Lou Piniella--1977
Part 2
While most give credit to Piniella for the
resurgence of the Cincinnati Reds in
1990, which saw baseball's oldest
franchise win the World Championship
over Oakland's Bash Brothers, the truth
is eccentric owner Marge Schott had
some voodoo going to help Lou's Boys.
I can still remember seeing Marge take
some of the hair from her infamous St.
Bernard dog, Schottzie, out of a bag and
rubbing on the chest of Lou's uniform for
good luck prior to games. After Marge
departed, Lou would just roll his eyes in
disbelief.
No wonder Piniella lasted just three
seasons in Marge Schott's Cincinnati Nut
Farm.
With Cincinnati making another run at
the NL pennant in 2010, I asked a Reds
scout the other day if the club was going
to exhume Schottzie in search of some
scraps of dog hair to rub on manager
Dusty Baker's chest.
The scout didn't think so....
Editor's Note: I should have kept notes
from my six years with the Reds, it would
have made an awesome book, though I
am not sure if anyone would have
believed the stories.
Part 1
"I'd rather be a swing man on a
championship team than a regular on
another team." - Lou Piniella
Not many players or managers in the
history of the game will be re-membered
for having the desire to win like Lou
Piniella.
He made the most of his talent, as many
of us who grew up watching Piniella will
remember Lou for taking the extra base
despite his pedestrian speed and the
running grabs that saw his hat flying off
as he fell to the outfield grass which
were far from graceful, but successful
due to heart.
My baseball paths crossed with Lou
during the 1990-91 seasons while we
were both with the Cincinnati Reds. I was
the Assistant Farm Director at the time
when Lou was leading us to the 1990
World Championship.
As video clips reminded us this weekend
following his retirement from baseball; he
was a hat kicking, base throwing and
once a wrestling manager, who managed
his clubs to win.
I remember a game, August 21, 1991,
where set up man Rob Dibble gave up a
two-out. three-run game-tying homer to
Atlanta's Dave Justice in the ninth inning
in a game the Reds would ultimately lose
in 13 innings. The pitch selection came
under scrutiny after the game, as I was in
the coaches office with the pitching chart
from the game.
Dibble was pumping his high octane gas
that night, registering over 100 mph on
my radar gun multiple times; but he
couldn't blow one by Justice who at the
time was an emerging star.
After winning the World Championship in
1990, the '91 season of losing was too
much for Lou to accept. At the time we
were in third place, 8-1/2 games back;
but that didn't matter to Lou, who thought
even in late August that we had a
chance at the division crown.
In the coaches office after the game, he
asked me how hard Dibble was throwing.
I noted that Dibs was hitting 99 to 100
mph on the gun. Well, Lou grabbed the
clipboard from me and threw it against
the wall in disgust, before he walked out
of the room and to his office mumbling
something about not caring how hard he
threw and that our right-hander needed
to throw some sliders too.
I wasn't fazed... it was vintage Lou.
He wanted to win.
Editor's Note: Baseball is gonna miss
"Sweet Lou"... I may fire up another story
on Friday. Quote credit at the top of this
piece is from the web site
baseball-almanac.com.
(8/27/10)
While most give credit to Piniella for the
resurgence of the Cincinnati Reds in
1990, which saw baseball's oldest
franchise win the World Championship
over Oakland's Bash Brothers, the truth
is eccentric owner Marge Schott had
some voodoo going to help Lou's Boys.
I can still remember seeing Marge take
some of the hair from her infamous St.
Bernard dog, Schottzie, out of a bag and
rubbing on the chest of Lou's uniform for
good luck prior to games. After Marge
departed, Lou would just roll his eyes in
disbelief.
No wonder Piniella lasted just three
seasons in Marge Schott's Cincinnati Nut
Farm.
With Cincinnati making another run at
the NL pennant in 2010, I asked a Reds
scout the other day if the club was going
to exhume Schottzie in search of some
scraps of dog hair to rub on manager
Dusty Baker's chest.
The scout didn't think so....
Editor's Note: I should have kept notes
from my six years with the Reds, it would
have made an awesome book, though I
am not sure if anyone would have
believed the stories.
Part 1
"I'd rather be a swing man on a
championship team than a regular on
another team." - Lou Piniella
Not many players or managers in the
history of the game will be re-membered
for having the desire to win like Lou
Piniella.
He made the most of his talent, as many
of us who grew up watching Piniella will
remember Lou for taking the extra base
despite his pedestrian speed and the
running grabs that saw his hat flying off
as he fell to the outfield grass which
were far from graceful, but successful
due to heart.
My baseball paths crossed with Lou
during the 1990-91 seasons while we
were both with the Cincinnati Reds. I was
the Assistant Farm Director at the time
when Lou was leading us to the 1990
World Championship.
As video clips reminded us this weekend
following his retirement from baseball; he
was a hat kicking, base throwing and
once a wrestling manager, who managed
his clubs to win.
I remember a game, August 21, 1991,
where set up man Rob Dibble gave up a
two-out. three-run game-tying homer to
Atlanta's Dave Justice in the ninth inning
in a game the Reds would ultimately lose
in 13 innings. The pitch selection came
under scrutiny after the game, as I was in
the coaches office with the pitching chart
from the game.
Dibble was pumping his high octane gas
that night, registering over 100 mph on
my radar gun multiple times; but he
couldn't blow one by Justice who at the
time was an emerging star.
After winning the World Championship in
1990, the '91 season of losing was too
much for Lou to accept. At the time we
were in third place, 8-1/2 games back;
but that didn't matter to Lou, who thought
even in late August that we had a
chance at the division crown.
In the coaches office after the game, he
asked me how hard Dibble was throwing.
I noted that Dibs was hitting 99 to 100
mph on the gun. Well, Lou grabbed the
clipboard from me and threw it against
the wall in disgust, before he walked out
of the room and to his office mumbling
something about not caring how hard he
threw and that our right-hander needed
to throw some sliders too.
I wasn't fazed... it was vintage Lou.
He wanted to win.
Editor's Note: Baseball is gonna miss
"Sweet Lou"... I may fire up another story
on Friday. Quote credit at the top of this
piece is from the web site
baseball-almanac.com.
(8/27/10)
