This Day in Baseball: 1969

The Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee in 1970 and became the Brewers.

In just one year of existence, the Seattle Pilots managed to make an extremely regrettable trade.

After acquiring Lou Piniella from the Cleveland Indians through the expansion draft, the Pilots sent him packing for Kansas City. Not once, did Piniella take the field as a member of the Pilots. A minor league outfielder at the time, he went on to win the American League Rookie of the Year award later that season.

Sweet Lou went on to play 18 big league seasons. Spending the majority of his career with the Royals and Indians, Piniella did see the field, albeit very briefly, as a member of the Indians and Orioles.

Piniella is better remembered for his managerial duties. His time with the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays, and Cubs provided us with some of the best Manager/Umpire encounters of all time. Plus, if you ask Rob Dibble, he would probably tell you that Lou had a pretty short fuse with his own players as well.