TOKYO - Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar got quite the opening day gift - a two-year contract extension.
Managing general partner Vince Naimoli announced before Monday's exhibition that LaMar, whose contract was to expire at the end of this season, is now signed through 2006.
"If you look at the architecture of the team, if you look at the design of the team, the fact that we have the fruition of our farm system coming, which is Chuck's doing, as well as his very skilled blending of veteran players at reasonable prices this year, operating within a payroll we can afford, I think it's been great work frankly," Naimoli said.
LaMar has been on the job since July 1995. The Rays have yet to win as many as 70 games in a season, but Naimoli and LaMar believe they are headed in the right direction.
"We're much closer now than ever before," LaMar said.
Under the new deal, LaMar and manager Lou Piniella have contracts that expire at the same time.
Piniella said he was pleased with the news.
"I've enjoyed working with him over the past year-and-a-half or so," Piniella said. "We have a good relationship, a good working relationship. I thought he did an outstanding job this past winter of putting together a good solid ballclub. And I talked to Vince about that about a month or so ago. I'm pleased. I really am."
