Seattle, WA (My Sportsbook) - Lou Piniella will not be the manager of the Seattle Mariners next season.

"Following a full and friendly discussion, Lou indicated that for personal and family reasons, he needed to reside and work closer to his family home in Tampa Bay," according to a statement released by the Mariners on Monday. "For these reasons, he had made the decision not to return to Seattle as the Mariners field manager for the 2003 baseball season."

"Lou said that his decision was motivated solely by personal and family reasons, including the distance between Seattle and Tampa Bay, and had 'nothing to do with baseball'."

"While the Mariners regret Lou's decision, we understand his family situation and his need to reside and work closer to home. To respect Lou's privacy, the Mariners will not comment further on the matters discussed at the Tampa Bay meeting."

The Mariners noted that they still have the rights to Piniella's services and will try to work out a deal with another team looking for a manager.

Twice the AL Manager of the Year, Piniella owns an 840-711 record in 10 seasons with Seattle, which he led to four playoff appearances. Last season, Seattle tied the major league record with 116 wins and made it to the AL Championship Series for a second straight season. Piniella managed the Cincinnati Reds to a World Series title in 1990.

The Mariners finished third in a very strong AL West this season, behind Oakland and Anaheim, and missed the playoffs.