azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Ed Price, Tribune
The Diamondbacks on Wednesday reinterviewed Wally Backman and Bob Melvin as the team's managerial search hits the home stretch.
Manny Acta, the third finalist, is scheduled for his second interview Monday.
A choice is expected next week.
The first round of interviews was conducted by members of Arizona's baseball operations staff, but the second sessions are with representatives from ownership.
“They're both interesting guys and both really strong candidates,” Ken Kendrick, one of the controlling owners, said after Wednesday's interviews. “They both have a really good history with us and they both have really good baseball instincts, I think.
“I think my role in it is clearly a different one than some others because I'm not the ‘baseball guy.’ The attribute I was personally focused on was who would be the strongest leader. Leadership for players who need development is important.”
Backman, who managed Arizona's Class A Lancaster team this year, met Wednesday morning with Kendrick, CEO Jeff Moorad and team president Rich Dozer.
“It went real good,” Backman said. “We talked about a lot of baseball stuff. We talked about involvement with the community and things like that.”
Backman is scheduled to interview today in St. Louis with the New York Mets, who also are hiring a manager.
“It'll be fun,” he said. “I was excited about the one today as well.”
In the afternoon, Melvin was interviewed by Kendrick, Moorad and general manager Joe Garagiola Jr.
“It went fine,” said Melvin, a former D-Backs bench coach who was fired earlier this month after two seasons as manager of the Seattle Mariners.
“There were some different questions (from the first interview) because there were different people there, but all in all it went very well.”
SHORT HOPS: Dozer said Wednesday that season-ticket prices for 2005 will be the same as this year, with the exception of about 700 to 800 of the best seats. Those season-ticket holders will pay more but gain benefits such as valet parking. Dozer said there may be a nominal increase in the cost of some individual game tickets, but that has not been determined and the prices will be announced in December or January (individual tickets will go on sale in February).
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=30553
The Diamondbacks on Wednesday reinterviewed Wally Backman and Bob Melvin as the team's managerial search hits the home stretch.
Manny Acta, the third finalist, is scheduled for his second interview Monday.
A choice is expected next week.
The first round of interviews was conducted by members of Arizona's baseball operations staff, but the second sessions are with representatives from ownership.
“They're both interesting guys and both really strong candidates,” Ken Kendrick, one of the controlling owners, said after Wednesday's interviews. “They both have a really good history with us and they both have really good baseball instincts, I think.
“I think my role in it is clearly a different one than some others because I'm not the ‘baseball guy.’ The attribute I was personally focused on was who would be the strongest leader. Leadership for players who need development is important.”
Backman, who managed Arizona's Class A Lancaster team this year, met Wednesday morning with Kendrick, CEO Jeff Moorad and team president Rich Dozer.
“It went real good,” Backman said. “We talked about a lot of baseball stuff. We talked about involvement with the community and things like that.”
Backman is scheduled to interview today in St. Louis with the New York Mets, who also are hiring a manager.
“It'll be fun,” he said. “I was excited about the one today as well.”
In the afternoon, Melvin was interviewed by Kendrick, Moorad and general manager Joe Garagiola Jr.
“It went fine,” said Melvin, a former D-Backs bench coach who was fired earlier this month after two seasons as manager of the Seattle Mariners.
“There were some different questions (from the first interview) because there were different people there, but all in all it went very well.”
SHORT HOPS: Dozer said Wednesday that season-ticket prices for 2005 will be the same as this year, with the exception of about 700 to 800 of the best seats. Those season-ticket holders will pay more but gain benefits such as valet parking. Dozer said there may be a nominal increase in the cost of some individual game tickets, but that has not been determined and the prices will be announced in December or January (individual tickets will go on sale in February).
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=30553
