This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CINCINNATI -- Lou Piniella is best remembered in Cincinnati for managing the Reds to a "wire-to-wire" 1990 season that culminated in a World Series championship. But Piniella is beloved for one act of rage that happened late in that special season.
An enraged Piniella threw first base. Not once, but twice.
How memorable was this moment? During Saturday's tribute video on the scoreboard for Piniella as he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame, a big still photo of the moment was one of the first images shown.
“I wished, truthfully, now that I’m 82 years old and hopefully a lot smarter, I wished I had toned it down some," Piniella said. "Usually I’m an easygoing guy, but on the field, I’m very competitive."
On Aug. 21, 1990, at Riverfront Stadium, the play that brought Piniella storming out of the Reds' dugout came when Barry Larkin was called out at first base while trying to beat out a double play that ended the sixth inning. An incensed Piniella argued with first-base umpire Dutch Rennert, slammed his cap to the AstroTurf and drew an ejection.
That was only the beginning. Not finished dressing down Rennert, Piniella yanked first base itself from the dirt patch and threw it. Then he retrieved the bag and made a one-armed heave of it into right field.
The Reds may have led the National League West every day of that 1990 season, but they had entered that night's game vs. the Cubs with a five-game losing streak. The Dodgers and Giants were 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 games back, respectively, in the division standings.
Piniella had no intention of taking his foot off the gas. He also remembered some advice given to him years earlier by his former boss, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
"I know when I first started managing, Mr. Steinbrenner told me, ‘Look, when you get mad at the umpire, put on a little show. The people enjoy it. I get the back page of the Daily News and New York Post. I’ll pay your fines.’ So I took that to heart," Piniella said.
Was Reds then-owner Marge Schott as generous about paying Piniella's fine for the base-tossing?
“Marge was a little reluctant but she did," Piniella said.
Incidentally, the Reds beat the Cubs, 8-1, to snap their losing streak.
Having logged 64 career ejections, Piniella is tied for 14th all-time with Clint Hurdle and Bill Rigney.
If he were still managing today, Piniella likely would have fewer reasons to argue with umpires. The rules now include the ability to challenge on-field calls with replay reviews, and balls and strikes can be challenged with the ABS Challenge System.
“It would have suited me just fine," Piniella said. "Although I honestly feel that the fans miss a good argument every once in a while. It’s fun for them. Baseball is a sport, it’s a business but it’s also entertainment. You’ve got to entertain the folks some too. But I think I would like this better. It would have saved me a few ejections, quite a few ejections.”