Section B · Page 10
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, October 11, 2000
Toronto manager among those fired
The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Jim Fregosi was fired yesterday as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays after two seasons of third-place finishes.
The decision came after a season in which Toronto finished 83-79. Fregosi's contract expired at the end of the season.
General manager Gord Ash was in Florida to meet with Fregosi, who had a gut feeling that he would be told his two-year term with the club was finished.
"We had a good two years. Toronto is a great city and was a lot of fun." Fregosi said from his home in Tarpon Springs. "There was a decision from an organizational standpoint that they didn't want me back."
Fregosi is the sixth manager to be fired since the season ended, joining Terry Francona (Philadelphia), Buck Showalter (Arizona). Gene Lamont
(Pittsburgh), Jack McKeon (Reds) and Davey Johnson (Los Angeles).
Fregosi said he would not be interested in another position within the Toronto organization but he would like to remain in the game.
"We'll wait and see what happens," he said. "But yes, I would like to continue to manage."
two members of Fregosi's coaching staff, Bobby Knoop and Lee Elia, also will not return. Ash said he had spoken with them and had been told they did not wish to remain with the Blue Jays if Fregosi was fired.
The other coaches, including former manager and current hitting coach Cito Gaston, are believed to be safe. Gaston managed the Blue Jays to two World Series titles.
The Blue Jays set up a media conference call for later in the day with team president and CEO Paul Godfrey and Ash, who was given a three-year contract extension earlier in the day.
Fregosi, who also has managed the California Angels, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, compiled a 167-157 record with Toronto. Lagging attendance reportedly was one of the reasons the front office was contemplating a change.
Fregosi became manager of the Blue Jays with 13 games remaining in the 1999 spring training schedule after Tim Johnson was fired for lying about serving in Vietnam. The Jays finished 84-78 that season.
Top candidates to replace Fregosi reportedly include former Blue Jays star Paul Molitor, broadcaster Buck Martinez and one-time Toronto catcher Ernie Whitie.
Mariners bullpen exhausts Yankees
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Freddy Garcia and Seattle's bullpen put the New York Yankees right back in their postseason funk.
Garcia pitched 62-3 innings in a six-hitter, and Alex Rodriguez and Rickey Henderson supplied the offense, leading the Mariners to a 2-0 win last night against New York in the opener of the American League Championship Series.
Garcia, one of the young pitchers obtained two years ago from Houston in the Randy Johnson trade, allowed just three hits, struck out eight and handled the two-time World Series champions like an old pro.
The 24-year-old right-hander let runners reach third base in the third and fifth innings and escaped a two-on, no-outs jam
With the crowd on its feet, Mariners manager Lou Piniella stayed with Garcia, who struck out Paul O'Neill and Bernie
in the sixth.
Williams, then retired David Justice on a flyout Mike Cameron caught one step in front of the center-field fence. Jose Paniagua, Arthur Rhodes and Kazuhiro Sasaki combined for three-hit relief, with
Sassak getting three outs for his third save of the playoffs
With the crowd again on its feet, Williams singled leading off the ninth as Sasaki repeatedly stepped off. Justice struck out, and Tino Martinez signed up the middle to
bring up Jorge Posada, who homered off Sasaki twice in three at-bats in the regular season.
But Sasaki got Posada to fly to right, and Luis Solo filed out to center to end it.
Seattle pitchers struck out 13, including Derek Jeter three times. The Mariners bullpen has pitched 14 scoreless innings in the postseason.
New York, which hit just 244 and scored only 19 runs in its 3-2 win against Oakland in the division series, was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Sojo and Chuck Knoblauch had two hits each.
After taking a 6-0 lead over the Athletics in the first innning of Game 5, the Yankees have scored one run in their last 17 innings, looking like the tired, old team that lost 15 of its last 18 games during the regular season.
MARINERS 1,
YANKEES 0
What happened: Seattle pitcher Freddy Garcia pitched nearly flawlessly, giving the Mariners a 1-0 lead against the New York Yankees in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.
What's next: The two teams play again this afternoon at 3 p.m. at Yankee Stadium in New York, Leffhander John Halaime, 14:9, will start for Seattle against Yankees right-hander Orlando Hernandez, 12-13.
Where you can see it: The game will be televised on NBC, chan
Kidney still ails Mourning
The Associated Press
MIAMI — Ailing Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, still weighing medical options and hoping to avoid a kidney transplant, visited practice yesterday for the first time since his illness was discovered.
"He's upbeat," said coach Pat Riley. "He walked in and lit the place up."
The prognosis remains uncertain, Heat officials said. A course of treatment for Mourning's apparent kidney disorder will likely be determined by next week after he has finished consulting with doctors, Riley said.
Mourning's foster mother. Fannie
Threat, said he had a rare kidney ailment that could require a transplant.
"He just said, 'Oh, it is bad, Mom. It is bad," she told The Palm Beach Post for yesterday's editions. Threet, interviewed by telephone from her home in Chesapeake, Va., raised Mourning from the time he was 12.
Threet said she spoke twice with Mourning since the ailment was discovered during a routine physical. She said
Mourning told her that doctors were hopeful they could find a kidney if it was necessarv.
When reporters pressed Heat players for information on Mourning's condition following practice yesterday, team media relations director Tim Donovan intervened.
is," Donovan said. "We're not lying to you." Mourning, 30, became a father for the second time and helped the U.S. Olympic team win the gold medal in Sydney last month. He was expected to lead a revamped Miami team widely considered the Eastern Conference favorite this season.
The All-Star center hasn't appeared in public since Oct. 3, when he attended Heat media day. Training camp began without him the following day.
Mourning spent about 90 minutes at the Heat's closed practice session yesterday. He met with Riley, stretched with teammates and rode a stationary bike long enough to break a sweat.
"I'm going to tell you: Don't be having a long face around him," Riley said. "He'll kick your rear. He's about attacking it and finding a plan, and he doesn't want to be around anybody who is feeling sorry for him."
The Heat departed for their first presseason game today at New Jersey. Mourning remained in Miami.
Expectations worry Cardinals
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — Jim Edmonds,
whose bat propelled the St. Louis
Cardinals' surprising first-round
sweep of the Atlanta Braves, has
been worrying himself to sleep
these days wondering if he'll be
able to keep it up.
"My biggest thing is I have that fear of having three good games, and coming out here the next time and not doing well." Edmonds said. "This is something I've got to carry on for the next 10 games or however long we play. There's always the pressure on me to not live on what I did last week."
Edmonds had an MVP-caliber season in his first year. He had career bests in home runs (42), RBI (108) and runs (129), and played a Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field.
Against the Braves, he went 8-for-14 with two homers and seven RBI, and turned in a highlight reel over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track in Game 2. His two-run home in Game 3 off Kevin Millwood was perhaps the big blow of the clinching 7-1 victory.
Now, the slate is clean again as the National League Central champions prepare for Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the New York Mets Wednesday night.
"Shoot, now that I'm here,
Atlanta was easy," Edmonds said.
"The whole series was easy just
because it's over.
"But I think that fear of not being able to do it again is what I think drives this team."
Manager Tony La Rusa likes it when his first-round big star is far from smug.
“It’s a great series to pat him on the back and talk about it in November,” La Russa said. “I'm glad fans who hadn't seen us very much got a chance to see how great a player he is, but I'm like our fans. What do you do next?”
Defense could be at a premium in the series, with both teams anticipating low scoring.
Game 1 matches Cardinals 20-6 game winner Darryl Kile against Mike Hampton (15-10). Kile could go twice on three days' rest in Games 4 and 7, if needed.
"He's our best guy, just like Bob Gibson or Dave Stewart," La Russa said.
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