CHICAGO (AP) – Lou Piniella's long and colourful career has spanned 48 years, from an aggressive outfielder with a sharp batting eye to a successful manager whose highlight-reel base-throwing tantrums sometimes overshadowed his baseball acumen.

His family, from his relatives to his team-mates and players, always have come first. And that's why the leader of the Chicago Cubs decided to step down after yesterday's game against the Atlanta Braves – he wants to spend more time with his ailing mother.

"My mom needs me home and that's where I'm going," Piniella said before one last game in the dugout.

Piniella said last month he planned to retire at the end of the season and reiterated his plans on Saturday. But he missed four games in August to be with his mother in Florida and decided this weekend his divided attention wasn't helping anyone.

"She hasn't gotten any better since I've been here," said Piniella, who turns 67 on Saturday. "She's had a couple other complications, and rather than continue to go home, come back, it's not fair to the team, it's not fair to the players. So the best thing is just to step down and go home and take care of my mother."

The surprising announcement – made in a team handout yesterday morning after Piniella had repeatedly insisted he would finish the season – led to a memorable scene at Wrigley Field, when Piniella brought the line-up card to home plate and greeted another retiring manager who's had a great run, Bobby Cox.

And Cox empathised with his counterpart.

"It's in your blood that long, but Lou's mom is in ill health," Cox said before the game. "It's a sad day for me because I kept on thinking that Lou would be back, not here but somewhere else."

Piniella and Cox shook hands after they reached the plate, hugged each other and exchanged back slaps as Piniella's No. 41 was posted on the centre-field scoreboard.

Cox was announced to the crowd and took his cap off and waved it to the fans.

Then the public address announcer ran down Piniella's achievements as he stood at the plate, and scattered cheers of "Louuu" could be heard throughout the crowd.

Third base coach Mike Quade was promoted to interim manager, getting the nod over bench coach Alan Trammell, who was thought to have been a candidate to succeed Piniella next season.

Piniella met with his team to let them know he was leaving and it was very emotional, despite the Cubs' terribly disappointing season – two years after they had the best record in the NL.

Entering yesterday's game, Piniella's overall record was 1,835-1,712 (.517). He trails only Tony La Russa, Cox and Joe Torre in victories among active managers.

Piniella's record with the Cubs was 316-292. Under the mellowed skipper, Chicago won consecutive NL Central titles in 2007-08, but missed the play-offs last year and slipped back even further this season with a new owner, Tom Ricketts, in charge.

"I've enjoyed it here," Piniella said. "In four wonderful years I've made a lot of friends and had some success here, this year has been a little bit of a struggle. But, look. Family is important, it comes first."