Piniella set to enter Mariners Hall of Fame

SEATTLE -- Lou Piniella, the winningest manager in Mariners history, will become the eighth member of the club's Hall of Fame during a ceremony before Saturday's 6:10 p.m. PT game against the White Sox at Safeco Field.

The induction ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. and the first 20,000 fans will receive a Piniella Hall of Fame bobblehead. Tickets are still available through mariners.com.

Piniella will join the seven members of the Mariners Hall of Fame: Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson and Ken Griffey Jr.

Piniella is the only Mariners manager with a career record over .500 as he guided the team to seven winning seasons in his 10 years in Seattle, including the only four playoff appearances in franchise history.

Piniella led the team to its dramatic 1995 postseason run and also was the skipper of the record-setting 116-win team in 2001. Overall, he posted a .542 record (840-711) and won three American League West championships in his decade in Seattle.

Piniella managed in the Major Leagues for 23 years and was American League Manager of the Year in 1995 and '01 with Seattle and the NL Manager of the Year in '08 with the Cubs. He retired in 2010 with a career .517 winning percentage, having guided the Yankees (1986-88), Reds (1990-92), Mariners (1993-02), Rays (2003-05) and Cubs (2007-10).

To be eligible for selection, an individual must have been active in a Mariners uniform for at least five seasons and be retired at least two years. In addition to his impact on the field, other considerations for induction include a positive impact on the Northwest community outside of baseball and a positive impact in enhancing the image of the Mariners and/or Major League Baseball.