‘Sweet Lou’ turns down Mariners’ opening

June 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Yankee old timer

during the New York Yankees 67th old timers day prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman-The Star-Ledger via USA TODAY Sports

Following the departure of manager Eric Wedge, who departed the Seattle Mariners due to philosophical differences with the front office, there were numerous reports that the team was heavily pursuing former skipper Lou Piniella to fill the vacancy.

Now, we’re not so sure that was the case.

Mariners’ team president Chuck Armstrong called Piniella to tell him he would be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame next season. The former skipper replied, saying he thought he was being called about the managerial vacancy.

So Armstrong then asked Piniella if he was interested in managing the Mariners again. Piniella didn’t say no immediately and said he’d think about it. Armstrong called a day later and Piniella said he wasn’t interested in managing again.

Piniella, who also spent time at the helm of the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, said that the two sides had a conversation about the job, but it never progressed past that point.

I talked to them about the job, but that’s it,” Piniella told FOX Sports on Thursday night. “There was nothing else to it. It was just conversation, nothing more. I’m happy doing what I’m doing, which is watching a little baseball, doing a little bit of television for the Yankees, 15 games or so a year. It keeps me involved a bit.

During his time in Chicago, Piniella went 316-293, stepping down in the final months of the 2010 season due to family reasons. The Cubs won the NL Central twice in his four years, finishing second in the third and fifth in the final season.

Piniella won his lone World Series as a manager of the Reds during the 1990 campaign. He also played for 18 seasons, collecting over 1,700 hits with four different teams; largely the New York Yankees.