Lou Piniella Named a Finalist on Baseball Hall of Fame Contemporary Ballot

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced today that former Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella is one of eight finalists on the Contemporary Era Ballot for the Class of 2027, which includes executives, managers and umpires.

Piniella spent 23 seasons as a Major League manager, highlighted by 10 seasons with the Mariners (1993-2002), where his teams compiled a .542 winning percentage. Piniella also spent 4 years managing the Chicago Cubs (2007-10), and 3 years each with the New York Yankees (1986-88), Cincinnati Reds (1990-92) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003-05).

Over 10 seasons as Seattle manager, Piniella posted a record of 840–711 (.542) and led the club to 4 Postseason appearances. He is the all-time winningest manager in club history and will be one of 12 members of the Mariners Hall of Fame when longtime broadcaster Rick Rizzs is inducted in 2027.

“Lou Piniella was a winner in every sense of the word,” said Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner John Stanton. “That passion defined his career as a player and during 23 years as a Major League manager. In his decade in Seattle, he reshaped our franchise, gave our team its heartbeat, led us to our first postseason in 1995, and delivered an MLB-record-tying 116-win season in 2001.”

Piniella led the 5 Major League clubs he managed to a combined 1,835 wins, 17th-most all-time and 8th-most since in the Divisional Era (since 1969). Of the 16 managers ahead of Piniella on the all-time wins list, 12 are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Piniella was named the 9th full-time manager of the Mariners on Nov. 9, 1992 and led the club to a winning record in his first season at the helm. Two years later in 1995, he guided the Mariners to their first playoff appearance despite the team facing a 13-game deficit in the AL West on Aug. 3. Piniella navigated the Mariners to their first of 3 division titles after defeating the Angels in a 1-game tiebreaker.

Of his 21 full seasons at the helm, Piniella’s clubs finished 1st or 2nd in the standings 11 times, highlighted by a World Series championship in 1990 with Cincinnati and a Major League record-tying 116 wins in 2001 with Seattle, tying the 1906 Chicago Cubs. Piniella engineered 8 seasons of 90+ victories, with 4 different clubs.

Piniella guided his clubs to 7 Postseason appearances: 4 with Seattle, 2 with the Cubs and 1 with the Reds. His 7 Postseason appearances included 4 appearances in the League Championship Series – 3 with the Mariners – and a World Series title with the Reds in 1990. He won 6 division titles with 3 clubs: one with Cincinnati (1990), 3 with Seattle (1995, ’97, 2001) and 2 with the Cubs (2007-08).

In 23 seasons as a big league skipper, Piniella received Manager of the Year votes in 14 seasons and won the award 3 times: 1995 and 2001 with Seattle, and 2008 with the Cubs.

In the 2 decades from 1990-2009, Piniella totaled 1,560 wins, 4th-most among any manager over that span. He trailed only Hall of Fame managers Bobby Cox (1,792), Joe Torre (1,703) and Tony La Russa (1,701).

Over 18 Major League seasons as an outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles (1964), Cleveland (1968), Kansas City Royals (1969-73) and New York Yankees (1974-84), Piniella was a career .291 hitter, totaling 1,705 hits, 305 doubles, 102 home runs and 766 RBI. He was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 1972.

Piniella is one of 4 people in Major League history with at least 1,500 managerial wins and 1,500 hits as a player, along with Hall of Famers Joe Torre and Fred Clarke, as well as Dusty Baker.

The 16-member Contemporary Era Committee will vote on the 8 finalists on Sunday, Dec. 6. Finalists who receive votes on at least 75% of ballots (at least 12 of 16 votes) cast by the committee will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027.