Lou Piniella

Lou Piniella, nicknamed "Sweet Lou", (born August 28, 1943 in Tampa, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. He was most recently the manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 2003 to 2005. He graduated from Jesuit High School of Tampa.

Related Topics:
August 28 - 1943 - Tampa, Florida - Major League Baseball - Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Jesuit High School of Tampa

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Piniella began his professional playing career after the Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in 1962. Piniella, at the age of 20, played in his first major league game in 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles. At 24, his second Major League Baseball season was with the Indians. Piniella played for the Kansas City Royals from 1969-1973, winning AL Rookie of the Year in 1969. That was followed by 11 years as a member of the New York Yankees.

Related Topics:
Cleveland Indians - 1962 - 1964 - Baltimore Orioles - Major League Baseball - Kansas City Royals - 1969 - 1973 - New York Yankees

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He wore uniform number 24 for the Orioles, and 23 for the Indians. His longer stretches were wearing number 9 for the Royals, and 14 on the Yankees.

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Piniella coached the New York Yankees in the late 1980s. He then managed the Cincinnati Reds in the early 1990s, winning the World Series in 1990. From 1993-2002, he managed the Seattle Mariners, winning the AL Manager of the Year award in 1995 and 2001.

Related Topics:
New York Yankees - 1980s - Cincinnati Reds - 1990s - World Series - 1990 - 1993 - 2002 - Seattle Mariners - Manager of the Year - 1995 - 2001

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Often known for his aggressive and sometimes explosive behavior, Piniella is the most ejected manager in the history of Major League Baseball.

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In his first two seasons with the Devil Rays, Piniella was able to improve the team somewhat, and they won a franchise-record 70 games in 2004, which was also their first season in which they did not finish last in their division. During the 2005 season, Piniella was very critical of Devil Rays management for focusing too much on the future and not enough on immediate results, and for not increasing payroll quickly enough to field a competitive team (they started the season with a $30 million payroll, which was the lowest in Major League Baseball).

Related Topics:
2004 - 2005 - $

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On September 21, 2005, the Tampa Tribune reported that Pinella would step down as Devil Rays' manager, having agreed to a $2.2M buyout of the final year of his contract. The paper reported also that the team would pay Pinella $1.3M deferred from the 2003 season.

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