Los Angeles Times - 13.11.2019

LATIMES.COM/SPORTS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019D3

Gabe Kapler was hired

as manager of the San Fran-

cisco Giants, a month after

being fired from the job by

the Philadelphia Phillies.

Kapler replaces Bruce

Bochy, who retired at the

end of the season following

13 years and three champi-

onships with San Francisco.

The Giants made the an-

nouncement late Tuesday

and planned a formal intro-

duction to follow. Kapler is

the second big hire in a mat-

ter of days by Giants Presi-

dent of Baseball Operations

Farhan Zaidi, who on Mon-

day introduced new general

manager Scott Harris, most

recently an assistant GM for

the Chicago Cubs.

The 44-year-old Kapler

was fired Oct. 10 after going

161-163 over two seasons in

Philadelphia. With slugger

Bryce Harper their block-

buster acquisition, the

Phillies finished 81-81 this

year for their first non-losing

season since 2012.

Zaidi and Kapler are now

reunited from their time

with the Dodgers, where

Kapler served as director of

player development.

San Francisco went 77-85

last season. Ace Madison

Bumgarneris among base-

ball’s top free agents.

Mike Shildt of St. Louis

was named National League

manager of the year, nar-

rowly beating Craig Coun-

sellof Milwaukee. The Dod-

gers’Dave Roberts finished

fourth. Minnesota’s Rocco

Baldelli won the American

League award in a tight bal-

lot over Aaron Booneof New

York. Baldelli, 38, is the

youngest to win the award. ...

Detroit hired former Angels

bench coachJosh Paulas a

quality control coach. ... St.

Louis and pitcher Adam

Wainwrightagreed to a con-

tract for next season. ... An-

gels draft pick Jo Adell hom-

ered and the Americans

beat Japan 4-3 for their first

win in the super round of an

Olympic baseball qualifying

tournament.

SOCCER

Galaxy trade

veteran Romney

The Galaxy traded de-

fender Dave Romneyto ex-

pansion franchise Nashville

SC for $225,000 in general al-

location money.

Romney, 26, appeared in

84 games for the Galaxy over

the last five seasons, start-

ing 69. But with five coaches

in those five seasons, Rom-

ney found it increasingly dif-

ficult to get consistent

playing time. As a result, he

welcomed the trade.

“I felt like I could have

been a starter every single

year. But every single year

they’d bring someone in over

me and pay them exponen-

tially more,” he said.

— Kevin Baxter

ETC.

Vote to decertify

USA Badminton

U.S. Olympic & Para-

lympic Committee officials

launched a procedure to de-

certify USA Badminton, sev-

en months after first ex-

pressing concerns about the

Anaheim-based organiza-

tion’s failure to adequately

handle athlete safety, gov-

ernance and finances.

Revoking USA Bad-

minton’s status could take

months and leave officials

with little time to assume

control over training players

before the 2020 Olympics.

— David Wharton

Wake Forest receiver

Sage Surrattwill miss the

rest of the season with an un-

specified injury that will re-

quire surgery. Surratt ranks

fifth nationally and first

among players from power

conferences with 1,001 yards

receiving, and is tied for fifth

in the Football Bowl Subdi-

vision with 11 touchdown

catches. ... Colorado an-

nounced that the school’s

live buffalo mascot, Ralphie

V, will retire. ... Florida and

Arizona State agreed to play

a home-and-home series be-

ginning in 2028. ... Five-star

guard recruit Bryce

Thompson committed to

Kansas men’s basketball.

The Tampa Bay Bucca-

neers released cornerback

Vernon Hargreaves, the 11th

pick in the 2016 draft, after

benching him for lack of hus-

tle. He started 33 of 35 games

over four seasons. ... Cincin-

nati released linebacker

Preston Brown, who started

the first eight games and

had 54 tackles. ... The New

York Jets placed tight end

Chris Herndonand right

guard Brian Winters on in-

jured reserve. ... Zeke

Bratkowski, the quarter-

back who backed up Bart

Starrduring Green Bay’s

1960s dynasty, died at age 88.

Dominic Thiembeat No-

vak Djokovic6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6

(5) to advance from the

group stage at the ATP Fi-

nals. Djokovic will play

Roger Federer to decide who

joins Thiem in the semifin-

als. ... Dominika Cibulkova,

who won the WTA Finals in

2016, says she has retired at

age 30.

Tiger Woodswill play in

the Genesis Invitational at

Riviera Country Club from

Feb. 10 to 16.

THE DAY IN SPORTS

Giants pick Kapler

to be next manager

staff and wire reports

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —
The Dodgers heard the ru-
mors in 2017 as they advanced
to their first World Series ap-
pearance in 29 years. There
was nothing definitive, but
the talk was pervasive. And
the team’s advance scouts as-
signed to cover the Houston
Astros, their World Series op-
ponents, brought it up to An-
drew Friedman, the Dodgers’
president of baseball opera-
tions: The Astros were using a
system beyond the norm to
steal signs.
“There was just a lot of
speculation at the time about
it,” Friedman said.
On Tuesday, the conjec-
ture came to light with sub-

stantial and detailed allega-

tions. An article published by

the Athletic contends that the

Astros stole signs electron-

ically — an illegal practice —

during the 2017 season. Two

people told the Athletic that

the Astros’ use of the system

extended into the 2017 play-

offs. Another person denied

that, saying the system ended

before the postseason.

The story describes how

the Astros relayed catchers’

signs in real time at home

games using a camera in the

outfield and a monitor placed

in a tunnel between their dug-

out and clubhouse. A noise

from the dugout would then

help the batter know what

pitch was coming. Mike Fiers,

an Astros pitcher in 2017, con-

firmed the system’s existence.

Hours after the story ap-

peared online, the Astros is-

sued a statement saying the

organization has begun an in-

vestigation in cooperation

with Major League Baseball.

“Teams are competing

with one another and every-

body’s trying to find an edge,

but we all have to follow the

rules and the rules are set by

Major League Baseball,”

Astros President of Baseball

Operations Jeff Luhnow said.

“We all follow them. We all

agree to follow them. And ob-

viously if you don’t, there’s

ramifications to that, so we

want to follow the rules. We

want to compete and win.

That’s what every other club

does as well.”

The Astros are far from the

first team accused of illegally

stealing signs. In 1951, for ex-

ample, the New York Giants

used a telescope and a buzzer

to steal signs at the Polo

Grounds. But the use of elec-

tronics adds another layer of

intrigue. Several accusations,

some involving the Astros,

have been made against clubs

in recent years. In 2017, MLB

fined the Boston Red Sox for

using a smartwatch as part of

a sign-stealing scheme.

Angels general manager

Billy Eppler declined to ad-

dress the accusations levied

against Houston but said his

organization’s players “are

just mindful in any environ-

ment” that an opponent could

steal signs in nontraditional

ways.

Yankees general manager

Brian Cashman, whose team

lost to the Astros in the

American League Champi-

onship Series in 2017 and this

year, isn’t convinced it’s a

technology issue.

“That’s one component of

many tools you can utilize in

this game,” he said. “It just

comes down to how you go

about your business: Are you

going to follow the rules and

the guidelines or are you not?”

Friedman emphasized he

did not want to elaborate on

the allegations because he

didn’t want to sound bitter,

but he hinted that during Yu

Darvish’s two starts in the 2017

World Series, the Dodgers be-

lieved the Astros were steal-

ing signs in ways they hadn’t

encountered. Darvish logged

just 1^2 ⁄ 3 innings in both games

and didn’t strike out a batter.

He allowed four earned runs

in both Game 3 in Houston

and Game 7 in Los Angeles,

both Dodgers losses.

“We certainly did not know

anything definitive at the

time,” Friedman said. “But we

had a player who was really

good at picking up pitch-tip-

ping-type things and he

watched the Darvish outings

and said, ‘You couldn’t sell out

on something that Darvish

was doing.’ ”

Friedman said the experi-

ence informed the organiza-

tion on how to better combat

sign-stealing. He explained it

has since been discussed dur-

ing spring training, with mea-

sures implemented during

the regular season to make

October “less panicked.” It’s a

new normal clubs and MLB

must combat.

“I think there are things

that have existed since the be-

ginning of time,” Friedman

said. “And then there are

other things that are more

egregious and clearly across

the line. And I think there are

enough people involved in it

that you have to be pretty

brazen to do certain things.

And when you do, people are

going to find out about it.”

Dodgers suspected Astros of stealing signs

Houston is accused of

using illegal methods

in 2017; Friedman says

L.A. had hunches.

By Jorge Castillo

‘There was just a lot of

speculation at the time about it.’

— Andrew Friedman,

Dodgers executive, after a report alleged the Astros stole signs

electronically in 2017, the year they defeated L.A. in the World Series

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —
General manager Billy Eppler
hired reinforcements for his
front office Tuesday, bringing
aboard Hall of Fame manager
Tony La Russa as a special as-
sistant of baseball operations.
He’ll assist in all areas, includ-
ing player evaluations and mi-
nor league development.
Above all, La Russa, 75, will
serve as a sounding board for
Eppler, who raved about the
prospect of working closely
with someone he met at din-
ner five years ago as an assist-
ant general manager for the
New York Yankees.
“Having somebody with
that knowledge, that exper-
tise, that experience, I found
that very helpful when I was in
New York,” Eppler said during
the second day of baseball’s
general managers meetings.
“My interactions with him
have always been very pos-
itive. So I’m looking forward
to using him as a resource.
Tony is just looking to make a
contribution and there’s no
doubt he will.”
Eppler’s front office con-
tingent already features as a
senior advisor former Angels
GM Bill Stoneman, who presi-
ded over the franchise when it
won its only World Series
championship in 2002 and
claimed three American
League West titles. Former
Angels manager and pitching
coach Marcel Lachemann
and six-time Gold Glove-win-
ning third baseman Eric
Chavez also work with Eppler
as special assistants.
But none boast the resume
of La Russa. During 58 years
in pro baseball, he won three
World Series titles as a man-
ager (1989 in Oakland and
2006 and 2011 in St. Louis) and
another as an executive (2018
in Boston). A four-time man-
ager of the year, he was third
on the all-time wins list with
2,728 when he retired from
field duties in 2011.
He never slowed down. He
spent the 2012 and ’13 seasons
working with MLB Commis-
sioner Bud Selig before work-
ing in the Arizona Diamond-
backs’ baseball operations
department from 2014 to 2017.
La Russa joined the Red Sox
prior to their 2018 World Series
season as a vice president and
special assistant to then-pres-
ident of baseball operations
Dave Dombrowski.
La Russa was made avail-
able to interview after Dom-
browski was fired in Septem-
ber. Eppler, long enamored
with La Russa, jumped at the
opportunity.
Adding La Russa to his
cabinet could be a coup for
Eppler. His future with the
Angels is murky, his contract
due to expire after the 2020
season. Owner Arte Moreno
said last month he was
pleased with much of the work
Eppler has done since becom-
ing the Angels’ GM in Novem-
ber 2015.
But Moreno also said, “A
lot of times, all these things
don’t translate to the field.”
Moreno is itching to bring
back the glory days of Angels
baseball. He hired Joe Mad-
don as manager and commit-
ted to expanding the team’s
payroll in the hope the Angels
can compete with other high-
spending teams for top start-
ing pitchers.
Perhaps coupling the in-
creased resources with La
Russa’s presence will produce
the desired results.

La Russa

joins the

Angels as

an advisor

By Maria Torres

premier talent. He also

maintained he has not been

directed to stay under the

competitive-balance tax

threshold of a $208-million

payroll after not eclipsing

the line the last two seasons.

“We just don’t have hard-

and-fast rules,” Friedman

said. “We’re open to different

avenues and different levers

of how to get better. And I

can’t sit here right now and

tell you what that means be-

cause I don’t know.”

One option the Dodgers

are considering is signing

free-agent third baseman

Josh Donaldson, according

to people with knowledge of

the team’s thinking.

MLB.com has reported that

the Washington Nationals,

Texas Rangers, Philadel-

phia Phillies and Atlanta

Braves are also pursuing

Donaldson, the 2015 Ameri-

can League most valuable

player and a three-time All-

Star.

Donaldson, who turns 34

next month, is coming off a

rebound campaign with the

Braves after battling calf

and shoulder injuries the

previous two years. He hit 37

home runs with a .900 on-

base-plus-slugging percent-

age in 155 games as the

Braves won their second

consecutive National

League East title before los-

ing in a Division Series. He

reestablished himself on a

one-year, $23-million con-

tract, effectively betting on a

bounce-back season before

reentering free agency.

Donaldson has until

Thursday to decide on a one-

year, $17.8-million qualifying

offer from the Braves. He is

expected to decline it. As a

result, the Dodgers would

surrender their second-

highest pick in June’s draft

and $500,000 of international

bonus pool money to sign

him.

Donaldson and Anthony

Rendon are the two top third

basemen and arguably the

best two position players on

the free-agent market. Ren-

don is nearly five years

younger, an NL MVP finalist,

and led Washington to a

World Series title two weeks

ago. He will attract longer,

more lucrative offers after

declining the Nationals’

qualifying offer. That could

turn the Dodgers to Donald-

son, who is in the market for

a contract in the range of

three to four years.

Donaldson, or Rendon,

would give the Dodgers an-

other elite right-handed hit-

ter alongside Justin Turner

to complement their array of

premier left-handed batters

led by Cody Bellinger, Max

Muncy and Corey Seager.

Signing either third base-

man would mean moving

Turner to first base or sec-

ond base and would create a

crowded infield. Muncy also

plays first and second, Sea-

ger is the incumbent short-

stop and premier rookie

Gavin Lux is a middle in-

fielder. Turner turns 35 this

month, battled injuries in

2019 and is entering the final

year of his contract. Acquir-

ing Donaldson or Rendon

would provide insurance for

2020 and beyond should

Turner not re-sign with the

team.

Short hops

Friedman confirmed

that Mark Prior will replace

Rick Honeycutt as pitching

coach. Prior was the bullpen

coach the last two seasons. ...

Friedman said he is unsure

whether the organization

will hire a general manager

to work under him. The Dod-

gers have been without a

general manager since

Farhan Zaidi departed last

November to become the

San Francisco Giants’ presi-

dent of baseball operations.

... Utilityman Kristopher Ne-

gron announced his retire-

ment Tuesday, three days af-

ter the Dodgers released

him. The 33-year-old ap-

peared in 30 games at six po-

sitions for the Dodgers after

they acquired him from the

Seattle Mariners in July.

THIRD BASEMANAnthony Rendon, who helped lead Washington to a World

Series title, is a free agent after turning down the Nationals’ qualifying offer.

Elsa GarrisonGetty Images

Free agent Donaldson

is on Dodgers’ radar

[Dodgers,from D1]

IF THE DODGERSsign a free-agent third baseman,

Justin Turner would shift infield positions.

Wally SkalijLos Angeles Times

Top skippers

Voting for managers of the year, with

first-place votes and total points, re-

leased Tuesday by Major League

Baseball:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Manager 1st Pts

Mike Shildt, St. Louis 10 95

Craig Counsell, Milwaukee 13 88

Brian Snitker, Atlanta 3 45

Dave Roberts, Dodgers 4 25

Dave Martinez, Washington 2 15

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Manager 1st Pts

Rocco Baldelli, Minnesota 13 106

Aaron Boone, New York 13 96

Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay 3 33

Bob Melvin, Oakland 3 19

A.J. Hinch, Houston 1 12

Terry Francona, Cleveland 1 4

Schildt Baldelli