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Thank you, Lou
A Times Editorial
Published October 1, 2005
This is Lou Piniella's last weekend managing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. That is a sentence that should not have been written for years, after sell-out crowds and playoff victories. But there is no storybook ending for the local hero who returned home to lead the Rays to glory.
It isn't Lou's fault, of course. Team owners broke their promise to spend the money necessary to win, or at least be competitive. And Lou is all about scratching and clawing and battling - and winning. The losing and the penny-pinching frustrated the fans, but it ate him up.
There were some bright spots. Last season Lou led the team out of last place and won a franchise-record 70 games. This season the Rays have been a joy to watch since the All-Star break, with a core of hustling young players whose scrappy play has made their manager tear up. Just a couple more players, a little more money....
It turns out you can come home again. You just can't win when the ownership is cheap. Thanks for giving it your best shot, Lou.
[Last modified October 1, 2005, 01:45:17]
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