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Lou Piniella has officially retired.

He decided not to wait until the end of the season like he told us back in July, but instead at the end of Sunday’s 16-5 walloping by the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs, now 21 games out in the National League Central, have dropped to sad 51-74 on the season.

The 66-year-old [former] Cubs manager is walking away from baseball to tend to his 90-year-old mother, who has been ill for much of the year:

I’m going to enjoy today. At least, I’m going to try to enjoy it.

I didn’t think my career would end this way. But my mom needs me home. She hasn’t gotten any better since I’ve been here. She has 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.

A choked-up Lou had this to say during his post-game press conference:

Cried a little bit after the game. This will be the last time I put on a uniform. This has been very special for me. I’ll go home, do what I have to do there… and enjoy my retirement.

Piniella has earned the Manager of the Year honor three different times, including in 2008 with the Cubbies. He has a World Series ring with the Cincinnati Reds from back in 1990 and has compiled a 1,835 - 1,712 record over 22+ seasons.

The Cubs’ third base and outfield coach, Mike Quade, will manage the club on an interim basis for the remainder of the year.

Happy trails, Sweet Lou! Take good care of your mama.

Sooze is a Jabberhead & SJ Contributing Author. Read more of her works at Babes Love Baseball.

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