Lou Piniella put the blue cap bearing a big C onto his head, pulled the jersey with number 41 over his shoulders and then made sure his modeling was complete by turning around to give everyone a full look.

The big question: Can he turn around the Chicago Cubs?

Told that the team he now manages has gone nearly a century between World Series championships, dating back to 1908, Piniella said yesterday he wasn't aware of that dubious record.

"I didn't know that. Has it been that long here?" he said.

Piniella is the latest choice to end that almost unfathomable drought. A fiery manager, now 63 years old, who is demanding and can be combustible -- especially in arguments with umpires -- Piniella comes to town with a history of winning, including a World Series title in 1990 with the Reds.

"Urgency is important," Piniella said. "We're going to win here, and that's the end of the story."

Piniella brushed off a report that he wanted the Cubs to acquire embattled Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, saying there hadn't been "any discussions about A-Rod."

Piniella was Rodriguez's first manager, with the Seattle Mariners in the mid-1990s. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, saying he was not allowed to discuss other teams' players, also said he and Piniella had not discussed Rodriguez.

On Monday, Piniella agreed to a 3-year contract worth nearly $10 million, with an option for a fourth year.

"I'm just a little piece of the puzzle. My job is to come in here and unite this team," he said at a news conference.

ROUNDUP

LYONS GETS SUPPORT: Fired Fox announcer Steve Lyons got backing on two fronts yesterday: He can keep his part-time broadcasting job with the Los Angeles Dodgers if he completes diversity training, and Lou Piniella came to his defense. Lyons was fired over the weekend for making a racially insensitive comment while on the air with Piniella during the A.L. championship series. "There isn't a racist bone in his body. Not one," Piniella said after being introduced as manager of the Chicago Cubs. "I've known the guy personally. He was kidding with me, nothing more and nothing less."

SURGERY FOR JOHNSON: Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson will have surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back that hampered him during he final weeks of the season. General manager Brian Cashman said last week that surgery was probable, but that the Big Unit would first be examined by Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles. Watkins operated on Johnson's back on Sept. 12, 1996, and the Big Unit made his first start the following year on April 5. Cashman said that if Johnson had surgery, he might be behind the other pitchers when spring training starts in mid-February.

DEAL WITH TBS: TBS will alternate showing the N.L. and A.L. championship series for seven years starting next season under a television deal with Major League Baseball announced yesterday. Turner Broadcasting System paid about $310 million for the package. The network will televise the NLCS in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, and the ALCS in the 2008, 2010 and 2012.

BLACK IN LINE? The San Francisco Giants received permission to speak to Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Bud Black about their managerial opening. General manager Brian Sabean has said his list of candidates to replace Felipe Alou will be short, and that experience as a manager either in the majors or minors would be preferable. But Sabean also said someone with considerable experience in a big league coaching position might be considered -- such as Black.