Piniella was a clutch-hitting outfielder who helped the Yankees win the 1977 and 1978 World Series. He played briefly for the 1968 Indians. Piniella managed the 1990 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds.
Lou Piniella is in his 23rd season as a big league manager.Chicago, Ill. -– Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella is going to retire at the end of the season.
Piniella announced his decision Tuesday before a game against the Astros. The 66-year-old manager says he is looking forward to spending more time with his family.
He says announcing his retirement now — just after the All-Star break — gives the team time to find a replacement.
Piniella is in the fourth and final year of his contract with the Cubs, who have struggled this year and have gone 102 years without a World Series title.
He has been a manager for more than 22 years. He led the New York Yankees (1986-88), Cincinnati Reds (1990-92), Seattle Mariners (1993-2002) and Tampa Bay (2003-05) before arriving in Chicago. He won the 1990 World Series as a manager with Cincinnati.
The Cleveland Indians signed Piniella as an amateur free agent in 1962. Piniella, an outfielder, began his major league career with one at bat for the 1964 Baltimore Orioles. His next major league stint was five at bats with the Indians in 1968. Cleveland lost Piniella to the Seattle Pilots in the expansion draft that fall, and he was traded by Seattle to the Kansas City Royals prior to the 1969 season.
Piniella won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1969. After five seasons wuith the Royals, he was traded to the New York Yankees. He played 11 seasons with the Yankees, retiring in 1984 with a .291 career batting average. He hit .305 in 44 postseason games, all with New York.
Associated Press contributed to this report