The San Diego Padres hired Bud Black to replace Bruce Bochy as manager, giving the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach his first major league managing job.
"Good dude," Tony Gwynn said about his former teammate at San Diego State. "He's been in the game a long time and really warrants this opportunity. I think he'll do well."
Black, 49, has been the Angels' pitching coach for the last seven seasons, including when they won the World Series in 2002. He pitched in the big leagues for 15 seasons, helping the Kansas City Royals win the 1985 World Series.
"I think that Buddy's baseball knowledge and ability to communicate have made him so coveted the past couple of years," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He not only has a great understanding of the pitching side, but a grasp of the fundamental side of baseball that every team needs to be successful."
Earlier in the day, the Padres sent second baseman Josh Barfield to Cleveland for infielder Kevin Kouzmanoff, the Indians' minor league player of the year, and righthander Andrew Brown.
A's off to Fremont?
The Oakland Athletics reached a deal with
Cisco Systems Inc. to build a ballpark in Fremont, Calif., according to city officials who met with the team's owner last night. The agreement would create a 32,000- to 35,000-seat ballpark, dubbed Cisco Field, on a 143-acre parcel held by the company, officials told the San Jose Mercury News. If the plan is approved by the city, the A's could begin playing in Fremont -- 20 miles south of Oakland -- as soon as 2011, the newspaper reported. The deal is contingent on the city approving a large-scale development plan for the ballpark, which will be surrounded by homes and shops on the parcel west of Interstate 880 . . .
Gary Sheffield said he's being blocked by "middle men" from speaking with Yankees owner
George Steinbrenner about his desire to stay in New York and will comply with the team's request to form a list of clubs he'd prefer to be traded to.
Decision time near
The Seibu Lions were expected to announce as early as today whether they will accept the high bid for
Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, and Rangers were thought to be among the teams that bid for the 26-year-old righthander, but the major league commissioner's office instructed teams not to comment publicly, several clubs said. The Yankees' involvement was confirmed by a baseball official speaking on condition of anonymity because of the directive. Seibu has until Tuesday to make its decision. Once an offer is accepted, the major league team has 30 days to agree to a contract with Matsuzaka, who is represented by agent
Scott Boras. The bid is paid only if a contract is agreed upon . . . The Pittsburgh Pirates are interested in signing former Cuban Olympic righthander
Yuslan Herrera, 25, to a three-year contract, but any deal looks to be at least several weeks away.
Papelbon honored
Jonathan Papelbon won three Red Sox awards for 2006 -- Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Fireman of the Year -- from the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Papelbon will receive his awards at the 68th Boston BBWAA awards dinner Jan. 11 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in South Boston. Tickets for the dinner are $125, and can be purchased through the mail at Boston Chapter BBWAA, P.O. Box 7346, Nashua, N.H., 03060 . . . Jose Reyes hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the MLB All-Stars a 5-3 victory over the Japan stars in Fukuoka, Japan, and a sweep of the five-game series . . . Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who was named MVP of the Japan tour, was selected by his peers as Major League Player of the Year . . . Johnny Sain, who teamed with Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves to make up one of baseball's fabled pitching tandems, died Tuesday. He was 89.
© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.
