Lou Piniella Announces Retirement, Cubs Trounce Astros

On a day Lou Piniella announced that his long MLB career as a manager is about to end, the Chicago Cubs showed their appreciation for his contribution to the team by rallying to beat the Houston Astros, 14-7.

Piniella announced on Tuesday that he would be retiring at the end of the season, closing the book on a managerial career that has lasted 22 years. Piniella, 66, said it was time that he spent more time with his family, from whom he has been away for most of his MLB stint. “I’ve been away from home since 1962. That’s about 50 years,” said Piniella, who started his MLB career as a player in 1964 and was an All-American during his stint at University of Tampa.

Meanwhile, the Cubs used Piniella’s announcement as a motivation, rallying from a 1-7 deficit in the fifth inning. Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth, the second of three he hit for the day, to cap a strong inning that saw the Cubs score five runs off Wesley Wright. Geovany Soto tied the score with a solo homer in the sixth, and the rout was on from there. The Cubs scored seven more runs from the seventh inning onwards, giving Piniella a reason to smile after a tiring day. “It was emotional and draining, but it is over with and now my situation doesn’t have to be disturbed anymore and we can concentrate on the team, which is important,” he said.