Former Mariners manager Lou Piniella fell one vote short of Hall of Fame
One more vote would have been so sweet for Lou.
Yes, just one vote. Former Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella needed 12 votes from the 16 members of the Today’s Game Era Committee to earn election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and it was announced Sunday at the first day of MLB’s winter meetings in Las Vegas that he fell short with 11 total votes.
Piniella just missed joining Harold Baines and Lee Smith as those who will be enshrined in Cooperstown on July 21. The others nominated for the Today’s Game Era ballot who were not elected to the Hall of Fame were Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel and George Steinbrenner.
So Baines and Smith will join the Hall of Famers who are elected in Baseball Writers’ Association of America votes, which will be announced on Jan. 22.
If Piniella didn’t get in, at least it appears Edgar Martinez most surely will as long as he continues at this pace.
Ryan Thibodaux keeps track of the BBWAA ballots (at least, the ones made public) and as of Sunday night former Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez had received votes in each of the 29 public ballots in his 10th and final year of candidacy. and if Baines just got in, a two-time designated hitter of the year award winner, then surely Martinez should. That DH award was later re-named to The Edgar Martinez Award.
Piniella managed Martinez from 1993-2002 with the Mariners and he amassed more wins than any other manager in Seattle’s history, going 840-711. Current manager Scott Servais is second on that list with 253 wins since taking over in 2016.
Piniella managed the Reds to the 1990 World Series title, led the 2001 Mariners to a record 116 wins and was named manager of the year three times (1995 with the Mariners, 2001 with the Mariners and 2008 with the Cubs).
That was all after an 18-year playing career that included two World Series rings with the 1977 and 1978 Yankees.
Piniella’s next chance to earn Hall of Fame consideration would be when the Today’s Game Era Committee meets again in 2021.
Mariners lose assistant GM
Mariners assistant general manager Jeff Kingston, who had been with the club for the past nine seasons dating back to Jack Zduriencik’s GM tenure, resigned Sunday to take the same position with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kingston was current Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto’s top assistant, which means Justin Hollander slides into that role. He was promoted to director of baseball operations and assistant general manager on Nov. 1.
This story was originally published December 9, 2018 at 8:51 PM.
