Bochy Takes N.L. Honor For Managers
Bruce Bochy, who guided the San Diego Padres to their first postseason appearance since 1984, was voted N.L. Manager of the Year on Friday in a narrow victory over Montreal’s Felipe Alou.
Bochy, at 41 the youngest active manager in the majors, finished with 76 points, two more than Alou and seven more than Tony La Russa of St. Louis.
La Russa was listed on 25 ballots, Alou 24 and Bochy 22, but the San Diego manager had 10 first-place votes to eight for Alou and seven for La Russa.
Bochy, a former manager of the Spokane Indians, became the first San Diego manager to win the award, which began in 1983. The former catcher led the Padres to a 91-71 record in his second year with the team. San Diego was swept by St. Louis in the first round of the playoffs.
Under a system in which first-place votes are worth five points, seconds are worth three and thirdplace votes are worth one, Bochy had seven seconds and five thirds, to nine seconds and seven thirds for Alou, who won the award two years ago.
Selig, Fehr to meet
Bud Selig scheduled a Monday bargaining session with union head Donald Fehr, a meeting that figures to turn into a lively rebuke of baseball’s acting commissioner.
The union staff has been seething since owners rejected the proposed labor deal Wednesday, sources said Friday. Selig, who planned to attend the meeting with three or four other owners, wants to ask for additional concessions.
Fehr’s response is expected to include a stinging attack on Selig for his betrayal of management negotiator Randy Levine and the deal agreed to by Fehr and Levine on Oct. 24, said sources on both sides. Levine, who planned to attend the session, already has told Selig he intends to resign as of midnight EST Thursday, the deadline for a deal.
Free-agent update
Lenny Harris agreed Friday to a $1,375,000, two-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds, and Pat Borders and Ozzie Smith filed for free agency. Smith, who has announced his retirement, filed as a formality in case he decides to make a comeback.
In a deal announced late Thursday, Greg Gagne stayed with the Dodgers for a $3 million, one-year contract that includes a team option for 1998 at $3.2 million.
Colorado prevented catcher Jeff Reed from filing by exercising his option for $550,000.
In another late Thursday deal, pitcher John Patterson agreed to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks for a $6,075,000 bonus.
Patterson, drafted by Montreal as the fifth pick of the first round last June, became a free agent in September on a technicality - the Expos failed to offer him a contract within 15 days of the draft.