1975 Profile: Lou Piniella

"Sweet Lou. He was the .300 hitter he predicted he would be when the Yankees acquired him from the Royals, and a hustling player who added enthusiasm, drive and class to the team.
'He's a terrific person,' says Roy White, the man he replaced in left field. Lou does not have much speed but was a good defensive outfielder with the Yankees. He had the strength of character to own up to his fielding misplay which brought about the team's pennant race elimination on the next-to-last night of the season.
'My little boy could have caught it,' he said, 'and he's five.'
Born in Tampa, Florida, Lou was AL Rookie of the Year with the expansion Royals in 1969. His fiery Spanish has subsided over the years; Lou possesses a fine sense of humor."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1975 Edition

"Seldom has a new man in town captured the hearts of fans as Lou Piniella did last year. The handsome Floridian, obtained in a deal involving Lindy McDaniel, led the Yankees with a .305 batting average, was second in the league in assists by an outfielder, never slumped over the entire season, and proved himself to be a competitive and colorful addition to the Yankee tradition.
Lou has a flair for the game which extends itself far beyond his abundant talents. His love of the sport manifests itself by the tremendous hustle, determination and desire with which he approaches each game, and they are attributes readily apparent to fans.
The 31-year-old veteran was the American League's Rookie of the Year in 1969, when he broke in with Kansas City and launched his successful major league career. Yankee fans have fallen in love with Sweet Lou, and in turn, Lou loves being a Yankee."

-The New York Yankees Official 1975 Yearbook

"One of the better trades in Yankee history brought Sweet Lou to New York. Coming off a disappointing year, he bounced back to lead the Yankees with a .305 average to raise his career mark to .288. It was his third time over .300 for a full season, and his average never fell below .292 for the entire '74 campaign.
Lou was the American League's Rookie of the Year in 1969, when he became a last-minute acquisition of the Kansas City Royals in their first season. The Seattle Pilots had drafted Lou from Cleveland, but he went to Kansas City on April 1 in a deal involving ex-Yankee Steve Whitaker. He went on to become the all-time Royals' leader in games, at-bats, hits, doubles, triples, total bases and runs batted in.
It took a long time for Lou to establish himself. Signed by Cleveland scout Spud Chandler (the ex-Yankee) in 1962, he was drafted by Washington later that year. He was traded to Baltimore in 1964, and back to Cleveland in 1966.
Piniella is a tough competitor who gets mad at himself on the field, but who's as likable as any man to ever wear the Yankee uniform.
He played mostly left field last year and recorded 16 assists, tied for third in the league behind teammates Murcer and Maddox. Lou was a member of the 1972 All-Star team and finished second in the American League in batting that year.
A popular banquet speaker who has worked as an investment banker in off-seasons, Lou's hobbies include golf, fishing and chess."

-1975 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide