Major League Baseball

Reaction to Lou Piniella's retirement

Published Aug. 22, 2010 6:59 p.m. ET

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Quotes on Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who retired after Sunday's 16-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves:

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''He was fiery. But the fact that they keep showing the clips of him going off on umpires, that's only a small part of Lou Piniella's career. I've come to like Lou a lot. I've played against him, I've seen him manage, and what stands out most is that he doesn't care what you say or do - he's going to run his club the way he wants to run it.'' - Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker.

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''Lou's been so good for this game. I guess you have to say that sometimes enough is enough, especially when in spring training you expect so much from the club. He's a Hall of Famer and I hope he'll enjoy his life. Baseball needs people like Lou Piniella.'' - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

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''He was the same as a manager that he was as a hitter. I mean, he went berserk as a hitter - and I say that with love and respect. It meant a lot to him, and the game means a lot to him. So I think a lot of the antics - which don't go away unfortunately thanks to our friends on TV ... I think it distracts you from what basically he's all about. And that's being a winner. He's had success pretty much everywhere he's gone.'' - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

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''He was a fantastic manager and a very close friend. It's tough when anybody has to leave the game, maybe because of his mother's illness. He's a very good teacher, a very good manager of people. He's more worried about what's going on off the field then what's on the field with you. From a personal standpoint, he helped me with a lot of personal issues so that I can go out and be the best professional baseball player that I can be.'' - former Cincinnati Reds reliever Rob Dibble.

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''He's a terrific winner and they're strugging. I'm sure he's suffering. He's had a great career.'' St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

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''Most of our time together was a little more fire than ice. A lot of my times that I remember is just a lot of heated conversations in the heat of the battle, but I think in the long run, I turned out to be a better ballplayer for it.'' - Houston Astros infielder Geoff Blum, who played for Piniella in 2004 with Tampa Bay.

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''He was just a winner. Every day he came to the park and expected the guys to win. He instilled a winning attitude with the Mariners and helped turn around that franchise. His record speaks for itself.'' - Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest, who spent 10 years in the Mariners organization and worked with Piniella.

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