Broadcasting Career
In 1989, Piniella worked as a color analyst for Yankees telecasts on Madison Square Garden Network. After parting ways with the Devil Rays in 2006, Piniella spent one season as an analyst for Fox Sports, joining Thom Brennaman and Steve Lyons in calling postseason baseball games.
During their broadcast of Game 3 of the 2006 American League Championship Series, Piniella was commenting on player Marco Scutaro who had struggled during the regular season but was playing well during the series. He stated that to expect Scutaro to continue playing well would be similar to finding a wallet on Friday and expecting to find another wallet on Saturday and Sunday. Piniella then commented that player Frank Thomas needed to get "en fuego" which is Spanish for "on fire", because he was "frio" meaning "cold". Lyons responded by saying that Piniella was "hablaing Español" and added, "I still can't find my wallet. I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit close to him now."
Fox fired Lyons for making the above remarks, which they determined to be racially insensitive. Piniella later defended Lyons saying Lyons was "a man" and that "There isn't a racist bone in his body. Not one. I've known the guy personally. He was kidding with me, nothing more and nothing less."
On February 22, 2012, it was announced Piniella would join the YES Network as an analyst for Yankees games. He made his YES debut on March 4 during a Yankees-Phillies spring training game.
Read more about this topic: Lou Piniella
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