ESPN analyst Steve Phillips sought out Lou Piniella on Sunday night to apologize for criticizing the manager's handling of outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Phillips reportedly told Piniella not to believe what had been written or said. In an interview on WMVP-AM 1000 prior to the season, Phillips said: "My view is Lou doesn't have a great deal of patience for assimilation into culture, assimilation into the team. He is just not the most patient guy around, and he also tends to verbalize his frustrations in an angry way. I think that may have affected Fukudome a little bit."