updated 5:41 p.m. ET Sept. 20, 2008

CHICAGO - Cubs manager Lou Piniella tried to deflate some of the expectations surrounding the NL Central leaders on Saturday, saying he has trouble understanding why people insist his team is built to win the World Series.

In his second season with Chicago and on the verge of consecutive division titles, Piniella questioned the fairness of all the expectations.

“The amazing part about it, I hear all these things about this team is built to win the World Series,” Piniella said before the Cubs faced the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

“Well, which team isn’t built to win the World Series? Is this the only team in baseball that is built to win the World Series? I don’t think so.”

The Cubs haven’t won the Series in 100 years, and the city of Chicago is buzzing over their chances and the hopes of the AL Central-leading White Sox. But the long stretch without a World Series winner for the Cubs is in almost every conversation about the team from the north side.

“To hear all this talk about, ‘Well if you guys don’t win the division and you don’t win a World Series, it’s a lost year.’ That’s a bunch of (expletive),” Piniella said.

Told that so many people have been waiting for so many years, Piniella said he understood that.

“But it’s not fair to put all the expectations of all the past failures here and all the past successes here on the 2008 team,” he said. “You let this team stand on its own merit and you let them do what they can do as well as they can do it and let them go as far as they can.”

The Cubs committed millions of dollars over the last two years to rebuild, adding free agents like Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome. And to harness that talent and possibly get to their first World Series since 1945, the club hired Piniella because of his successful track record.

“I’m trying the best I can. And if I don’t win it, there will be somebody else here you’ll be talking about,” Piniella said. “And if I do win it, there will be somebody else here anyway. ... I understand it’s been a long, long, long time here. I understand it. I really do and I can empathize, but the thing is this is the 2008 team.”

A century stretches more than most lifetimes, as Cubs fans know well.

“One hundred years from now they won’t even know I managed here,” Piniella said.

Don’t bet on that, though, especially if he leads them to a championship.

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Handicapping the Halladay chase Blyleven: Pitching to be had beyond Halladay DeMarco: Red Sox should take measured approach CTB: A prediction — Lackey will sign with Yankees   CTB: Indians unlikely to deal Wood this offseason   CTB: Mets could be interested in Royals’ Guilllen Complete list of free agents Circling the Bases: Blogging on news, rumors, buzz SCORES, SCHEDULES, STANDINGS, STATS Latest baseball videos Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: