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Rays-like Tigers fire manager

DETROIT -- Manager Luis Pujols was fired Monday by the Tigers after their worst season in six years.

Pujols, who replaced Phil Garner in April after an 0-6 start, led the Tigers to a 55-106 finish, tied with the Rays for worst in the majors.

His winning percentage of .355 is the lowest for a manager in club history.

The Tigers lost to the Blue Jays 1-0 Sunday, ending their worst season since they went 53-109 in 1996. Detroit had the worst record in the major leagues after the All-Star break (24-51).

Team president Dave Dombrowski orchestrated an early season shakeup in hopes of reviving a franchise that hasn't had a winning season since 1993.

But Pujols failed to provide a spark on the field or in the clubhouse and couldn't stop the losing.

"I don't think anybody was surprised" by the team's poor play, Dombrowski said. "I'm not going to place the blame on anybody."

Dombrowski hopes to have a new manager by the end of October. He mentioned only one candidate by name: Bruce Fields, who managed at Triple-A Toledo this season. Former Tigers star Alan Trammell is thought to be high on the team's list.

Trammell is the Padres first-base coach.

"To be honest with you, if they call, I will talk to them. And if that happens, then we'll have to wait and see," Trammell said Sunday.

PITCHING COMES BACK: After a decade of record-setting bashing in baseball, pitchers are starting to catch up with hitters.

Home runs declined for the second straight season and scoring was at its lowest level since 1993.

The drop coincides with baseball's push to have umpires call a larger strike zone, the one defined in the rule book.

Scoring dropped to 9.24 runs a game, fewest since a 9.20 average in 1992, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball's statistician. Three years ago, the average was 10.58 runs.

Home runs, which peaked at 2.34 a game in 2000, dropped to 2.25 last season and 2.09 this one, lowest since 1998.

DRUG SCANDAL: A Marlins employee was asked to place a padlocked bag containing a pound of marijuana aboard the team's charter flight from Montreal, club officials said.

Carlos Luis Perez, a former Marlins bullpen catcher who has a similar job with the Expos, asked Florida video coordinator Cullen McRae before Thursday's game in Montreal to bring the bag back to Pro Player Stadium, the team said.

When McRae and team equipment manager John Silverman opened the bag in Montreal, they found the marijuana and turned it over to police, Silverman said.

ATTENDANCE DROPS: Average attendance dropped 6.1 percent this season, its second straight decline and the biggest decrease since the season after the 1994-95 strike. The average of 28,168 was the majors' lowest since 1996 and was down from 30,012 last season, according to figures compiled by the commissioner's office.

LABOR DEAL: Lawyers for players and owners pushed back signing their labor settlement to today. The sides had expected to sign the "memorandum of understanding" Monday but said the document needed minor editing.

DODGERS: First baseman Eric Karros plans to have an MRI Wednesday to determine if surgery is needed on his left shoulder. An MRI a year ago showed a torn labrum in the non-throwing shoulder.

METS: Minor-leaguers Esix Snead, an outfielder, and Tyler Walker, a right-hander, had operations and are expected to be ready for spring training. Snead's surgery was on his right hand, Walker's on his left knee.

PIRATES: First baseman Kevin Young, catcher Jason Kendall and right-hander Josh Fogg had arthroscopic surgery a day after the season ended.

RANGERS: Outfielder Ruben Rivera, infielder Donnie Sadler and left-hander C.J. Nitkowski were granted free agency after all refused outright assignments to Triple-A Oklahoma.

REDS: Shortstop Barry Larkin had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right big toe.

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