Lou Piniella Biography

Louis Victor Piniella, born August 28, 1943, is an American former professional baseball player and manager. As an outfielder, he played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, and New York Yankees. Piniella managed the Yankees from 1986 to 1988, the Cincinnati Reds from 1990 to 1992, the Seattle Mariners from 1993 to 2002, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 2003 to 2005, and the Chicago Cubs from 2007 to 2010. As the Mariners' manager, Piniella presided over the franchise's most successful period. Piniella was named Manager of the Year in 1995, 2001, and 2008 and finished his managerial career ranked 14th all time on the list of managerial wins. Following his freshman year in college, Piniella was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent on June 9, 1962. In 1968, Piniella was chosen by the Seattle Pilots during the expansion draft and later traded to the Kansas City Royals in April 1969 as part of a deal involving John Gelnar and Steve Whitaker.