Orioleshome.com | Baltimore Orioles News, orioles Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>I don't believe Felix Pie failed during his time with the Cubs. I believe the Cubs failed him. Pie wasn't a creation of media hype. He was a legitimate prospect. He was a six-tool player -- glove, speed, arm, power, stroke and attitude -- and he should have become a fixture at Wrigley Field, patrolling center field for the next decade. But now he's gone, swapped for a couple of undistinguished pitchers, and that's a darn shame. </div>What's wrong with this picture? Just about everything. I suppose it's a good thing the Cubs are flying high these days, poised to repeat as the best regular-season team in the National League. Fans are psyched enough for the upcoming season that they're willing to give the organization a pass on Pie. But I'm not ready to do that. You don't find a kid in the Dominican Republic, sign him as a 16-year-old, nurture him through his teenage years, watch him light up the minor leagues at every level, then jerk him around for two years and dump him. It makes no sense on any level -- personal or business. The official word is that Pie just can't hit major-league pitching, so he became expendable. He hasn't learned how to shorten his swing, and the Cubs don't have time to wait. You've heard the Cubs' spin. Funny, they forgot to mention the part about how they failed him. LACK OF PATIENCE I sensed this was going to happen back in 2007, when Pie was called up from Iowa, then sent back down three weeks later because an impatient Lou Piniella didn't have time for a rookie. That was the beginning of the end for Pie and the Cubs. Not that Piniella is the only person responsible for Pie's downfall, but he should shoulder much of the blame. I can hear the organization's defenders now, yelling, ''But Pie didn't hit!'' Oh, but he did. Maybe you forgot. When the Cubs brought him back to the big leagues in June of '07, he went on a tear, hitting nearly .400 in his first week back, giving us a glimpse of the greatness that had been predicted for him. But he eventually went into a slump, as rookies are prone to do, and impatient Lou had seen enough. Pie was benched, and that was that. There's not a doubt in my mind that the organization, including Piniella, wanted Pie to succeed. But the Cubs failed to put him in a position to do so. Instead, they yanked him around. From the minors to the majors to the minors to the bench. From a starter to a late-inning defensive replacement. From a can't-miss prospect to a confused kid who no longer resembled the confident hitter he'd been. Should Pie have been able to overcome the obstacles the Cubs threw at him? Ideally, he would have. But managing a player's psyche is part of the game. I wrote back in '07 that Piniella should put Pie in the lineup and keep him there, and my feelings haven't changed. Not that I expected the Cubs to listen. GREAT IN MINORS In case you've forgotten, Pie was a winner. He won four championship rings in the minors, and you can make light of that if you want, but I believe it was indicative of his heart. He was an exuberant, confident, aggressive player before the Cubs sucked the life out of him. Many have compared him to Corey Patterson. But unlike Patterson, Pie never was given a legitimate chance to win the center-field job. Why would an organization spend so much time developing a player, only to give up on him after essentially a couple of months in the big leagues? Thank goodness the White Sox stuck with a young Joe Crede for a couple of rocky years, or he wouldn't have been around to make such huge contributions to their 2005 championship. I don't expect fans to mourn a player they hardly knew. Anyone who wants to make a case against Pie can point to his .241 average last season and predict that he never will become a solid major-league hitter. But I'm not interested in making a case against Pie. So instead of bemoaning that .241 average, I'd point to the fact he played in only 43 games because he spent most of the year at Iowa. It was clear back in '07 that Pie was no longer in the organization's plans, and that only makes this situation more aggravating. The Cubs waited far too long to part ways with him. Why wasn't Pie dealt in '07, when he had a higher trade value? In failing Pie, the Cubs failed themselves, too.

I don't believe Felix Pie failed during his time with the Cubs. I believe the Cubs failed him. Pie wasn't a creation of media hype. He was a legitimate prospect. He was a six-tool player -- glove, speed, arm, power, stroke and attitude -- and he should have become a fixture at Wrigley Field, patrolling center field for the next decade. But now he's gone, swapped for a couple of undistinguished pitchers, and that's a darn shame.

What's wrong with this picture? Just about everything. I suppose it's a good thing the Cubs are flying high these days, poised to repeat as the best regular-season team in the National League. Fans are psyched enough for the upcoming season that they're willing to give the organization a pass on Pie. But I'm not ready to do that. You don't find a kid in the Dominican Republic, sign him as a 16-year-old, nurture him through his teenage years, watch him light up the minor leagues at every level, then jerk him around for two years and dump him. It makes no sense on any level -- personal or business.

The official word is that Pie just can't hit major-league pitching, so he became expendable. He hasn't learned how to shorten his swing, and the Cubs don't have time to wait. You've heard the Cubs' spin. Funny, they forgot to mention the part about how they failed him.

LACK OF PATIENCE

I sensed this was going to happen back in 2007, when Pie was called up from Iowa, then sent back down three weeks later because an impatient Lou Piniella didn't have time for a rookie. That was the beginning of the end for Pie and the Cubs. Not that Piniella is the only person responsible for Pie's downfall, but he should shoulder much of the blame.

I can hear the organization's defenders now, yelling, ''But Pie didn't hit!'' Oh, but he did. Maybe you forgot. When the Cubs brought him back to the big leagues in June of '07, he went on a tear, hitting nearly .400 in his first week back, giving us a glimpse of the greatness that had been predicted for him. But he eventually went into a slump, as rookies are prone to do, and impatient Lou had seen enough. Pie was benched, and that was that.

There's not a doubt in my mind that the organization, including Piniella, wanted Pie to succeed. But the Cubs failed to put him in a position to do so. Instead, they yanked him around. From the minors to the majors to the minors to the bench. From a starter to a late-inning defensive replacement. From a can't-miss prospect to a confused kid who no longer resembled the confident hitter he'd been.

Should Pie have been able to overcome the obstacles the Cubs threw at him? Ideally, he would have. But managing a player's psyche is part of the game. I wrote back in '07 that Piniella should put Pie in the lineup and keep him there, and my feelings haven't changed. Not that I expected the Cubs to listen.

GREAT IN MINORS

In case you've forgotten, Pie was a winner. He won four championship rings in the minors, and you can make light of that if you want, but I believe it was indicative of his heart. He was an exuberant, confident, aggressive player before the Cubs sucked the life out of him. Many have compared him to Corey Patterson. But unlike Patterson, Pie never was given a legitimate chance to win the center-field job.

Why would an organization spend so much time developing a player, only to give up on him after essentially a couple of months in the big leagues? Thank goodness the White Sox stuck with a young Joe Crede for a couple of rocky years, or he wouldn't have been around to make such huge contributions to their 2005 championship.

I don't expect fans to mourn a player they hardly knew. Anyone who wants to make a case against Pie can point to his .241 average last season and predict that he never will become a solid major-league hitter. But I'm not interested in making a case against Pie. So instead of bemoaning that .241 average, I'd point to the fact he played in only 43 games because he spent most of the year at Iowa.

It was clear back in '07 that Pie was no longer in the organization's plans, and that only makes this situation more aggravating. The Cubs waited far too long to part ways with him. Why wasn't Pie dealt in '07, when he had a higher trade value?

In failing Pie, the Cubs failed themselves, too.