From ESPN.com:
SEATTLE — Don Wakamatsu became the first Asian-American manager in major league baseball history when he was hired Wednesday by the Seattle Mariners.
The 14th manager in Mariners history, Wakamatsu was bench coach for the Oakland Athletics last season. Before that he spent five years with the Texas Rangers.
“When I started this process, there were some key attributes we were looking for,” Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement. “We wanted energy, a passion and the skills to translate that passion to the players. We wanted leadership, a presence that could help us as we define the ‘Mariners Way’ to win. We wanted someone that both the community and the players could embrace. We wanted someone who sees the big picture and cares about the players and wants to win. Don embodies all of those traits.”
The 45-year-old was among a field of seven candidates interviewed by Zduriencik. None of the seven had previous major league managerial experience. The overwhelming fan favorite was former Seattle second baseman and current Chicago White Sox bench coach Joey Cora.
Wakamatsu will be the fifth manager in Seattle since the departure of Lou Piniella after the 2002 season. The Mariners have cycled through Bob Melvin, Mike Hargrove, John McLaren and Jim Riggleman since Piniella left, with none of the four approaching Piniella’s success.
Wakamatsu replaces Riggleman, who took over in June when McLaren was fired after a 25-47 start to a season in which the Mariners were expected to contend for the playoffs. Riggleman wasn’t even considered for the latest opening.
McLaren was on the job less than 12 months, after Hargrove quit suddenly in the middle of the 2007 season — the last time Seattle was winning.
The Mariners lost 101 games this season, their most since 1983, and became the first team to lose 100 with a $100 million payroll. Now they hope Wakamatsu can bring some stability and aid in the redevelopment of a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001.
“This is something I’ve looked forward to for a long time,” Wakamatsu said in a statement. “It is a tremendous opportunity and I can’t wait to get going with Jack and his group as we start working on the 2009 team.”
A former catcher, Wakamatsu spent almost his entire playing career in the minors, except for 18 games with the White Sox in 1991. His final season in the minors was in 1996 as player-coach of the Mariners’ Double-A Port City farm team.
He managed four seasons in the minors but never higher than Double-A before joining the Rangers’ bench in 2003.
Wakamatsu, who was born in Hood River, Ore., says he knows only a little Japanese — always a consideration in Seattle, where All-Star Ichiro Suzuki is the franchise cornerstone — though it has improved recently with the A’s and Rangers.
He also understands management doesn’t expect this to be a long-term rebuilding project.
“In general, it’s a young team that maybe with some prodding we can win right away,” Wakamatsu said last week.
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WatchMojo Newsletterfrom ESPN.com:
NEW YORK (AP) - The LPGA Tour will offer three fewer official events in 2009, the latest result of the global economic downturn and its affect on pro sports.
The 2009 schedule released Wednesday has 31 events — 20 in the United States and 11 internationally — not including the Solheim Cup. Tournaments off the schedule include the ADT Championship, which starts Thursday and closes this year’s slate.
Purses will be around $55 million, about $5.25 million down from 2008. The tour announced $53.4 million in purses Wednesday; the Ginn Open in Reunion, Fla., which had a $2.6 million prize pool this year, has not yet determined what it’ll pay out in 2009.
“It’s no secret that the road ahead, particularly 2009, is going to test our mettle,” LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said. She added that the LPGA is confronting challenges facing not only “other sports and entertainment organizations, but by every business enterprise of any kind in all corners around the world.”
In recent weeks, the NBA has announced layoffs and the closing of its Los Angeles office, and several NASCAR teams have laid off staff to cut costs. Golf isn’t immune, but Bivens predicted the LPGA would be “solidly profitable” in 2009.
“The state of the global economy and the economic crisis we’re all facing has resulted in a slightly different tournament landscape,” Bivens said. “It’s not something that comes as a surprise.”
Besides the ADT, other events not continuing over sponsorship issues include the Fields Open in Hawaii and Ginn Tribute in South Carolina. The Ginn Tribute shut down in August, and officials at Broken Arrow in Tulsa, Okla. announced Tuesday their event, sponsored by SemGroup, would not continue.
An event in Thailand is being added from Feb. 26-March 1, part of what amounts to two international swings toward the beginning and end of the yearlong schedule.
The Safeway International, which was held in Oregon this year, is also gone over a sponsorship issue and essentially becomes the LPGA International in Phoenix. The Safeway Classic, also in Oregon at Pumpkin Ridge, remains on the 2009 slate.
Also missing from the schedule released Wednesday are the after-season events, such as the Lexus Cup and Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge. Bivens said those unofficial-money events will continue getting talked about “in the coming months.”
“It’s a scary time for everybody,” 2007 U.S. Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr said. “My whole outlook on that is you’ve just got to be able to ride the waves.”
Next year will be one of transition for the LPGA, which is about to lose its biggest draw in Annika Sorenstam, the 72-time winner who is “stepping away” from the game to pursue family and business interests after this week’s ADT Championship.
The LPGA’s existing television deals expire after 2009, making the task of filling schedules for 2010 and beyond even more daunting.
“I wish this economic downturn had waited one more year,” said Bivens. “I wish we had one more year. But I’m grateful we had the past three.”
The average per-tournament purse of about $1.77 million remains largely unchanged.
Next year’s LPGA schedule begins in Hawaii, then heads to Thailand, Singapore and Mexico, not returning to the U.S. until the Phoenix event from March 26-29, details of which have yet to be released.
Some events shifted slots from the 2008 schedule, others changed sponsors and details are still being finalized about the Samsung World Championship, which was in Cleveland this year.
One quirk to the 2009 schedule: The U.S. Women’s Open starts July 9, followed by the Evian Masters, the British Open and the Solheim Cup. So it’s possible that a player who isn’t qualified for those events wouldn’t play between the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic (which ends July 5) and the Safeway Classic (which starts Aug. 28).
“Given what could have been the potential negative economic impact on our schedule, we view this as a barometer of stability, appeal and value for our players and our property,” Bivens said.
