Baseball: Los Angeles hires Torre as manager
Joe Torre grew up in Brooklyn rooting against the Dodgers. Now, a half-century after they moved west, he’s their manager.
Torre was hired by Los Angeles to succeed Grady Little on Thursday, taking the job two weeks after walking away from the New York Yankees.
The winningest manager in postseason history, Torre moved from one storied franchise to another, agreeing to a three-year, $13 million contract. He becomes the Dodgers’ eighth manager since they left his hometown, where he rooted for the rival New York Giants.
The 67-year-old Torre will be introduced at a news conference Monday at Dodger Stadium. Little resigned Tuesday after completing two seasons of a three-year deal.
Mariners add Elia, Shaffer
The Seattle Mariners have added former major league manager and longtime coach Lee Elia as an on-field consultant and veteran scout Duane Shaffer as a special executive assistant.
Elia, 70, will reprise his previous role with the Mariners in 2001 and ‘02 when he joins the team for approximately half of spring training. Periodically throughout the season he will assist manager John McLaren and the coaching staff while in uniform. He was Seattle’s hitting coach from 1993-97.
Zumaya hurt during fire
With the California wildfires closing in on his parents’ house, Joel Zumaya went up to the attic and tried to salvage a few things for his father.
Moments later, his 2008 season was in jeopardy.
A heavy box fell on top of the Detroit Tigers reliever, injuring his pitching shoulder and forcing him to have major surgery Wednesday in San Diego. He is expected to be sidelined until midseason.
“You think he’ll be back, but I can’t 100 percent count on that,” Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said.
Clearing the bases
The A.L. West champion Los Angeles Angels are bringing back their entire coaching staff. The Angels said they had re-signed Ron Roenicke (bench), Mike Butcher (pitching), Dino Ebel (third base), Alfredo Griffin (first base), Mickey Hatcher (hitting) and Orlando Mercado (bullpen) to multiyear extensions. Bullpen catcher Steve Soliz also will return. … Jim Hickey was retained as pitching coach of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, three days after he pleaded no contest to charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage. …Barry Bonds would boycott Cooperstown if the Hall of Fame displays his record-breaking home run ball with an asterisk. That includes skipping his potential induction ceremony. The ball Bonds hit for home run No. 756 this season will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall. Fashion designer Marc Ecko bought the ball and set up a Web site for fans to vote on its fate. In late September, he announced fans voted to send the ball to Cooperstown with an asterisk. “I won’t go. I won’t be part of it,” Bonds said. “You can call me, but I won’t be there.”