial career enjoying the sun and three 90-loss seasons in Tampa Bay.

Now, Piniella finally got it right. With age comes wisdom, and at 63, he will open next season as the new manager of the Chicago Cubs, a brilliant move for both the team and their new skipper. Piniella will always be known as the fiery, emotional manager of the Mariners that failed to reach the World Series despite having some very talented ballplayers. People are shortsighted these days.

The defining moments for Piniella came in the three years prior to joining Seattle. In that time, his Cincinnati Reds won 90 games twice and a World Championship in 1990, making him one of the top managing commodities. Then, he committed the cardinal sin of any major league manager hoping to be taken seriously: he went to the American League.

Anybody who thinks managing in the A.L. should be acknowledged on the same level as managing in the National League is kidding themselves. Getting an extra hitter in the line-up instead of a pitcher’s spot, ignoring defensive liabilities while using the designated hitter, bringing in the team’s best relief pitcher for two or three innings. This is managing? Sounds more like playing a video game on the lowest difficulty level.

In 13 seasons, the only thing Piniella could do to be noticed was to throw the occasional base or kick his hat into the infield dirt. Signing with the Cubs will once again give Piniella the opportunity to prove his worth as one of the best managers in the game. It is a welcomed change for both parties, for Piniella because he’s a high profile manager on a high profile team and for the Cubs because Dusty Baker lost control of the team right around the time Moises Alou threw a silly fit when a certain fan interfered with a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS.

The Cubs were the worst team in the National League this season, but that doesn’t mean Piniella is there to rebuild. Despite St. Louis’ run in the playoffs, the N.L. Central is not exactly a powerhouse. The Reds, Brewers and Astros are mediocre at best, and the Pirates, well, enough said there. The Cardinals are the only constant threat in that division, and Piniella has four division titles to his credit, plus, the Tigers are the latest example to prove that winning the wild card can still translate into success.

Alex Rodriguez is not coming to Chicago, because starter Carlos Zambrano or youngster Rich Hill will only begin the Yankees’ list of demands, and the Cubs won’t part with either. The Cubs were in last because of injury problems, not lack of talent. We’ve seen the kind of pitcher Mark Prior is when he’s healthy, and as a third starter, that’s scary. More power would help, but N.L. teams don’t need it to win in the first place.

By being back in the league where he belongs, “Sweet Lou” can maneuver with the best of them, and might be the best bet to maneuver around long-standing curses.