"Piniella had his worst major league season in 1973, hitting .250 with nine homers, but he has in the past been a good hitter and was a career .294 hitter going into the season.
Lou was Rookie of the Year in 1969. He started in the Cleveland organization, went to Seattle in the expansion draft and they traded him to K.C. before the '69 season.
Lou has a bad temper. He may have the A.L. record for most water coolers destroyed in a single season, and one time in Boston was so outraged he did a dive - front position, belly flop - into the dugout after striking out.
Born in Tampa, Lou went to the University of Tampa and was a college division All-American.
He's not exactly a picturesque outfielder. In fact, he might have trouble with insurance policies unless he's a DH."
-Peter Gammons, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1974 Edition
"A warm welcome to Lou Piniella, newest member of the Yankee outfield, and one of the most accomplished hitters in the American League!
Lou's coming to New York at the Winter Meetings last November was hailed as a master trade. By getting the exciting and colorful Piniella, the Yankees picked up an established baseball player of quality, ready to step into the lineup and play a big part in the fortunes of 1974.
The American League's Rookie of the Year in 1969, Lou won the award a year after Stan Bahnsen and a year before Thurman Munson. He had been in spring training that season with the expansion Seattle Pilots, but before the season began was traded to Kansas City, another expansion team, for one-time Yankee Steve Whitaker. As an original Royal, Lou twice hit .300 and in 1972 finished second in the league with a .312 mark.
Fans will find Lou a totally competitive player, totally absorbed in every game, and occasionally excitable when things don't go the Yankees' way. But as for the trade last November which landed Lou in pinstripes - things went the Yankees' way that day, and Lou's mighty happy to be in New York!"
-The New York Yankees Official 1974 Yearbook
"The biggest name among the new faces on the Yankee roster this spring, Lou Piniella joins the club after an outstanding career with Kansas City. He leaves the Royals as their all-time leader in games, at-bats, hits, doubles, triples, total bases and runs batted in. He was the only man to be in the Opening Day lineup for the Royals in every year of their existence. He was a member of the 1972 All-Star team.
Lou was a last-minute acquisition by Kansas City, joining the club on April 1, 1969 in a trade for ex-Yankee Steve Whitaker and pitcher John Gelnar. The trade was made with the old Seattle Pilots, who had drafted Lou from Cleveland in the expansion draft. It turned out to be a great trade, as Lou went on to win the 1969 Rookie of the Year award in the American League, then followed that by hitting .300 twice in the next three years, including .312 in 1972 which was the second best mark in the league.
It took Lou a long time to establish himself. Signed by Cleveland scout Spud Chandler (former Yankee star) in 1962, he was drafted by Washington following that season, traded to Baltimore in 1964, then traded back to Cleveland in 1966. For all the shuffling, he played only four games with the Orioles and six with the Indians but was always rated a top prospect.
Lou is a semester away from a degree at the University of Tampa. He has worked in the off-season as an investment banker, but now owns a motorcycle shop in Kansas. He enjoys fishing, golf and chess."
-1974 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide
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