Maddux snares 15th Gold Glove
Chicago Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux won his 15th Gold Glove on Wednesday, one shy of the record shared by pitcher Jim Kaat and third baseman Brooks Robinson.
Maddux set a record for Gold Gloves won in the National League – Kaat won 14 in the American League and two in the N.L. It was the second straight Gold Glove for Maddux and 15th in 16 seasons.
San Francisco shortstop Omar Vizquel won his 10th Gold Glove, his first in the N.L. after the nine straight he earned with Cleveland.
Atlanta center fielder Andruw Jones won his eighth straight Gold Glove and St. Louis outfielder Jim Edmonds won his eighth, including the last six in a row.
San Francisco catcher Mike Matheny won his fourth overall and third straight.
MLB suspends Lawton
Former All-Star outfielder Matt Lawton was suspended for a positive steroids test, becoming the 12th player penalized for violating major league baseball’s policy.
Lawton, acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 27 and then left off New York’s postseason roster, became a free agent last Thursday. He will serve a 10-day suspension at the start of next season.
“I made a terrible and foolish mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life,” Lawton said in a statement that he read over the telephone to The Associated Press. “I take full responsibility for my actions and did not appeal my suspension. I apologize to the fans, the game, my family and all those people that I let down. I am truly sorry and deeply regret my terrible lapse in judgment.”
Phillies hire Gillick as GM
Pat Gillick has turned losing teams into winners everywhere he’s been. His job now is to build a champion from a team that hasn’t been able to get over the top.
Gillick, whose resume includes two World Series titles and nine playoff appearances with three teams, signed a three-year contract to become the Philadelphia Phillies’ new general manager. He replaces Ed Wade, fired after failing to get the team into the playoffs in eight years on the job.
Gillick is joining an organization that has lost more games (8,831) than any U.S. major professional team and hasn’t been to the playoffs since 1993 – when the Phillies lost the World Series to Gillick’s Toronto Blue Jays.
A special consultant in Seattle’s front office the past two seasons, Gillick led Toronto to consecutive championships in 1992-93. He took Baltimore and Seattle to the A.L. Championship Series twice each.
Red Sox re-sign Timlin
Boston agreed to a one-year contract with emergency closer Mike Timlin. The deal, worth about $3.25 million, follows a season in which the 39-year-old right-hander wound up as closer after Keith Foulke injured a knee and fill-in Curt Schilling rejoined the starting rotation after more than a month in the bullpen.
Five more players filed for free agency – Florida pitcher Antonio Alfonseca, Philadelphia outfielder Kenny Lofton, San Francisco pitcher Brett Tomko, Chicago White Sox backup catcher Chris Widger and Colorado pitcher Jamey Wright – raising the total to 155.
Clearing the bases
Former Baltimore manager Lee Mazzilli rejoined the New York Yankees as manager Joe Torre’s bench coach. Mazzilli was the Yankees’ first base and outfield coach from 2000-03. … Detroit exercised its $1.25 million option for 2006 on left-hander Jamie Walker. … Pittsburgh left-hander Mark Redman exercised his $4.5 million player option for 2006 after the Pirates declined their $4.95 million team option. … Former World Series MVP John Wetteland was hired as the pitching coach for Texas’ Double-A team in the Texas League, the Frisco RoughRiders. … Pitching coach Bud Black agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.