Piniella to Step Down after Today's Game

Today will be Lou's last day on the bench.

We all knew Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella had already announced that this would be his last season. We just didn't think it would come about so soon, but you can't blame him.

Gordan Witt of the Chicago Sun-Times tweeted earlier today that Piniella will step down after today's game against the Atlanta Braves. According to the Cubs website, Mike Quade, the Cubs third base coach, will take over the team for the remainder of the season.

Piniella has cited family matters as the reason for his abrupt departure. It doesn't hurt that the Cubs have fallen completely off the baseball landscape this season either. They enter today 20.5 games behind the division leading Cincinnati Reds. Makes this move, family concerns not withstanding, all the easier.

The one issue from 2010 that most non-Cubs fans will remember about the Cubs is the Carlos Zambrano situation at U.S. Cellular field. Z simply blew up.

For me, I hate to see Lou leave baseball. Call it a biased opinion as I live close to Cincinnati. I saw Lou lead the Reds to a World Series sweep of the A's in 1990, a season I will never forget. I am also a Mariners follower. To see Lou head to the Emerald City was a substantial bonus.

I've seen Lou at his best. I've seen him at his base-throwing worst. And I have loved having the pleasure of seeing almost every minute of it.

I wish Lou and his family the best.