NEW YORK — Lou Piniella looked at Larry Bowa a year ago and saw a lot of himself in his third-base coach at Seattle. He was right — both won manager-of-the-year awards Wednesday.

        Piniella, who won American League Manager of the Year for the second time, led the Mariners to a record-setting year. Bowa won the National League award for keeping the surprising Philadelphia Phillies in playoff contention until three days remained in the season.

        “I recognized he knew baseball,” Piniella said. “I recognized that he had leadership qualities.”

        Piniella, whose team tied a major-league record with 116 wins, received 22 first-place votes and six seconds for 128 points from a Baseball Writers' Association of America panel.

        Bowa guided the Phillies, who finished two games behind NL East winner Atlanta, to an 86-76 season after the team went 65-97 in 2000. He received 18 first-place votes, six seconds and five thirds in NL voting, for 113 points.

        Oakland's Art Howe was second in the AL, Minnesota's Tom Kelly was third and Jimy Williams — fired by Boston Aug.16 — was fourth. Williams was the first manager fired during a season to receive BBWAA votes.

        Jim Tracy of Los Angeles was second in the NL voting, followed by Tony La Russa of St. Louis and Bob Brenly of Arizona.

        BLUE JAYS: Dave Stewart reportedly quit as assistant general manager and criticized baseball for its lack of management minority hiring. “For me, the system doesn't work. It's pitiful,” Stewart said in Wednesday's Toronto Sun.

        Toronto hired J.P. Ricciardi as its general manager Wednesday. Team spokesman Howard Starkman said he was unaware Stewart had resigned.

        Stewart, a four-time 20-game winner who is black, said he is giving up his quest to be a general manager.

        “... I've lost hope in the direction that baseball is going with minorities,” he told the Sun.

        MARINERS: Right-hander Brett Tomko agreed to a $1.1 million, one-year contract. He went 3-1 with a 5.19 ERA in 11 appearances with the Mariners, including four starts. For Triple-A Tacoma, he was 10-6 with a 4.04 ERA, including a no-hitter.

        ATHLETICS: Catcher Greg Myers agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract. He hit .184 with seven home runs and 13 RBI in 33 games for Oakland in 2001.

        TIGERS: Merv Rettenmund was hired as hitting coach after being dismissed from the same job by Atlanta, and Luis Pujols was hired as bench coach.

        Rettenmund said Cincinnati also had contacted him.

        ORIOLES: Pitcher John Parrish has been ordered to stand trial on charges of drunken driving and careless driving. He was stopped Oct.11 in Manor Township, Md., after a police officer clocked him driving 10 mph above the speed limit, and his blood-alcohol level was established at 0.20 percent, twice the state limit.

        RANGERS: Former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser was hired as an associate to new general manager John Hart.

        INDIANS: Eddie Murray, Baltimore's first-base coach the past two seasons, was hired as hitting coach.

        CAMINITI ARREST: Former NL MVP Ken Caminiti was arrested after authorities said he was found in a Houston hotel room with crack cocaine. He was charged with possession of less than 28 grams of a controlled substance and booked into the Harris County Jail.

        CANSECO ARREST: Jose Canseco posted $15,000 bail after being charged in a nightclub fight. that left one man with a broken nose and another needing 20 stitches in his lip. He was charged with two counts of aggravated battery in the Oct.31 scuffle and his twin, Ozzie, was charged with one count and was released on $7,500 bail from Miami-Dade County Jail.

Ball park under budget Big seasons by M's, Phillies earn managers awards

FB Neal is one-man block party
Linebackers earn highest mark
Bengals notebook
Browns' offense in reverse
NFL notebook
Oklahoma State battling injuries
UC recruits
Xavier's lesson in real game
Xavier recruits
Elder RB: 16 TDs, age 15
Mooney makes rite of passage
Area college volleyball
Cooper interested in coaching Kansas
Indiana QB's jersey sent to Hall of Fame
Louisville seeking first 10-win season
WKU asked to face Cats
College basketball roundup
Kentucky recruits
Miami recruits
NBA roundup
NHL roundup
Coming up this week

• Return to Reds front page...