'Sweet Lou' will be missed

One of the great characters in baseball has stepped away. Lou Piniella -- a gamer, a throwback, a scrapper if there ever was one -- will be missed.

Piniella was a heart-on-the-sleeve kinda guy, never one to muffle his emotions or try to veil his passion, regardless of whether he was playing, coaching or managing. He flung helmets and heaved bases, kicked up dirt and spiked caps all in the name of trying to get the most from himself and his ballclub.

Piniella was a journeyman player, hitting .291 over 21 seasons and helping the New York Yankees to two consecutive World Series titles in 1977-78. He likely will be remembered most for his managerial savvy -- he guided the Cincinnati Reds to an improbable championship in 1990 -- and should garner Hall of Fame consideration for his body of work across nearly 50 years in the major leagues.

As passionate as "Sweet Lou" was, he also knew when to turn it off. During many a postgame interview, he appeared calm, subdued, even apologetic following an in-game outburst. He was one to leave it all on the field, as the saying goes. That's exactly what he did Sunday.