Major League Baseball

Piniella retires after Sunday's game

Published Aug. 22, 2010 4:54 p.m. ET

foxsports

Saying his mom needs him to come home, Cubs manager Lou Piniella decided to step down after Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves.

Piniella said last month he planned to retire at the end of the season and reiterated his plans just Saturday. But he missed four games in August to be with his ailing mom in Florida and felt he needed to spend more time with her.

''My mom needs me home,'' Piniella said. ''She hasn't gotten any better since I've been here. She's had a couple other complications, and rather than continue to go home, come back, it's not fair to the team, it's not fair to the players. So the best thing is just to step down and go home and take care of my mother.''

Entering Sunday's game, Piniella's overall record was 1,835-1,713 (.517). He trails only Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre in victories among active managers.

Piniella's record with the Cubs was 316-293. Under the mellowed skipper, Chicago won consecutive NL Central titles in 2007-08, but missed the playoffs last year and slipped back even further this season with a new owner in charge.

Piniella exchanged lineup cards with longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox, who is retiring after this season, and posed for a picture before Sunday's game.

In 18 years in the majors as a player and another 22 as a manager, Piniella made five trips to the World Series and has three championship rings.

Piniella began managing in 1986 with the Yankees and lasted three years, including a stint as general manager. He managed the Reds from 1990-92, leading them to a World Series championship in his first season. He also got national attention during his time there for a clubhouse wrestling match with reliever Rob Dibble, who downplayed the incident and said ''we've been family ever since.''

After Cincinnati, Piniella had a long run in Seattle, where his teams won at least 90 games four times and 116 in 2001. The three-time manager of the year also spent three seasons in Tampa Bay's dugout.

''I'll have plenty of time to reflect, I will,'' Piniella said. ''I've enjoyed it. It's a wonderful place to work and wonderful people to work with and for. To end a career in a place like Wrigley (Field) in a city like Chicago with these wonderful fans, I couldn't be more appreciative to the Cub organization.''