"Standing in front of a full-length mirror at 3 o'clock in the morning, modeling his batting stance, Lou Piniella continues his career-long search. Sweet Lou is looking for that one distinct difference. He's continuously analyzing his swing, the extension of his arms and the shifting of his body weight as he simply waits for a pitch. Anytime, anywhere there's a mirror, Lou will pick up his imaginary bat and begin the whole process again. He's insistent on finding that perfect stroke.
Not that Lou has to look very far. After all, he's exceeded .300 five times in his career- and is a .295 hitter in his seven Yankee seasons. It took a while (seven years in the minors) for Lou Piniella to make it to the big show, but he started by winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1969 with the Royals and had five successful seasons before coming over to the Yankees.
Now it's been a dozen years in the majors and Lou continues to joke with reporters and teammates, regaling stories of retirement and a future in the Tampa Bay Beer League. But all that hard off-season training this year wasn't for a future in a semi-pro league. It was a professional hitter getting ready for his 20th professional season."
-The New York Yankees Official 1981 Yearbook
"Piniella started the 1980 season slowly but came on to challenge the .300 mark. He had a 10-game hitting streak from May 27 through June 10 to raise his average from .185 to .257. He stayed around the .250 mark until August 11 when he went on a tear at the plate. From then through September 4 he batted .472 (34-for-72), including an 18-for-21 stretch and a nine-game hitting streak. His average on September 4 was an impressive .310.
Used mostly as a left fielder against left-handed pitching, Lou homered just twice during the season but connected against Larry Gura for a solo shot in Game 1 of the ALCS. In 1980, for the first time in his career, he had more walks than strikeouts.
On November 9, Lou was admitted to a Tampa hospital complaining of chest pains and congestion. Doctors described his condition as 'simple fatigue' and released him several days later. Lou worked out most of the winter in preparation for the 1981 season.
A consistent player, Piniella is recognized as one of baseball's 'most professional hitters.' He has always been extremely tough for the Yankees in the clutch, has a .295 career batting average as a Yankee, and has batted .307 in his last four seasons in New York. Lou just missed the .300 mark in 1979, hitting .297, but made his hits count, batting .341 with men on base and .342 with men in scoring position. In 1978 he was the fourth best hitter in the American League (.314) and hit a career high .330 in 1977.
Lou missed most of the 1975 season with an inner ear problem that required mid-season surgery. He returned to regular duty in 1976 and was runner-up to teammate Dock Ellis for Comeback Player of the Year. Lou became a Yankee in December 1973 along with Ken Wright, coming from Kansas City in a trade for Lindy McDaniel. With the Royals, Lou was AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and an AL All-Star in 1972.
Originally signed by Cleveland scout Spud Chandler on June 9, 1962, Piniella was drafted by the Washington Senators on November 26 of that year, and on August 4, 1964 was traded to the Baltimore organization for Lester Narum. The Orioles sent him back to Cleveland for Cam Carreon on March 10, 1966. Lou was selected in the October 1968 American League expansion draft by the Seattle Pilots.
Lou has always been an excellent postseason performer. In 1980 he homered against Kansas City, in 1978 he hit safely in all six World Series games, and in 1977 hit safely in all five ALCS games and in the first four World Series contests.
He has twice had two outfield assists in the same inning to equal a major league record; once on June 20, 1979 and the other time on May 27, 1974.
Always one of the Yanks' most exciting players, fans welcome each of his at-bats with chants of 'Lou, Lou.' A lifetime native of the Tampa, Florida area, Lou is of Spanish ancestry. He enjoys the stock market."
-1981 New York Yankees Media Guide
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