Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Rays hire ex-Pirates GM Bonifay

Chuck LaMar believes no organization can have too many quality opinions.

"This organization just added another," the Rays general manager said Monday.

Tampa Bay hired former Pirates vice president and general manager Cam Bonifay as its director of player personnel, filling a new position that involves oversight of scouting and player development.

"To have someone not only with his experience, but just the quality person that he is, I think the organization got better today," said LaMar, who held a similar position while with the Braves organization. "I think he'll make a major contribution.

"With his experience, you would be senseless not to lean on and ask for his advice when dealing at the major-league level."

Bonifay, 49, a native of St. Petersburg, spent the past 14 seasons with the Pirates and was their general manager for eight seasons before being fired June 11. Pittsburgh, which at 62-100 tied the Rays for the worst record in the majors this season, was 464-598 and never had a winning season during his tenure.

Bonifay's roots, however, are in scouting and player development.

"As a general manager you are in charge of a lot of things, but don't have the opportunity to be as hands-on as you would like sometimes," Bonifay said. "In this role, I think you have the opportunity to be more hands-on and actually make more of an impact."

Having two general managers in the same front office is not all that uncommon.

"I think it gets back to the strengths of the individuals that work under the general manager and what they hopefully can impart as far as being a positive influence on the organization," Bonifay said. "I look forward to working for Chuck and giving him my thoughts and letting him make the decisions that he has to make.

"I guess the one advantage I do have is I know the thought process and all the details and the nuances of all the things that have to be considered when you make the decisions that run the major-league club."

CUBS: The team signed former starting third baseman Kevin Orie to a Triple-A contract and added pitchers Ben Christensen and Steve Smyth to the 40-man roster. Orie spent last season with Philadelphia's Scranton/Wilkes Barre affiliate and earned International League all-star honors.

RANGERS: Texas, with the worst pitching staff in the majors the past two seasons, hired Oscar Acosta as pitching coach.

Acosta spent the past two seasons as the pitching coach for the Cubs, who had a 4.03 ERA in 2001 after a 5.25 ERA the previous season. The Cubs also set a major league record with 1,344 strikeouts. Despite his success with the Cubs, Acosta was forced to resign in the final week of the season because of a conflict with manager Don Baylor. ... Former manager Johnny Oates will undergo brain surgery today at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. A Glioblastoma Multiforme tumor, the most aggressive form of primary brain tumors, was discovered Nov. 5 after Oates experienced weakness and slurring of speech. He managed the Rangers to their only three AL West titles, but the team was already 10 1/2 games behind Seattle last season when Oates resigned under pressure May 4.

TWINS: Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura said he wouldn't fund a new ballpark for the beleaguered team unless owners and players agree to a salary cap and increased revenue sharing. Ventura criticized commissioner Bud Selig for five years of inaction on the sport's economic problems.

Meanwhile, the Twins and Major League Baseball asked the state Court of Appeals to lift the injunction preventing owners from folding the team next season.

WHITE SOX: The team claimed former Orioles closer Ryan Kohlmeier off waivers. The 24-year-old right-hander recorded 13 saves in 14 opportunities as a rookie during 2000, but blew four of 10 save chances this past season and had a 7.30 ERA.

YANKEES: New York bought the contracts of outfielder Marcus Thames and left-handers Brandon Claussen and Alex Graman from Norwich of the Double-A Eastern League.

Thames, 24, hit .321 with 31 homers and 97 RBIs. Claussen, 22, was 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 21 starts for Norwich and 5-2 with a 2.73 ERA in eight starts for Class-A Tampa. He led the minor leagues with 151 strikeouts. Graman, 24, was 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA and 138 strikeouts for Norwich.

-- Times wires contributed to this report.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright