Kennedy, Fregosi Fired
Kevin Kennedy was fired Monday after his second season as manager of the Boston Red Sox.
His dismissal came one day after the Red Sox completed a season in which they had the best record in the American League in August and September (38-18), but missed the playoffs.
Kennedy, 42, managed the Red Sox to the American League East title in 1995 after he was fired by the Texas Rangers following the ‘94 season.
Despite the strong finish, the Red Sox never recovered from their 2-12 start, the worst in club history, as Kennedy juggled 55 different players on a roster constantly shuffled by general manager Dan Duquette.
Kennedy met with Duquette for about an hour today and left Fenway Park without speaking to reporters.
Reacting to the firing of his friend and manager Boston slugger Jose Canseco demanded to be traded.
“The only reason I came to the Boston Red Sox was because of Kevin Kennedy. I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else,” Canseco told radio station WBZ-AM in Boston while Kennedy was also on the air. “I just can’t see myself doing it.”
Kennedy was fired after compiling a 171-135 record in two seasons, winning one American League East title. Canseco, who followed Kennedy over from the Texas Rangers, said he would have his agents call the Red Sox on Tuesday to express his demand to be traded.
Could he continue to play for Boston?
“Not unless they rehire Kevin Kennedy. I really doubt that,” Canseco said. “You tend to get emotional but then again you tend to get analytical and you ask yourself, ‘Do you want to play for an organization that can do this to a manager?”’
Phillies can Fregosi
Jim Fregosi, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies to three straight losing seasons following the National League championship in 1993, was fired today, a team source said.
The decision was to be announced at a news conference, the source said on the condition he not be identified. The Phillies finished the season with a 67-95, the N.L.’s worst this season.
Bill Giles, the Phillies president and managing general partner, prepared fans for a managerial change three weeks ago when he acknowledged he was unhappy about a rift between Fregosi and general manager Lee Thomas.
Giles told Thomas and Fregosi, friends since they were roommates with the California Angles in the 1960s, to patch up their feud or one would be dismissed.
The main source of friction between the two seemed to be the lack of talent on a Phillies team that was decimated by injuries this season.
Thomas was forced to fill the team’s roster with other organizations’ rejects, minor-leaguers and prospects. Fregosi fumed privately as the team’s talent level sunk.
Fregosi, who replaced Nick Leyva in 1991, was 431-463 with the Phillies and leaves as the fourth-winningest manager in team history.
Leyland fields offers
The Florida Marlins wasted no time in making an offer to Jim Leyland.
Make that two offers.
“We talked to him about two different proposals,” said Marlins President Don Smiley, who along with General Manager Dave Dombrowski called Leyland Monday, the first day the ex-Pirates manager could be contacted by other teams. “We had some ideas and so did he. We will talk again today … We wanted to make sure he was aware that we are very serious.”
The Angels, White Sox and Red Sox also contacted Leyland. The Angels were preparing a four-year deal worth about $4.5 million.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, whose friendship with Leyland dates to 1982, was scheduled to have dinner with Leyland either Monday night or tonight. Leyland said he will make a decision within a few days.
The Marlins presented Leyland with two proposals. The first is a three-year deal, possibly with back-end, one-year options at Leyland’s discretion. The second is a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $7 million. In either case, the Marlins would pay Leyland more than the $1 million per year he was scheduled to make at Pittsburgh through 2000.
Most observers consider the Marlins the leading candidate because of Leyland’s relationships with Dombrowski, Smiley and Owner H. Wayne Huizenga.
Baseball attendance up
The average attendance at major league baseball games rose 6.4 percent this year but remained 15 percent below its level before the 1994-95 strike.
The 28 teams averaged 26,889, up from 25,260 last season, which began three weeks late because of the strike. Before players walked out on Aug. 12, 1994, attendance averaged 31,612.
Still, 1996 wound up with the fifth-highest average attendance in major league history.
Mercker left off Indians roster
Kent Mercker did not make the Cleveland Indians’ postseason roster, which basically means the Baltimore Orioles got Eddie Murray for nothing.
The Indians traded Murray to the Orioles July 21 for Mercker. Now the teams face each other in the first round of the playoffs.