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2B Daily News – Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Giants extend Sabean, Bochy contracts through 2013 season SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brian Sabean's office is connected to the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse, only a matter of feet from where manager Bruce Bochy prepares for games. The close proximity makes for regular planning meetings, before first pitch and often well into the night after the final out. CEO Larry Baer is committed to maintaining that continuity with his club, and took a step Tuesday by giv- ing both the general manager and manager contract extensions taking them through the 2013 season with club options for 2014. ''They work exceptionally well together. That's a key relationship,'' Baer said. ''I strongly believe Brian and Bruce are the best at their craft in the game, and their track record shows that.'' The 55-year-old Sabean is the longest-tenured GM in baseball and has said he would like to stay put in San Francisco for the rest of his career. He became the Giants' GM in 1996 after three years in player personnel. He was in the Yankees organization from 1985-92 as a scout, scouting director and player development director. Sabean has a busy stretch ahead before spring training begins in Febru- ary. On Wednesday, his wife, Aman- da, is scheduled to give birth to the couple's second son — the sixth son for Sabean. Then, baseball's winter meetings begin next week in Dallas. The top priority is upgrading the offense while leaving enough payroll flexibility to lock up star pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for what Sabean hopes is the long haul. ''Anything we're going to do has to fit into a certain price point and give us enough flexibility to do other things,'' Sabean said. ''Pitching is our gold ''Anything we're going to do has to fit into a certain price point and give us enough flexi- bility to do other things. Pitching is our gold standard and we'll do all that we can to take care of that commodity first.'' — Giants GM Brian Sabean standard and we'll do all that we can to take care of that commodity first.'' Bobby Evans, the team's vice pres- ident of baseball operations and Sabean's right-hand man, said there have been preliminary conversations with the pitchers' representatives that he categorized as ''an exchange of ideas and numbers.'' Evans said he expects Lincecum, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, to be open to a long-term deal beyond two years. ''I don't know how productive it is to get into specifics,'' Evans said. ''I don't thinks he's closed off to anything short or long, per se. I think he's very comfortable with short, but don't think he's closed off to anything long. I think he's still open to that.'' Sabean hired the 56-year-old Bochy away from the rival San Diego Padres in 2007 to replace Felipe Alou. ''I think we have a mutual respect. We listen to each other, Brian for me is always available,'' Bochy said. ''We communicate so much during the course of the season. We stay in the same building. There's never any kind of distance or separation.'' Yet there wasn't immediate success when Bochy arrived, and both men received harsh criticism along the way for moves they made and those they didn't. That all changed when they led the club to an improbable World Series championship in 2010 with a band of ''castoffs and misfits'' as Bochy called them. Baer had expected to get deals done during the offseason to keep both have picked Bobby Valentine to be their next manager and the sides were working to complete a con- tract, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announce- ment had been made. Several media outlets in Boston, citing anonymous sources, reported earlier in the evening that Valentine would be the team's new manager. ''He's got it. I just spoke to him a little while ago,'' Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, who managed Valentine in the minors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, said in a tele- phone interview with the AP. The Red Sox had no comment, spokesperson Pam Ganley said. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed in a completely new direction. And Los Angeles doesn't appear to be the destination. Team owner Wayne Weaver fired longtime coach Jack Del Rio on Tues- day after a 3-8 start and agreed to sell the Jaguars to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan. Weaver named defensive coordinator Mel Tucker the interim coach and gave general manager Gene Smith a three-year contract extension, putting him in charge of the coach- ing search. The moves marked the most significant changes for the small-market franchise since its inception in 1993. "It's the right thing at the right time and for the right reasons," Weaver said. "We deserve better; the commu- nity deserves better. We've been very average over the last few years. I take respon- sibility for a lot of that, mak- ing mistakes in some per- sonnel things, but look posi- tive ahead that this team is not far away from being a Valentine would succeed Terry Francona, who left after eight sea- sons following Boston's record col- lapse in September. men around for the near future. Sabean and Bochy were instrumental in the team's World Series title, the first for the franchise since moving West in 1958. ''I don't take anything for granted. I'm thankful for their renewed com- mitment,'' Bochy said. The Giants went 86-76 for second place in the NL West and missed the playoffs this year, when they dealt with devastating season-ending injuries to 2010 NL Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey and second baseman Freddy Sanchez. Baer recently assumed top deci- sion-making duties from outgoing managing partner Bill Neukom, say- ing, ''Brian has seen the operation through all sorts of environments.'' That included the challenging days with home run king Barry Bonds and the move from Candlestick Park to the waterfront spot at 12-year-old AT&T Park. ''I don't take the extension lightly,'' Sabean said. ''Baseball's a tough game to succeed in. I'm really thank- ful that I'm one of the original employees of the ownership group and as the ownership group changed or morphed, they recognized our com- mitment and hard work.'' All-Star slugger Pablo Sandoval is still deciding whether to spend a short stint in his native Venezuela, where Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted earlier this month and then rescued. Sandoval is training for a sec- ond straight offseason in Arizona after losing close to 40 pounds last winter. AP source: Red Sox choose Valentine as manager (AP) — The Boston Red Sox Francona guided the Red Sox to a pair of World Series champi- onships, in 2004 and 2007. Valentine was in Japan this week, where he managed from 2004-09, and said he was about to take off on a flight when he sent the AP a text message at 9:48 p.m. Tuesday saying he had no comment on ''the Red Sox situation.'' Valentine previously managed in the majors with the New York Mets and Texas Rangers, leading the Mets to the 2000 World Series. He had been working as a baseball ana- lyst for ESPN. ''I'm happy for him. I think the Red Sox got themselves a good very competitive football team." Forbes reported the sale to be worth $760 million. Weaver, who will turn 77 in January, had been looking for an "exit strategy" for years, wanting to find some- one to buy the team and keep it in Jacksonville. He had tears in his eyes several times as he announced his impending departure. "It's a little bittersweet, honestly, that it came as soon as it did," Weaver said. "But the main motivation for the exit strategy was to find someone that has the same passion about the NFL, had the same passion about football in Jack- sonville as we do, and I found that person." Khan, 61, believes he is the right choice, too. "Wayne's legacy will be lasting, and I will always be grateful for Wayne's trust and confidence in my com- mitment to the Jaguars, the NFL and the people of the Jacksonville community," Khan said in a statement. Born in Pakistan, Khan left home at age 16 to attend manager. In all my years, I've never seen a guy prepare a team for a game like he does. That's what makes him unique,'' Lasorda said. The Red Sox also interviewed Gene Lamont, Torey Lovullo, Dale Sveum, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Pete Mackanin. Sveum was been hired to manage the Chicago Cubs by for- mer Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. Mackanin and Alomar were told they were no longer in the running. The Red Sox have gone nearly two months without a manager, but general manager Ben Cherington has noted that Francona wasn't hired until after Thanksgiving — on Dec. 4, 2003. Valentine's last major league managerial job was with the Mets in 2002. Jaguars fire Del Rio after 3-8 start, sell team the University of Illinois. He graduated in 1971, a year after he started working for Flex-N-Gate Corp. in Urbana, Ill. He purchased the company in 1980. Today, Flex-N-Gate is a major manufacturer of bumper systems for pickup trucks and sport utility vehi- cles built in North America. Khan tried to buy con- trolling interest in the St. Louis Rams last year. His purchase of the Jaguars is subject to NFL approval. League owners will vote to ratify the deal Dec. 14, and if it passes, would become official Jan. 4. The Jaguars could have a new coach in place before then. "There's a lot of good things that will happen in the future," Smith said. Del Rio's job security had been tenuous since Weaver said the coach need- ed to make the playoffs to secure a 10th season in Jack- sonville. The Jaguars were essentially eliminated with Sunday's 20-13 loss to AFC South-leading Houston. "It's the nature of the beast," tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "Change is good sometimes. Obviously, it's an unfortunate situation. ... This is the NFL and unfortu- nate things happen some- times." The timing of the move made sense since the Jaguars are struggling to sell tickets and host a Monday night game against San Diego. The team needs to sell about 9,000 tickets to avoid a local television blackout for a prime-time game. Making a coaching change could boost sales. Del Rio leaves with a 69- 73 record, including 1-2 in two playoffs appearances. The Jaguars didn't win the AFC South in any of his nine seasons. Weaver gave Del Rio a four-year extension worth $21 million after Jack- sonville won a playoff game following the 2007 season. The team stumbled to a 5-11 finish the following season, and Weaver overhauled the roster but decided to keep Del Rio. The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION The Over 25 years of experience COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. NOW OPEN! Sales • Service • Installation *Wood Stoves * Pellet Stoves * Gas Stoves Tues-Sat 9am-5pm Closed Sunday & Monday 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff www.thestovejunction.com 530-528-2221 Fax 530-528-2229 NBA teams may host player workouts again MIAMI (AP) — NBA arenas are about to be unlocked. For the first time since the lockout began on July 1, NBA players are going to be welcomed back to their team facilities, said league spokesman Tim Frank. The league sent a memo to clubs Tuesday announcing the move, plus giving teams permis- sion to begin speaking with agents at 9 a.m. Wednesday — though deals cannot yet be offered, and no contracts can be signed before Dec. 9. Teams may host ''vol- untary player workouts'' and physicals. Training camps will not open until Dec. 9, and the regular season is expected to begin Christmas Day with marquee matchups, including a Miami-Dallas rematch of last season's NBA finals. A person familiar with the league's Christmas schedule told The Associ- ated Press on Tuesday that the NBA will feature five games this year on Dec. 25 instead of the original- ly planned three. The per- son spoke on condition of anonymity because the NBA does not plan to announce the Christmas lineup until later this week. The decision for the league to schedule five Christmas games was first reported by The New York Times. It's not quite business- as-usual yet, but getting facilities open again is a huge boost for both teams and players. The league also said owners, general managers, and coaches are now free to comment publicly about things such as con- tracts, plans for future free agent signings, the team's prospects for the upcom- ing season, and other com- ments on typical topics. Teams have not been allowed to do that during the lockout and clubs were allowed to make contact with players only with league preapproval. And they still can't talk about the league's collec- tive bargaining agreement. At least, not yet. Since the NBA and its players reached a tentative agreement on how to end the lockout early Saturday morning, neither side has known if workouts would be permitted before camps begin. Such informal workouts are customary, typically beginning 2-3 weeks before camp as players begin getting themselves into the best possible condition. When NFL camps opened after that league's lockout earlier this year, a number of players — it seemed more than usual, anyway — were either injured in the preseason or rehabilitated from offsea- son surgeries at a slower pace than first anticipated. One of the byproducts of the lockout is that it NCAA HOOPS Top 25 Schedule Tuesday's results No. 2 Ohio State vs.No.3 Duke, late No. 4 Syracuse 84,. E. Michigan 48 No. 7 Baylor 90, Prairie View 54 Virginia 70, No. 14 Michigan 58 No.23 Saint Louis at Loyola Marymount, late Today's games No.5 N.Carolina vs.No.9 Wisconsin, 6:30 p.m. No. 15 Kansas vs. FAU, 5 p.m. No. 17 Pittsburgh at Duquesne, 4 p.m. No. 18 UNLV at UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m. No.19 Gonzaga vs.Notre Dame, 8:15 p.m. No. 25 Texas A&M vs. Alcorn St., 5 p.m. Thursday's games No. 1 Kentucky vs. St. John's, 4:30 p.m. No.12 Alabama vs. Georgetown, 6:30 p.m. Friday's games No. 4 Syracuse vs.No. 10 Florida, 3:30 p.m. No.6 Louisville vs.No.20 Vanderbilt, 5:30 p.m. No. 13 Missouri vs. Northwestern St., 5 p.m. Saturday's games No.1 Kentucky vs.No.5 North Carolina, 9 a.m. No. 2 Ohio St. vs.Tex-Pan American, 9 a.m. No. 8 UConn vs. Arkansas at the XL Center, Hartford, Conn., 12:15 p.m. No.9 Wisconsin vs.No.16 Marquette, 1:30 p.m. No. 11 Xavier vs. Purdue, Noon No. 14 Michigan vs. Iowa State, 9 a.m. No. 15 Kansas vs. S. Florida, 2:15 p.m. No. 17 Pittsburgh at Tennessee, 2:15 p.m. No. 19 Gonzaga at Illinois, 12:15 p.m. No. 21 Miss. St. vs.West Virginia, 6 p.m. No.22 Memphis vs.Austin Peay, 5:30 p.m. No. 23 Saint Louis vs.Portland, 5 p.m. No.25 Texas A&M vs.Stephen F.Austin, 5 p.m. Sunday's games No. 7 Baylor at Northwestern, 1 p.m. No. 18 UNLV at Wichita State, 1:05 p.m. No. 24 California at San Diego St., 2 p.m. kept players from meeting with team physicians and trainers, as many had been used to for years, and teams tried to find the right balance between conditioning and protect- ing players from risking injury by doing too much too soon. By opening at least a week before training camps formally begin, the NBA may be able to mini- mize those problems somewhat. While most of the league's players have been working out on their own or in small groups for weeks anyway, many have said that little can replicate the experience of being at a true NBA facility, replete with training rooms, whirlpools, ice tubs and things of that nature. Some players, includ- ing LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, spent time earlier this month at a makeshift training camp in Oregon in an effort to replicate the NBA work- out environment. ''Anything you can do to get your body ready before training camp will help,'' Wade said at the time, before the tentative settlement was reached. Allowing teams and agents to resume dialogue is also significant, since there are dozens of players who had contracts expire when last season ended and will try to either re- sign with their most recent teams or find new clubs. Most NBA teams need to make several roster moves just to have enough players under contract for training camp, so having agents and club executives speaking now will clearly speed up that process. Among the notable free agents available: Nene, Tyson Chandler, Jamal Crawford, David West, Shane Battier, Caron But- ler, Grant Hill, Josh Howard and Samuel Dalembert. The players and owners eventually came to agree- ment on the framework of a new 10-year collective bargaining deal, which either side may opt out of after six years. It leaves the NBA with its second shortened season (the first was the 50-game 1998-99 season), with the hope of getting in 66 games instead of a full 82-game schedule. NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division WL OT Pts GF GA Phoenix 13 7 3 29 65 57 Dallas 14 9 1 29 62 65 Kings SHARKS 13 7 1 27 60 48 Ducks Central Division WL OT Pts GF GA Chicago 14 8 3 31 80 78 St. Louis 14 8 2 30 59 50 Detroit 14 7 1 29 65 49 Nashville 11 8 4 26 60 62 Columbus 6 14 3 15 54 75 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Minnesota 14 7 3 31 57 53 Vancouver 13 9 1 27 69 59 Edmonton 12 10 2 26 65 60 Colorado 10 13 1 21 62 73 Calgary 9 12 1 19 50 60 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA Pittsburgh 14 7 4 32 80 63 N.Y. Rangers13 5 3 29 60 46 Philadelphia13 7 3 29 80 68 New Jersey 12 9 1 25 57 58 N.Y. Islanders 7 11 4 18 43 69 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Toronto 14 8 2 30 79 75 Boston 14 7 1 29 75 47 Buffalo 13 10 1 27 68 63 Ottawa 12 10 2 26 75 83 Montreal 10 10 4 24 61 60 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Florida 13 7 4 30 67 60 Washington 12 10 1 25 71 75 Tampa Bay 11 10 2 24 63 72 Winnipeg 9 11 4 22 70 80 Carolina 8 14 4 20 61 86 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. —————————————————— Tuesday's results Florida 3, Carolina 1 N.Y. Islanders 2, Buffalo 1 N.Y. Rangers 4, Pittsburgh 3 Ottawa 6, Winnipeg 4 Phoenix 4, Chicago 1 St. Louis 2, Washington 1 Columbus at Vancouver, late Nashville at Calgary, late Today's games Boston at Toronto, 4 p.m. Tampa Bay at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Minnesota at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m. New Jersey at Colorado, 6:30 p.m. Montreal at Anaheim, 7 p.m. Thursday's games Montreal at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Carolina, 4 p.m. Pittsburgh at Washington, 4 p.m. Ottawa at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Phoenix at Winnipeg, 5:30 p.m. Columbus at Calgary, 6 p.m. Nashville at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Florida at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. 12 8 4 28 57 55 6 13 4 16 50 76