Things We’ll Miss About Lou…
Jesus and I may not love the uni he’s been donning the last few years; but heck, it’d be pretty sacrilegious to hate on a man who has provided the masses with unfettered improvisational entertainment throughout his entire career.
So Al, I and the RSBS interns would all like to wish Lou Piniella the very best in his retirement while reminiscing on those things we’ll miss the most about him:
His Preggers Belly
You know the drill. Lou shows up to Arizona in the Spring in excellent shape, nary a roll on his tummy. A few hapless months of frustrating baseball and countless cold ones later and he magically looks like he oughta be resting for the end of his third trimester. Some managers utilize the brim of their caps to intimidate umpires during a raucous; Lou bumps bellies.
His Indomitable Will
Whether it’s dealing with Sori’s hop, Rob Dibble’s grappling moves or Zambrano’s homicidal tendencies, Lou Piniella never seems to show a weak link. He can fight. He will fight. He will fight you… if you give him a reason. And the chance. That is the epitome of bad@$$ and that’s why I would love to take Lou out drinking sometime. 
His Love for the Bottle
Realize that I realize that I am taking certain liberties in proclaiming that Lou has a love for booze. I mean, he’s a man. He’s also a ballplayer. And he’s often seen in the clubhouse with a drink in his hand. So that makes him like 90% of the people I know on earth (me included) which makes me like him even more. It almost makes me want to bar hop the Tampa Bay metro area until I eventually run into him. I can’t promise I’ll be able to form coherent sentences at that point, but I would sure try.
Be good, Lou. Be good.
And come back if ya want. Baseball without you just won’t be the same.
Hate me ‘cuz I hate on your sCrUBBIES, just don’t hate me ‘cuz I’m right.
Peace,
Jeff
Red State Blue State 
Jeff,
Lou did not have love of the grape like the Rays current skipper, but he did have a love of a good bottle and a great cigar. Piniella was known to be a great lover of the best of things his position enabled him to enjoy because of his stature.
I always liked hearing Piniella laugh with fellow coach and great friend Matt Sinatro when he was with the Rays. Lou will find another way to entertain us within the scope of the game…But next time he will have a suit on, and might make all of us marvel at his intelligence and savvy too.
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com
Can you imagine all the stories he could tell you Jeff if you were to have drinks with him? Heck I’d bar hop the Tampa Bay metro to hear them. Yep, baseball without Lou wont’ be the same.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com
Aw, Lou….he is quite the character. Baseball will miss him. I hope he decides to come back eventually. I’m going to miss his eruptions.
-Virginia
http://southernbelle.mlblogs.com
RR — Maybe he’ll swing by your favorite watering hole. I expect pictures if he does!
Emma — I’m sure those stories (most of them anyway) would be rated NC-17.
Virginia — I think he’s done now. Could be wrong… we’ll see.
–Jeff
Love the belly. It’s like he grows a new one every year. I’d be surprised if he stays retired; playing golf and going fishing can get boring for a guy with all that passion for the game.
I was never a big fan of Lou’s before he got to the Cubs. And he wasn’t the Lou with the Cubs that fans thought they were getting.
He was an ***-kicking boss with the Reds and Seattle, he was my crazy old Uncle Larry with the Cubs.
Still, the guy was in baseball for 50 years and it’s sad to see him go out this way, even for family reasons.
http://wrigleyregular.mlblogs.com/
Jane — Haha! So right. I think I would enjoy fishing and golfing all the time. If only I could afford to retire…
Russel — You’re right in your analysis. He was different with the Cubs. Futility does strange things to people.
–Jeff
Yes baseball will not be the same, but then didn’t someone once say something about the need for ‘Change’ (he says sarcastically)…. just one less character to find endless humor in, the ‘homer simpson’ of the sCrUBS..
-peter
http://devilabrit.mlblogs.com
Are you comparing the POTUS to Lou, Peter? Light years apart… yet curiously intriguing.
–Jeff
He lost a chunk of the belly and a big part of the fire went along with it. Maybe that was his downfall.
http://www.paullebowitz.com/
http://princeofny.blogspot.com/