Reds owner vows changes
The new owner of the Cincinnati Reds already is moving in and moving things around.
In his first day running baseball’s oldest professional franchise, produce magnate Bob Castellini reorganized the front office and promised fans a championship.
He also announced Friday he was moving into an office at Great American Ball Park, where he plans to see how things are done with an eye on more sweeping changes down the line.
“As we build our organization, we’ll likely do some other things differently once we get our sleeves rolled up,” Castellini said at an introductory news conference.
The new owner also showed a fondness for former Reds manager Lou Piniella, who is out of baseball at the moment. Tampa Bay bought out the final year of his contract at the end of last season, and Piniella is doing television work this year.
Castellini met with Piniella and asked him to become a special adviser with the Reds. Castellini said Piniella turned down the offer because he wants to take a year off.
The Reds have put together five consecutive losing seasons, their longest such streak in 50 years. Castellini said that will change.
“I’ll be here every day,” Castellini said. “I will be hands-on. That’s a promise.”
Red Sox welcome Epstein’s return
Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer just took a step down in the Boston Red Sox hierarchy, and that’s fine with them.
“The entire department is very excited,” Hoyer said, a day after the team announced that former general manager Theo Epstein will return.
An announcement Thursday said Epstein will return to the baseball operations department full time, but it did not say in what capacity.
Owner John Henry said the GM’s return would not mean a diminished portfolio for president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino.
“Larry’s role does not change,” Henry said Thursday in an e-mail to the AP. “Details next week.”
Clearing the bases
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen celebrated his 42nd birthday by becoming a U.S. citizen along with his wife, Ibis, and their son Oney. … Philadelphia outfielder Jason Michaels agreed to complete 100 hours of community service to settle charges that he allegedly assaulted a city police officer. Under the terms of a program for first-time offenders, Michaels can seek to have his record expunged after completing the community service with the Police Athletic League. … Minor league umpires turned down a labor contract offering a small salary increase. The move followed the expiration of the first collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the Association of Minor League Umpires, a deal that began in March 2001 and expired Nov. 30.