Baseball News & Notes

Here are some going-ons from the world of Baseball.

• On Thursday, Yankees' manager Joe Torre declined the team's offer of a 1 year, $5 million contract, loaded with incentives. In other words, after 12 seasons, the Yankees will have a new manager in 2008. The contract was a paycut from his past seasons, but Torre would still have been the highest paid manager in baseball. Former big league managers Joe Girardi, Bobby Valentine and Larry Bowa, along with current coach Don Mattingly are all rumored to be possible candidates to replace Torre.


• Let's talk about the Colorado Rockies. After sweeping the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, the Rocks have now won 21 of their last 22 games overall, including every single game they have played in the playoffs. This is certainly an incredible run, especially considering as recent as August, they were nine games under .500! According to MLB.com, the 1976 Cincinnati Reds are the only team since 1969 to be perfect in the playoffs, going 7-0. If the Rockies are able to sweep the World Series, they would become the only team in history to go 11-0 in the playoffs. Ironically, the only team to beat the Rockies during their streak is the Diamondbacks! Gotta love this game!


• Bill Stoneman is the latest General Manager to step down or be removed from his position. The former Angels GM, who stepped down on Tuesday, has been the Angels' GM since 1999, and was a member of their 2002 World Champion staff. He joins Cardinals' Walt Jocketty, Twins' Terry Ryan and Braves' John Schuerholtz have also stepped down from the GM positions in the past month. Tony Reagins, who was the player development director, will replace Stoneman - who will stay with the club as a consultant to the team.


• The Cincinnati Reds of this era have a new manager. Dusty Baker has been hired by the Reds to take the reigns of the club. Baker is a three time Manager of the Year, and has gone to the playoffs numerous times while managing for the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs. Baker will take over a Reds team that has a handful of superstars and many young kids trying to make it in the big leagues.
• After two seasons in Baltimore, pitching coach Leo Mazzone was fired by the Orioles on Friday. Mazzone, famous for his rocking chair routine in the dugout, was a key member of the Altanta Braves playoff runs in the 90's. Former Florida Marlins' pitching coach Rick Kranitz was hired on Wednesday to replace Mazzone in Baltimore.