azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Moorad meets with players
By Dan Zeiger, Tribune
PHOENIX — Between family vacations, Jeff Moorad has stopped by Bank One Ballpark for two days to get a jump start on his duties with the Diamondbacks.
Moorad — who comes aboard on a full-time basis on Sept. 1, then takes over for Jerry Colangelo as CEO at the end of the year — on Monday met with Arizona players, indicated that Joe Garagiola Jr. will stay on as general manager and insisted the team’s struggles will be temporary.
“I expressed to the players the same feelings I’ve had for some time, that this organization will be back,” said Moorad, a former player agent. “It is just a matter of when. By pushing the right buttons and going forward, it can
happen sooner rather than later.”
Also, Ken Kendrick, one of four general partners in the D-Backs, said that the team intends to have pitcher Randy Johnson still around next season.
“Jeff has spoken to him,” Kendrick said. “We’d all love to have him back. He is an icon here.”
On the field on Monday, Arizona scored four runs off Pittsburgh closer Jose Mesa in the ninth inning to tie the game, but Jack Wilson’s sacrifice fly in the 10th provided the Pirates the margin in an 8-7 victory.
Moorad said he is involved in two “baseball-oriented projects” — working on a contract extension for Richie Sexson and negotiations with first-round draft pick Stephen Drew.
Today, Moorad is scheduled to meet with Garagiola to discuss Sexson and scouting director Mike Rizzo to talk about Drew. Florida State University’s fall semester begins next week. Should Drew, a Seminoles shortstop, attend a class, Arizona loses his rights, and any team can draft him next year.
Meanwhile, Moorad said he anticipates only a “fine tuning” of the front office. When asked if Garagiola would be the GM in 2005, he said, “Joe is the general manager.”
Next year’s payroll has been projected from $60 million to $70 million, but Moorad said the figure is still a work in progress.
“I’ll have a better feel in September,” Moorad said.
“Ultimately, it’s a matter of choice where the money will be spent. But if the baseball operations department feels strongly about being active in the free-agent market, the payroll will be designed to support that.”
Moorad and Kendrick met with the players for 15 minutes.
“He’s excited,” said reliever Matt Mantei, a D-Back since 1999. “You could tell how eager he is to turn this thing around. I get the same feeling with him as I did with Jerry. He’s a competitor. He told us that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”
http://www.aztrib.com/index.php?sty=26467
By Dan Zeiger, Tribune
PHOENIX — Between family vacations, Jeff Moorad has stopped by Bank One Ballpark for two days to get a jump start on his duties with the Diamondbacks.
Moorad — who comes aboard on a full-time basis on Sept. 1, then takes over for Jerry Colangelo as CEO at the end of the year — on Monday met with Arizona players, indicated that Joe Garagiola Jr. will stay on as general manager and insisted the team’s struggles will be temporary.
“I expressed to the players the same feelings I’ve had for some time, that this organization will be back,” said Moorad, a former player agent. “It is just a matter of when. By pushing the right buttons and going forward, it can
happen sooner rather than later.”
Also, Ken Kendrick, one of four general partners in the D-Backs, said that the team intends to have pitcher Randy Johnson still around next season.
“Jeff has spoken to him,” Kendrick said. “We’d all love to have him back. He is an icon here.”
On the field on Monday, Arizona scored four runs off Pittsburgh closer Jose Mesa in the ninth inning to tie the game, but Jack Wilson’s sacrifice fly in the 10th provided the Pirates the margin in an 8-7 victory.
Moorad said he is involved in two “baseball-oriented projects” — working on a contract extension for Richie Sexson and negotiations with first-round draft pick Stephen Drew.
Today, Moorad is scheduled to meet with Garagiola to discuss Sexson and scouting director Mike Rizzo to talk about Drew. Florida State University’s fall semester begins next week. Should Drew, a Seminoles shortstop, attend a class, Arizona loses his rights, and any team can draft him next year.
Meanwhile, Moorad said he anticipates only a “fine tuning” of the front office. When asked if Garagiola would be the GM in 2005, he said, “Joe is the general manager.”
Next year’s payroll has been projected from $60 million to $70 million, but Moorad said the figure is still a work in progress.
“I’ll have a better feel in September,” Moorad said.
“Ultimately, it’s a matter of choice where the money will be spent. But if the baseball operations department feels strongly about being active in the free-agent market, the payroll will be designed to support that.”
Moorad and Kendrick met with the players for 15 minutes.
“He’s excited,” said reliever Matt Mantei, a D-Back since 1999. “You could tell how eager he is to turn this thing around. I get the same feeling with him as I did with Jerry. He’s a competitor. He told us that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”
http://www.aztrib.com/index.php?sty=26467
