Former Reds manager Sweet Lou Piniella should receive his just due

Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy currently have their teams battling it out in the American League Championship Series. Both managers are looking to add to their Hall of Fame resumés.

Baker, who managed the Cincinnati Reds from 2008-2013 currently sits in seventh-place all-time with 2,183 wins as a manager. Bochy isn't far behind with 2,093. That's good enough for 10th-place on that list.

Terry Francona, who retired this season, ranks 13th all-time, and will surely join Baker and Bochy in Cooperstown. But there's a former Reds manager who's yet to receive his just-due. However, that may change later this year.

Former Reds manager named finalists for Baseball Hall of Fame ballot

Lou Piniella, who managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1990-1992, is on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot for Managers, Executives, and Umpires for Hall of Fame election for the Class of 2024.

This should be a no-brainer for the committee. Piniella ranks 17th all-time among all major leauge managers in wins. Of the 16 managers above him, 12 are already in the Hall of Fame. Three (Dustty Baker, Bruce Bochy, and Terry Francona) will be there soon.

The only other manager who has more wins than Piniella and is not ye part of the Baseball Hall of Fame is Gene Mauch. A longime skipper for the California Angels, among other ball clubs, Mauch has a losing record and no World Championships on his reusmé.

Joining Lou Piniella on the ballot is another former Cincinnati Reds manager, Davey Johnson. Former Pittsburgh Pirates skipper and Ohio native, Jim Leyland, is also among those up for election.

Piniella's election should be all but guaranteed. Johnson's candidacy, while admirable, doesn't match Piniella's. It's time for Sweet Lou to be enshrined in Cooperstown alongside other greats like Connie Mack, Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and another former Reds skipper, Sparky Anderson.