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WILKES-BARRE — Lou Piniella was never a Boy Scout.
But by the end of the day Thursday, he said he wished he could have turned back the clock and joined the esteemed organization.
The 73-year-old former New York Yankee outfielder and manager said in his younger years, the friends he had who were Boy Scouts were the “good kids.”
Speaking at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizens Award dinner in Genetti’s Best Western Plus, Piniella reminisced about his time in the minor and major leagues. He also reminded the nearly 400 people in attendance to “never give up, work hard and crush your ability.”
Those three phrases Piniella repeated to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders during a visit to PNC Field on Thursday morning, he said.
“I know how hard they work to get to the big leagues,” noted the three-time World Series champion. (Two as a player with the Yankees; one as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.)
Piniella, who was born and raised in Tampa, Fla., remains “grateful” that former Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner “took a chance” on him in 1986 and hired him as a manager less than two years after he retired as a player.
The baseball great also made a case for Pete Rose to get into the Hall of Fame, mentioning Rose’s all-time record of 4,256 hits.
“It’s my estimation he’s in the Hall of Fame,” Piniella said. “I don’t know what they’re waiting for.”
Piniella, who now spends his retirement years playing golf and fishing, congratulated the Distinguished Citizen Award winners, Greg Collins and Bob and Maureen Mills.
“This is a much better place to live because of what you people do,” Piniella said.
Collins and the Millses were honored at the dinner for their work in the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Mills were former owners of Craft Oil Corporation. They currently are partners in Railriders ownership. Maureen said she and her husband live by the motto of “We Not Me.”
“Any giveback, big or small, makes a difference,” she said, quoting her grandmother. “It’s better to be on the giving end than receiving.”
Collins, regional president of community banking at Wells Fargo, was, unlike Piniella, a Boy Scout.
“I live by ‘Be Prepared’,” Collins said, mentioning the Boy Scout motto. The Kingston native encouraged those in attendance to “roll up our sleeves to make (Pennsylvania) an even better place to live and work.”
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