St. Petersburg, FL (My Sportsbook) - The
Tampa Bay Devil Rays introduced Lou Piniella as the third manager in team history on Monday. Piniella agreed to a four-year contract worth $3.25 million per season, with up to $3 million in incentives based on how many games the Devil Rays win.
The Devil Rays have never won more than 69 games in a season in their five- year history, but Piniella resurrected the Seattle Mariners' franchise when he took over as manager after the 1992 campaign.
"I was in the Seattle organization for 10 long years, and I enjoyed it tremendously. It's one of the elite organizations in baseball. My job here is to do just that, to make the Tampa Devil Rays...one of the elite organizations in baseball. And with a little patience and a little time, believe me, we'll get it done. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Tampa Bay was granted permission by the Mariners to talk with Piniella regarding the position. The Devil Rays and Mariners agreed on compensation for Piniella last week. The compensation worked out was that the Devil Rays acquired shortstop Antonio Perez from the Mariners in exchange for outfielder Randy Winn.
Piniella, a Tampa native, was released from his contract with Seattle at his request. He was slated to make $6.8 million in 2003 with the Mariners in the final season of a three-year deal, but wanted to take a job closer to his family.
"It's certainly a homecoming of sorts for me," Piniella said. "When I talked to the Seattle people about possibly getting closer to home, well, I am home, and I couldn't be more pleased. Managing a baseball team is a special privilege, and when you can do it in your hometown, it's even more special."
Piniella posted an 840-711 record and twice was named the American League Manager of the Year in 10 seasons with Seattle. He led the Mariners 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 with a record of 93-69 in a very strong AL West this season, behind Oakland and Anaheim, and missed the playoffs.
Piniella, who managed the Reds for three seasons, also was the skipper of the New York Yankees for two-plus seasons. After managing the Yankees in 1986 and '87, he was named general manager in October 1987. He returned to the dugout in June of 1988 for the remainder of the season after manager Billy Martin was fired.
In 18 seasons as a player, Piniella hit .291 with 102 home runs and 766 RBI. The 59-year-old played for Baltimore, Cleveland, and Kansas City, but spent most of his career with the Yankees.
Piniella was born in Tampa and went to high school there before attending the University of Tampa, where he was an All-America baseball player.
Tampa Bay fired Hal McRae with one year remaining on his contract after losing a franchise-record 106 games this season.
"I look forward to putting in as much work as needed to help get this thing to where we want it to be," Piniella said. "Believe me, this city and this area will enjoy watching our team play. They're going to play hard, they're going to play with intensity and they're going to play to win."
The 21-year-old Perez was recently named the fourth best prospect in the Mariners' organization.
Winn, a 28-year-old who has played center field for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, hit .298 with 39 doubles, nine triples and 14 home runs in 2002, while driving in 75 runs as the Devil Rays leadoff hitter. He led Tampa Bay in hits (181), total bases (280), doubles, triples, runs (87), RBIs and stolen bases (27). He was second in average and on-base percentage (.360).
"Randy is a player we've liked for quite a while," Seattle general manager Pat Gillick said. "We think we've filled a hole we had on our club as we look to the 2003 season. Perez is a player that we think has a bright future, but the opportunity to add a player entering his prime like Winn was something we could not pass up."
