Piniella Says Rays' Owners Not Interested In The Present; Says He's Not Responsible

[SoCal Pinstriper]

The losing is taking it's toll.

Piniella said the New York-based owners who bought a controlling share of the perennially poor-performing franchise a year ago don't seem to care about Tampa Bay's current on-field product.

"They're not interested in the present, they're interested in the future. And that's their right," he said. "But when other teams are getting better presently, you're going to get your butts beat and that's exactly what's happening."

He continued:

"I'm not going to take responsibility for this," Piniella said in pregame remarks to reporters. "If I had been given a $40 million or $45 million payroll, I'd stand up like a man and say it's my fault. Well, I'm not going to do it. So if you want answers about what's going on here, you call the new ownership group and let them give them to you."

"When I came here three years ago, we talked about a situation where we wanted to win now and we were interested in winning now," Piniella said. "And you know what? With a small payroll we [improved] from 55 [victories] to 63 and then to 70. This was supposed to be a breakout year. The problem is we've got a new ownership group here that's changed the direction of where we're headed."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2083511

[PippyPinstripes]

Come, Lou. We need you.

[IronCaballo4]

Come, Lou. We need you.

Amen!

[bleachersown]

Lou is right. One can only imagine how good Tampa will be when all their young talent comes of age.

[Mattpat11]

They're interested in the future?

This job will give him a stroke.

[ring403]

A $29 million payroll?! I still can't fathom why an owner would be allowed to take over a team, and invest so little into the product. It's an embarrassment to the league, and a shame for fanbase in Tampa Bay.
As for Piniella, he was always one of my favorite players, and has become a great manager. I'd love to see him back in pinstripes one day.

[Epy7280]

Come, Lou. We need you.

ditto

[YankeeFan1]

A $29 million payroll?! I still can't fathom why an owner would be allowed to take over a team, and invest so little into the product. It's an embarrassment to the league, and a shame for fanbase in Tampa Bay.
As for Piniella, he was always one of my favorite players, and has become a great manager. I'd love to see him back in pinstripes one day.

An even bigger question is why is MLB so greedy that they would even put a team in Tampa when they already knew that the Marlins could barely draw a semi-decent crowd in football crazy Florida? The D'Rays were destined to fail and be an embarassment to MLB.

[Stupid Flanders]

An even bigger question is why is MLB so greedy that they would even put a team in Tampa when they already knew that the Marlins could barely draw a semi-decent crowd in football crazy Florida? The D'Rays were destined to fail and be an embarassment to MLB.

But they have that lovely ballpark

[yankeesAZ]

A $29 million payroll?! I still can't fathom why an owner would be allowed to take over a team, and invest so little into the product. It's an embarrassment to the league, and a shame for fanbase in Tampa Bay.
As for Piniella, he was always one of my favorite players, and has become a great manager. I'd love to see him back in pinstripes one day.

We shouldn't have to give them any luxary tax money.

[Looie #19]

"I'm not going to take responsibility for this," Piniella said in pregame remarks to reporters. "If I had been given a $40 million or $45 million payroll, I'd stand up like a man and say it's my fault. Well, I'm not going to do it. So if you want answers about what's going on here, you call the new ownership group and let them give them to you."

Someone else whining about payroll. Lou, you haven't been given a ton to work with, but maybe you're not as good a manager as some people like to think?

Namoli certainly hasn't run a good franchise, but it says a lot when Piniella has had more talent to work with than Hal McRae, and the team is just as bad. Should they overpay for the Christian Guzmans and Esteban Loaizas of the world to make him happy? Should they pay their pre-arb players more than the league minimum?

The only talent that club is going to get via free agency is mid-level players that they're going to have to drastically overpay. That's a hell of a lot more irresponsible than just not going out and overpaying for fungible talent.

[YankeeFan1]

Someone else whining about payroll. Lou, you haven't been given a ton to work with, but maybe you're not as good a manager as some people like to think?

Namoli certainly hasn't run a good franchise, but it says a lot when Piniella has had more talent to work with than Hal McRae, and the team is just as bad. Should they overpay for the Christian Guzmans and Esteban Loaizas of the world to make him happy? Should they pay their pre-arb players more than the league minimum?

The only talent that club is going to get via free agency is mid-level players that they're going to have to drastically overpay. That's a hell of a lot more irresponsible than just not going out and overpaying for fungible talent.

This is the most ridiculous post. Fess up you are related to Namoli, right? You are actually justifying the D'Rays owner pocketing the Yankees' revenue sharing and luxury tax money along with their profits and not having to put anything resembling a major league team on the field. I watch the D'Rays play almost all their games and there aren't more than 3 major league hitters (Crawfold, Huff and Baldelli) on that team. Kazmir is the only decent pitcher. He will be a stud in about 3 years, but right now should still be in AAA. The D'Rays and Namoli are a disgrace.

[26 and counting]

But they have that lovely ballpark

I think it's a nice ballpark. I was there two weeks ago. It's air-conditioned, has comfortable seats, and the tickets are very affordable. I had a great time there.

Speaking of Namoli, there is a group of Tampa fans that are protesting his ownership of the team and have held rallies to get him the hell out of there. Apparently nobody has listened yet.

[Looie #19]

Fess up you are related to Namoli, right?

You got me. I'm related to Namoli. That's my trust fund money we're talking about.

You're right, the team should spend more money on fungible talent instead of doing whatever the hell they wish to do with it. Maybe I'm the only one insane enough to think that they're likely never going to compete anyways. They could further things by cutting costs by stopping paying for those pesky top draft picks, and stop overpaying for a manager that has had playoff team after playoff team in Seattle without anything to show for it.

How is what Namoli is doing in Tampa any different than any other for-profit business in America? Namoli's a terrible baseball owner, he's a pretty good business owner if he's making a profit on that awful baseball team that plays in a arena football stadium.

He should lose money trying to compete against the Yankees and Red Sox?

[JDPNYY]

I'd like the Yankees to trade:

Womack, Stanton, Groom, Quantrill, Sierra & Russ Johnson to the Rays for Piniella.


The Yankees should also offer to pay all those players salaries as well.

[ring403]

He should lose money trying to compete against the Yankees and Red Sox?

Nobody said he had to field a $200 million payroll. Other well run teams compete for the postseason every year with small payrolls.
If he isn't interested in making even a token effort to compete, he has no business owning a major league franchise. If his goal is to cut every corner possible in an effort to squeeze every last cent of profit out of a floundering franchise, he is not a good owner or a good businessman.

[Stealthspy]

Here goes the media, blowing everything way out of proportion. This is why public relations can be a decent career. Sheesh.

[AMYanks]

We need ya', Sweet Lou.

[Yankees1962]

In time, some of you will be ready to ride Lou out of town on a rail too by using the excuse he's too hard on his players or is too old for the job. Managers and coaches are like the flavor of the month for sports fans.

[patrick.o]

I can understand Lou being upset about the team not going after any FAs or trades that might make the team better, but I don't think this year's roster is significantly worse than last years, at least not enough to be taking a step backwards. Saying 'it's not my fault' is not only bush league, it's insulting to the players.

I think Lou is making a play for Joe's job.

[Kulish29]

Two words:

Salary Floor.

[JDPNYY]

I'd like the Yankees to trade:

Womack, Stanton, Groom, Quantrill, Sierra & Russ Johnson to the Rays for Piniella.


The Yankees should also offer to pay all those players salaries as well.

...and they can have Torre too. Why, Joe would do wonders with that great group of kids.

Mel too. Joe & Mel are getting to the age where they'll be required to move to Florida anyway.

It all works out well for everyone.

I hear Green Tea is cheaper and much more abundant in Florida.

[26 and counting]

Well, Steinbrenner said that he trusts Torre to turn the Yankees' season around. Which means that Torre will be fired by the end of July. Which opens up the door for Sweet Lou to take the job.

[BobbyMurcerFan]

You got me. I'm related to Namoli. That's my trust fund money we're talking about.

You're right, the team should spend more money on fungible talent instead of doing whatever the hell they wish to do with it. Maybe I'm the only one insane enough to think that they're likely never going to compete anyways. They could further things by cutting costs by stopping paying for those pesky top draft picks, and stop overpaying for a manager that has had playoff team after playoff team in Seattle without anything to show for it.

How is what Namoli is doing in Tampa any different than any other for-profit business in America? Namoli's a terrible baseball owner, he's a pretty good business owner if he's making a profit on that awful baseball team that plays in a arena football stadium.

He should lose money trying to compete against the Yankees and Red Sox?

By your logic any team on the bottom in terms of payroll, talent and record should just pack it up and not try to win.

[Looie #19]

By your logic any team on the bottom in terms of payroll, talent and record should just pack it up and not try to win.

Well, that's wasn't my logic and you know it. My logic was why the hell should teams lose money building a .500 team when they can have an abomination that breaks even?