Neukom takes over reins for Giants
The Giants' baton was passed from Peter Magowan to Bill Neukom on Thursday, and a new era of baseball in San Francisco has perhaps begun. As the 30 executives voted presumptively on Neukom's fate, he paced nervously outside the ballroom where the morning session of the owners' meeting was in full force. But there really should have been no worries. Neukom walked through that gauntlet unanimously and replaces the 66-year-old Magowan as managing general partner.
"It was a great moment," said Neukom in an exclusive interview with MLB.com about his full acceptance into baseball's highest fraternity. "I'm privileged to be invited to be the controlling person of the San Francisco Giants. I've been an investor for a number of years and a general partner for the last six years. With Peter deciding to retire and move on, I got the opportunity to step in and work with the other investors and front office people to be part of the national pastime. It's a proud franchise. We're going to re-double our efforts, bring competitive baseball back to San Francisco on a regular basis, and have all the fun that that brings us."
Magowan took over the title and power after the 1992 season, when the group he assembled purchased the team and saved it from a move to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area. As part of his legacy, he signed Barry Bonds that offseason to what was the richest player contract at the time in American Baseball Major League history; completed the 20-year civic fight that gave birth to what is now called AT and T Park nestled in the China Basin neighborhood of the city, and brought the Giants back to respectability on the field.
Bud Selig, owner of the Brewers at the time, had just been named interim Commissioner in September 1992, when the possible move of the Giants was dumped in his lap.
"That was the first situation I had to deal with," Selig said on Thursday. "Peter and I knew each other at the time, but not very well. I have great regard for him, great fondness. He's done a great job with the franchise. I know he felt it was time to move on, but there wouldn't be a San Francisco Giants without Peter Magowan. We'll miss him."
Selig, though, said he was equally impressed with Magowan's successor, who's the outgoing president of the American Bar Association and still has a year to go working for that organization in a secondary capacity.
"He has very impressive credentials," Selig said about Neukom. "He's a very impressive gentleman. I'm very, very confident that he will do a very, very good job. He has many experiences and he's been a big baseball fan his entire life."
Neukom, also 66, was one of the club's remaining three general partners. He said he accepted his new role because he was willing to shoulder a full-time workload. Magowan's retirement will become official on Oct. 1. Magowan came in when the Giants had just finished a 72-90 season in '92, and is leaving with the club on pace to lose 90 games for the second consecutive year. They haven't made the playoffs since 2003, and came closest to winning it all in '02, when the Giants lost a seven-game World Series to the Angels. Neukom comes in with the Giants, at 50-70, heading for a fourth place finish in the National League West. This after the Giants had a 71-91 season in 2007, the last of 15 for Bonds in a Giants uniform. The change at the top may signal a different direction. Under Magowan, the Giants spent freely on aging free agents, a tactic that some critics claim has led to their recent downfall. Under Neukom, expect the Giants to continue building the farm system.
"I don't pitch or field or hit," Neukom said. "My job is to work with professionals on the baseball side to make sure we have the talent that shows skills on the field. That means we've got to keep building our farm system and our coaches, because those are the people who teach so the kids can play the game in the Major Leagues at the highest level."
Bonds was certainly an echo of the old paradigm. In 1992, Magowan decided that his top priority was to sign Bonds to a then-record six-year, USD 43.75 million contract. That began a tumultuous decade-and-a-half relationship between Magowan, the club and the left-handed slugger, who last season passed Hank Aaron into first place on the all-time home run list. Late last season, Bonds was not asked back for 2008. He remains an unretired free agent with 762 homers and is under the shroud of indictment by the federal government -- accused of lying about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. His case is scheduled to go to trial in a San Francisco court on March 2. But the direction in which the Giants are heading won't include Bonds, Neukom implied.
"I think the Giants are on the right trajectory," he said. "We are going to continue to invest in our farm system and our development system, finding the right talent to make us better. I think that's what we should be doing. All of those things we're making progress in. Those have been the bright spots this year. The trajectory is the right one."
2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
These Giants: More fun, more character
It must kill the Giants to realize they have so little chance to win the National League West. They're having more fun these days than the Diamondbacks and Dodgers combined, and they just might have more character, as well.
Don't confuse these Giants with any legitimately good team you've ever seen, but they celebrated Sunday's victory like kids at the Little League World Series. What a stark contrast to first-place Arizona, home of a depressing, lingering malaise. And what satisfaction to beat the Dodgers, who staged one of the most preposterous defensive displays in american baseball league history to give the game away.
In a comical ninth inning that saw Omar Vizquel pop out to the catcher on a sacrifice bunt and the next two batters hit double-play grounders, the Dodgers still couldn't accept the gift, scuffing and bobbling like amateurs. Then Eugenio Velez hit a comebacker, one of those sad little grounders back to the mound - but of course, it wasn't fielded, by the pitcher or the scrambling shortstop. The Dodgers played as if the fix was in. If they were a South American soccer team, they'd all be fleeing for their lives.
Remarkable, isn't it, how a single weekend summed up the state of the '08 Giants? Barry Bonds came back, the place went crazy, and the team moved on. To where? Can't be sure. But they're going someplace.
As Bonds quite properly received his due, and the Giants came back to stage a dramatic victory Saturday night, you realized how necessary his absence has become. Yes, it hurts to have such a vacant lineup. There's no replacing the sight of the greatest power hitter the game has ever seen, and it's painful to realize that the real payoff might be three or years down the road. But at least the Giants are a full season into their post-Bonds future, further along in their development of youth. This is more of a team, in the strictest sense, than the Giants have had in several years. When they stage their latest theater of the improbable, the scene is delightful to behold.
A few other thoughts:
Jeff Kent gave Billy Sadler a very visible scolding Saturday night, and he got no Sunday response from the Giants - probably because they saw Kent's point. It's OK for a veteran such as the Angels' Francisco Rodriguez to make some wild, emotional gestures after a big strikeout, but the game's unwritten "code" (not always a measure of logic) suggests it was inappropriate from a rookie who just fanned Manny Ramirez.
Kent pointed animatedly toward the Giants' dugout at least twice after his home run off Tyler Walker, and it appeared from a dugout replay that catcher Bengie Molina was reminding Sadler of his indiscretion (both men claimed that conversation was not about exuberance). In any case, Matt Cain didn't throw a pitch anywhere near Kent's body Sunday. He simply threw an 0-for-4 at him. It wasn't easy on this eventful weekend, but Bonds stole the show. Friends and family know the warm side of Bonds, but as far as his demeanor around China Basin, no one could recall a more sustained display of genuine warmth. From his comments to the crowd to his connection with ownership to his stint in the TV booth with Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, Bonds couldn't have been more charming.
I couldn't help picturing some out-of-town owner or general manager watching that telecast and thinking, "Wait a minute. Why not take a chance on that guy?"
You have to figure that if Bonds were to sign with another team, he'd arrive with a degree of humility, not to mention gratitude and relief. Even Bonds couldn't expect to take spiritual command of a team that has spent some five months in contention without him. It would seem that all the scheduled trains have left the station, but Bonds still has hope. August tends to bring outright desperation to the surface.
2008 Hearst Communications Inc.
Terry Francona, Theo Epstein happy saga over
Terry Francona prefers to avoid team meetings. But from the look on the manager's face following yesterday's closed-door session at Fenway Park (map), the gathering had the uplifting effect of a good old-fashioned revival, minus the preaching.
Francona and general manager Theo Epstein officially welcomed Jason Bay following Thursday's blockbuster three-team deal that sent Manny Ramirez (stats) to Los Angeles and Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh. More importantly, they were able to give an exhale-inducing goodbye to the unneeded tension, drama and antics of an enigmatic slugger who had clearly overstayed his welcome and appeared to be doing anything he could to rip the club apart.
Francona, who was forced to deal with Ramirez' volatility and unpredictability on a daily basis, looked exhausted and relieved at a press conference following the team meeting. Epstein seemed content, seemingly satisfied that he made the best of an awful situation.
"There was some things going on with the team that were real and not just imagined," Epstein said. "There was a dynamic that had been created that made it more difficult for us to go play at our best and for players to perform. I'm proud of what the organization did," he added. "I think it put us in a good position going forward from a baseball standpoint, and from the standpoint...of standing for something as an organization. I think the team comes first. We just had a meeting. There's 25 guys down there that now feel like a team, and it hasn't felt like that for a while and you have to feel like that in professional sports to perform at your best."
Francona, who said he was "pleased, very pleased" by the conclusion of the melodrama, said it was time to put everything in the past and concentrate on climbing out of a rut that landed them three games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
"It didn't seem like we were handling the challenge up to what we were needing to," Francona said. "We discussed some of that today."
Epstein said the Sox did not announce the deal until yesterday due to its complexity. He said things were further delayed when the Major League Baseball's computer system crashed Thursday night. For much of the day, it appeared that Ramirez would be going to the Marlins. But when that deal fell apart as the 4 p.m. deadline approached, the Sox and Pirates quickly refocused on the Dodgers.
"It was a crazy day," Epstein said. "There was a lot of doubt. There were different versions of the deal that died and this particular version didn't truly get resuscitated until a couple of minutes before the deadline."
Unlike the four-team trade on July 31, 2004, that sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs and landed the Sox several key components in their eventual championship run, Epstein said a major overhaul wasn’t needed this time. "We have the best run-differential in the American League and I think we have a chance to be the best club in the American League," said Epstein. "We lost one of the best hitters in probably the history of baseball, but we gained a really good baseball player who can help us win, so I don't think we have to catch lightning in a bottle.
"We have to get back to being a team and go out and perform up to our expectations," Epstein added. Epstein said it was wrong to view Bay as Ramirez' "replacement."
"I don't think that's fair to any player. We're not asking him to fill those shoes," he said. "We're asking him to be a contributing member of a winning baseball team."
Copyright by the Boston Herald and Herald Media
Miracle Pay Tribute To Baseball's Past
The Fort Myers Miracle will pay tribute to baseball's history with a "Salute to Negro League Night" on Friday, August 1 at Hammond Stadium. The Miracle hosts the Clearwater Threshers at 7:05 p.m.
Both teams will wear authentic Negro League uniforms as the Miracle will don replica jerseys of the Newark Eagles while the Threshers will be adorned in uniforms of the Homestead Grays.
The Newark Eagles were incepted in 1936 when the Newark Dodgers merged with the Brooklyn Eagles. The Eagles sported the likes of Hall-of-Famers Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, and Willie Wells. The Newark Eagles had many standout players, but two entered the baseball history books: Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League (Cleveland Indians), and Don Newcombe, Brooklyn Dodgers rookie of the year, MVP and Cy Young award winner.
Doby was signed by Bill Veeck, whose son Mike is the Miracle's CEO. Doby said he was fortunate to have worked for Veeck and called him "probably the nicest and the greatest man that I ever met. He never showed any prejudice or bigotry or racism within himself. He fought for the little man, the underdog."
The Eagles were the first professional team owned and operated by a woman, Effa Manley. The 1946 team won the Negro World Series. Featuring the fierce double play combination of future Major Leaguers Doby (2B) and Monte Irvin (SS), they upset the Kansas City Monarchs in a 7-game series.
In 1900 a young group of men, who loved baseball, joined together to form the "Blue Ribbons" industrial league team. Unknowingly, these young men had founded a team which would grow to be a Negro National League franchise and set unprecedented records. For ten years the Blue Ribbons remained mediocre, but they managed to field a team every year and play some of the best sandlot teams in the area. In 1910, the managers of the team retired. The players reorganized the team and named themselves the Murdock Grays. In 1912, they became the Homestead Grays.
From 1937 to 1945 they won nine straight league pennants. They were led by future Hall of Famers Josh Gibson (C), "Cool" Papa Bell (OF), Judy Johnson (3B), Buck Leonard (1B) and Cuban great Martin Dihigo (2B, P, OF). Their ace pitcher was "Smokey" Joe Williams, who once struck out 27 batters in a 12-inning game. Fans are encouraged to visit the Lee County Black History Museum's Negro League Baseball tribute which will be displayed on the stadium concourse, during the game.
Copyright 2008 OurSports Central
A-Rod, Jeter to man AL All-Star infield
As the baseball world sends off Yankee Stadium in a grand All-Star Game farewell, at least three Yankees players will be in uniform as members of the American League All-Star team. Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter will comprise the left side of the starting AL infield in the game, taking their gloves to familiar surroundings for the top of the first inning. By the late frames, the AL will have closer Mariano Rivera ready to guard a lead, and Jason Giambi could join them through the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote.
"It's going to be fun," Jeter said. "The last year of Yankee Stadium, I think it's more than just an All-Star Game. It's a celebration of Yankee Stadium. It's something that I'm looking forward to, and it's something that I'll always remember."
Rodriguez, who turns 33 on July 27, has been the leading vote-getter for two consecutive All-Star Games. He garnered a total of 3,934,518 online votes for the 2008 All-Star Game, narrowly edging the Phillies' Chase Utley (3,889,602). Rodriguez will be making his 12th appearance on an AL All-Star team and his ninth consecutive showing at a Midsummer Classic.
"It's going to be a once in a lifetime (event), and to be there looking to my left and having Derek Jeter there, and hopefully having Mariano Rivera close the game, it's something that I'll treasure and never forget," Rodriguez said. The reigning AL Most Valuable Player, Rodriguez started at third base for the AL squad last year at San Francisco and went 1-for-3 in the AL's victory. He said that the Yankee Stadium game should be even more memorable, if he can make it slow down enough to enjoy it.
"There's a lot of moving parts to this," Rodriguez said. "I don't think you can take everything in, but I think you're going to take in that it's one of the most important days in the last year of the Stadium, and you're going to take the competition of the game. You get to meet people and colleagues that you would never meet unless it was at an All-Star Game. The interaction with the players is what I enjoy most."
In the first season of a 10-year contract that could be worth as much as USD 300 million if he eventually sets baseball's all-time home run record, Rodriguez's presence has been vital for the Yankees. Rodriguez is batting .320 with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs in 68 games for New York, having missed 16 team games with a strained right quadriceps from April 30 to May 20. Jeter, 34, will be making the ninth All-Star appearance of his career and is tied for second all-time with a .500 batting average (8-for-16) in the Midsummer Classic, having gone 1-for-3 in the AL's victory at AT n T Park in 2007. The Yankees' captain, Jeter is batting .282 with four home runs and 36 RBIs in 81 games this season. He has spoken often about how if he does not make an All-Star team for the rest of his playing career, he would select to make the 2008 contest, a sentiment the fans obviously agreed with.
"Anytime the fans vote for you and appreciate how you play the game, it means a lot," Jeter said. "I really don't know, I don't poll the people who are voting and ask them why they voted for me, but when people appreciate how you play the game, you just try to go out and play hard and be as consistent as possible. If they appreciate that, it means a lot."
Jeter is already entrenched as one of the key figures in Yankees lore, ranking highly among the club's all-time lists. Among other categories, he has 2,447 hits for third place (Babe Ruth is second with 2,518), 1,427 runs for fourth place (Mickey Mantle is third with 1,677), 402 doubles for fifth place (Ruth is fourth with 424) and has played in 1,916 games for sixth (Bernie Williams is fifth with 2,076). Rivera, 38, has been named to his ninth career All-Star team and his first since 2006, making it on the player ballot. Widely regarded as the top closer in baseball history, Rivera may have even found a new gear this season, converting his first 23 save opportunities. The owner of a devastating cutter that has splintered bats across infields for years, he is 2-3 with a 1.17 ERA in 36 appearances, walking just three and striking out 44 in 38 1/3 innings. It may turn out that the AL can put those talents to use by the end of the All-Star Game.
"It's an honor, hopefully, we have the opportunity to close it," Rivera said. "It all depends on the manager. Whatever he wants to do. Being here, maybe he'll give me the opportunity. You never know. Anything can happen."
The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage that will also be available on XM Satellite Radio, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. Additionally, Red Sox manager Terry Francona has selected Yankees manager Joe Girardi as one of his coaches for the All-Star Game, while longtime Yankees trainer Gene Monahan will also attend to his duties on July 15. In a twist, Francona told Girardi that he'd dress in the coaches' room, but Girardi insists Francona use his office, if it happens, it's believed to be the first time a Red Sox manager has ever taken advantage of those four walls.
"That message, I've gotten it a few times, and I'm not comfortable with it," Girardi said. "He's deserving and he's earned that office. I think we're going to find a way to make it work."
2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
Hurler Hernandez makes baseball history at plate
NEW YORK (AFP) Felix Hernandez grabbed a slice of the american baseball league history Monday as he became the first American League pitcher in 37 years to hit a grand slam, but his celebration was short-lived. Venezuela's Hernandez became the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to smack a home run, but departed in the fifth inning of the Mariners' 5-2 victory over the New York Mets with a sprained left ankle. The game marked the opener of a three-game interleague series between two teams that fired managers last week.
Hernandez had won his last four starts and was on his way to a fifth thanks to a grand slam off compatriot Johan Santana in the second inning. It was the first grand slam by a pitcher in the AL since Steve Dunning of the Cleveland Indians belted one off Diego Segui of the Oakland Athletics on May 11, 1971. The last grand slam by a pitcher also was at Shea Stadium, when Dontrelle Willis - then of the Florida Marlins - homered against the Mets' Jose Lima on July 7, 2006. But Hernandez's night ended suddenly with two outs in the fifth when he threw a wild pitch and ran to cover home plate.
Carlos Beltran, who had reached on a leadoff double and stole third, slid into home and spiked Hernandez. After the incident Hernandez tried to throw a warm-up pitch but landed awkwardly and promptly was removed by Riggleman just one out short of a victory. Hernandez, 22, allowed one run and two hits in 4 2/3 innings. Ryan Rowland-Smith, the second of four Seattle relievers, pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.
Copyright 2008 AFP. All rights reserved.
Dodgers to be honored with Award of Excellence star on Hollywood Boulevard this Friday, June 20
The Los Angeles Dodgers will be honored by the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce this Friday, June 20 at 11 am in celebration of the organization's 50th anniversary in Los Angeles. An Award of Excellence star and commemorative plaque will be presented to the Dodgers in recognition of their significant contributions to the community of Los Angeles and world culture and entertainment. The Dodgers will be the first sports franchise ever to receive such an honor.
The star and plaque will be unveiled and placed adjacent to the constellation of stars along Hollywood Boulevard at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Accepting the award will be Dodger owner Frank McCourt and Dodger President Jamie McCourt. Also participating in the ceremony from the team will be Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, current manager Joe Torre, and Hall of Fame broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin. Several current and former members of the Dodgers are expected to be in attendance, including Russell Martin, Eric Karros, Maury Wills, Ron Cey, "Sweet" Lou Johnson, Don Newcombe, Matt Luke, Al Downing, Wes Parker, Rick Monday, Jerry Reuss, and Fernando Valenzuela. Current broadcasters Charley Steiner and Pepe Yniguez will represent the club at the ceremony as well.
In addition to their success on the field, the Dodgers are also being recognized as an agent for social change and a unifier for fans from all walks of life. Winners of six World Championships, including five since coming to Los Angeles, the Dodgers are known for having demonstrated a rich pioneering spirit throughout their history. That spirit, which led to the removal of Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 and facilitated the team's west coast relocation in 1958, is as vibrant now as ever. Already this season, the Dodgers have initiated and been a part of several milestone events. In order to ensure the continued vitality of Dodger Stadium, the organization on April 24 announced a multi-faceted stadium improvement plan that will bring modern amenities to Dodger fans while preserving the tradition of the historic venue, which first opened in 1962. The improvements are designed to protect Dodger Stadium's place as the home of Los Angeles baseball for the next 50 years.
Less than one month earlier, on March 29, the Dodgers set a baseball record-and Guinness World Record as well -when 115,300 fans attended an exhibition game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the venue where the West Coast team first played upon its arrival in L.A. in 1958. The proceeds from the event and matching funds from the McCourts generated more than USD 2 million for ThinkCure!, the cancer-fighting official charity of the organization. Two weeks before, the Dodgers had led Major League Baseball's delegation to China, where their games against the San Diego Padres were the first ever in China in the history of American Major League Baseball. Kicking off the year-long celebration on New Year's Day was the team's first-ever float in the Rose Parade, which was watched by millions of viewers worldwide.
The relationship between the Dodgers and Hollywood has also flourished over the last 50-plus years. The bond was almost immediate, as some of the celebrities in attendance at the Dodgers' first home game in Los Angeles on April 18, 1958 were Edward G. Robinson, Chuck Connors, Alfred Hitchcock, Gregory Peck, Danny Kaye, Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemmon, Nat King Cole, Danny Thomas, Buddy Rogers, John Ford, Tenessee Ernie Ford, Gene Autry, Groucho Marx, George Jessel, Dennis Morgan, Lauren Bacall, Ray Bolger, Jo Stafford, and Paul Weston. As recently as this past homestand, celebrities to visit Dodger Stadium included Vince Vaughn and Chris O'Donnell, among others.
Just a few months after the Dodgers first moved to LA, the team staged the first-ever Hollywood Stars Game, an annual tradition that will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary this week. The exhibition game features top celebrities from the entertainment industry, including past participants such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Annette Funicello, Charlie Sheen, and Robin Williams. This year's contest will be after the Dodgers-Indians game this Saturday, June 21, just one day after the team is immortalized with its Award of Excellence Star. However, that won't mark the first time a Dodger sees his name unveiled on one of the world's most famous streets, as the team's legendary announcers, Scully and Jarrin have each been the toast of Tinseltown. Scully and Jarrin rank first and second in Major League history for the longest tenure with a single team, as Scully came with the team from Brooklyn and is serving his 59th consecutive year as the "Voice of the Dodgers", and Jarrin has been "behind the mic" for 50 straight seasons.
Scully, whose voice has been heard on television shows such as "General Electric Theater," "Alcoa Premiere," "Mister Ed," and "Brooklyn Bridge," also served as an announcer for the 1966 movie "Fireball 500" and appeared as himself in "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Jonathan Winters Show," and "For Love of the Game," among others. Some other notable Dodgers throughout history to appear on television or the big screen include Sandy Koufax ("Dennis the Menace," "Mister Ed"); Tommy Lasorda ("CHIPs,", "Who's the Boss," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Ladybugs," Slim-Fast commercials; regular late night talk show guest); Don Drysdale ("Leave it to Beaver," "The Brady Bunch," "The Joey Bishop Show"); Maury Wills ("Get Smart," "The Sandlot"); Steve Garvey ("Fantasy Island," "Arli$$," "Baywatch," Star Trek: The Next Generation); Ron Cey ("Columbo," "Murder, She Wrote"); Wes Parker ("The Brady Bunch"); and Mike Piazza ("Married with Children," "Baywatch").
Many notable movies and television shows have also filmed at Dodger Stadium, including "Fletch," "The Sandlot," "Naked Gun," "For Love of the Game," "The Core," "Deep Impact," "Rocky VI," "The Fast and the Furious," "American Idol," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Already this season, an episode of ABC's "The Bachelorette" featured Tommy Lasorda at Dodger Stadium and the Food Network's "The Chef Jeff Project" filmed at the stadium with Andre Ethier, Tommy Davis, and "Sweet" Lou Johnson.
2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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