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Baseball Notebook: Maddon, Piniella managers of year
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Published: November 13, 2008
■ Rays: Joe Maddon won the American League Manager of the Year after guiding Tampa Bay the World Series; Lou Piniella of Chicago was the National League winner.
Maddon succeeded Piniella as Tampa Bay manager in 2006. He was an easy winner yesterday in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He received all but one of the 28 first-place votes -- the other went to Minnesota's Ron Gardenhire.
Also, Tampa Bay center fielder B.J. Upton had surgery on his left shoulder this week and the Rays expect him to be ready by opening day.
Dr. James Andrews did the surgery Tuesday. Upton, 24, played much of the season with a sore shoulder -- he throws right-handed -- that affected his offensive production. He batted .288 with seven homers and 16 RBIs during the postseason. He hit .273 with just nine home runs in 531 at-bats during the regular season.
■ Cubs: Lou Piniella, who led the NL Central champion Cubs to the league's best record, beat out Charlie Manuel of the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies to win his third Manager of the Year award and first in the NL. Piniella also won in 1995 and 2001 with Seattle.
Piniella, 65, got a $100,000 bonus for winning, which he plans to donate to the team's charity partner, McCormick Foundation's Cubs Care.
Also yesterday, the Cubs announced they are bringing back all their coaches next season. Larry Rothschild, who will be entering his eighth season with the Cubs, is the pitching coach. Returning for their third seasons are bench coach Alan Trammell; hitting coach Gerald Perry; third-base coach Mike Quade; first-base coach Matt Sinatro; bullpen coach Lester Strode; and Ivan DeJesus, a special assistant to Piniella.
■ Orioles: For the first time since 1972, the Orioles will wear the script word "Baltimore" across the front of their gray road jerseys. At home and away, the left sleeve will be adorned by a circular patch featuring the pattern of the multicolored Maryland state flag.
Other uniform changes unveiled yesterday include: A wide, orange strip replaces the thin black stripe on the sleeve and pants; a new patch on the sleeves of the alternate black jerseys, which will be used occasionally on the road for the first time; new bullpen jackets that display the throwback logo of a cartoon bird swinging a bat; and a makeover for the Oriole on the cap.
■ Yankees: The Babe moved yesterday.
Workers removed and crated the Babe Ruth monument that was first installed at Yankee Stadium in April 1949. In center field through the 1973 season, the tribute was moved to Monument Park behind the left-field fence when the ballpark reopened in 1976 after a 2½-year renovation.
Now, the team is moving across 161st Street to a new Yankee Stadium, scheduled to formally open on April 16. The monument is being stored until it is installed in the new Monument Park, which will be behind the center-field fence.
Also yesterday, lLeft-hander Damaso Marte and the Yankees agreed to a $12 million, three-year contract that includes a club option for 2012.
New York last week declined a $6 million option on Marte, 33, choosing to pay a $250,000 buyout.
■ Miscellaneous: Retired major-leaguer Vinny Castilla will coach Mexico at the World Baseball Classic.
The tournament in March will be his second term as Mexico's national coach. He also led the team to the bronze medal at last year's Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero.
■ Miscellaneous: Former major-leaguers Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds were hired yesterday as studio analysts for the MLB Network, which will launch Jan. 1.
Leiter spent the last three seasons as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees' YES Network. Reynolds had been a commentator for MLB.com since last year.
Trenni Kusnierek and Hazel Mae were hired as reporters. Kusnierek spent last season as a Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster for FSN Wisconsin and Mae had worked as an NESN anchor since 2004.
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