In this article Lou Piniella reflects on the situation with the Cubs last year---i.e. chemistry problems---and why this year will be better. Here are some quotes from the article:: 1. How important is it to new teammates that Byrd is a good clubhouse guy? [as opposed to Milton Bradley] ''As opposed to what? Who are you implying?'' pitcher Jeff Samardzija said, smiling. ''You hear a lot about the clubhouse growing up as a kid, but you never really know going into it. But after being here for a couple years and understanding the dynamics of it, it means a lot.'' 2. When asked about Byrd's intangibles Wednesday, even Piniella said, ''There's no substitute for having hard workers on the team and having good chemistry in the clubhouse." There's more in the article. When you add this to comments made by other players late last season after Bradley's suspension from the Cubs, you get a reasonably powerful statement/argument about the importance of chemistry. But what does this mean for the Royals? First, I really believe that this team will not progress so long as Guillen is hanging around. Second, having guys like Kendall (and maybe Pods) does mean something aside from the hotness of their wives. [I say that not knowing if Kendall's wife is hot. I imagine her in a corset and some kind of 1880s/90s dress based on my view of Kendall's true baseball era.] Thoughts? - TL