AROUND THE HORN: Price spurns Tigers, joins D'backs

October 18, 2005
PHOENIX -- Bryan Price accepted a one-year contract as pitching coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday after determining he wasn't a serious candidate for the job to manage the Florida Marlins.
"It didn't look like I would be considered for the managerial position," Price said.
Price, who lives in nearby Scottsdale, said he also spoke with Tigers manager Jim Leyland about the pitching coach job there, but decided the Diamondbacks were the best fit. He will be reunited with manager Bob Melvin -- they were together for two years in Seattle.
Price, 43, spent 18 years with the Mariners organization, the past six as pitching coach.
Price said his relationship with Melvin was a major factor in his decision to join Arizona.
"I know what I'm getting into here. I know what Bob's expectations are of me as a pitching coach," he said. "I know how badly he wants to win and how he prepares to win. We work well together that way. Beyond that, we're great friends, and I think great friendships are built on great trust. We've established that in our two years together in Seattle."
Baltimore: Bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks will be given another job in the organization because of a mild stroke in April that forced him to miss 18 games. The team said it has not decided on the new position for Hendricks, 64. His 28-year coaching tenure is the longest in club history. He was an Orioles catcher for 11 seasons.
L.A. Angels: Despite winning the 2002 World Series and the past two AL West titles, general manager Bill Stoneman has a lot to consider in the off-season. Starting pitchers Jarrod Washburn and Paul Byrd are eligible for free agency, along with catcher Bengie Molina. It'll help that Tim Salmon's $10-million salary comes off the books, freeing up money. Against the White Sox, the Angels hit .175 and scored 11 runs in five games. "It looks to me like we're going to try to help the offense by adding a bat," Stoneman said. During the regular season, they hit .270 with 147 homers to rank 10th in the AL. Their 761 runs ranked sixth.
N.Y. Yankees: The Yankees asked and received permission from the Atlanta Braves to speak with pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Mel Stottlemyre, who has held the job since Joe Torre took over after the 1995 season, said last week he did not plan to return. Mazzone rebuffed interest from the Mets after the 2002 season, signing a new deal with the Braves that included a significant pay increase. Mazzone, 57, has been with the Braves since 1979. He had a brief stint as Atlanta's co-pitching coach in 1985, then returned as the sole pitching coach in June 1990 after Bobby Cox was hired as manager. The Braves have perennially been among the NL leaders in ERA, but they dropped to sixth this season (3.98).
Oakland: The Athletics exercised their $4-million contract option for outfielder Jay Payton for 2006. He was acquired in a July trade with the Red Sox that sent right-hander Chad Bradford to Boston. Payton batted .269 with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs in 69 games with Oakland. Overall, he hit .267 with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs. ... The A's declined to exercise their option on right-hander Keiichi Yabu, who signed a $1-million, one-year contract last January. He was 4-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 40 relief appearances.
Obituary: Al Widmar, pitching coach of the Blue Jays for 10 seasons, died of colon cancer Saturday in Tulsa, Okla. He was 80. Widmar became pitching coach in 1979. Six years later, he guided a rotation of Dave Stieb, Doyle Alexander, Jim Clancy and Jimmy Key. Widmar became special assistant to the vice president and GM in 1991.
San Francisco: Six players were designated for assignment: right-handers Brian Cooper and Matt Kinney, catcher Yamid Haad, and outfielders Doug Clark, Julio Ramirez and Adam Shabala. Cooper refused his designation and became a free agent.
St. Louis: Right-hander Al Reyes will have reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow today. Reyes was injured on the final day of the regular season, and this will be his second reconstruction on an elbow that was repaired in 1995. Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Dodgers' team physician, did the first surgery and Reyes wanted him to do it again. But Yocum was booked until Nov. 8, so Reyes opted for former Cardinals team doctor George Paletta. "Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to start my rehab," Reyes said. "I just want this done so I can come back."

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