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Maddon, Piniella named managers of year (AP)

Joe Maddon took Tampa Bay from last place to first, a few years after Lou Piniella tried to turn that trick himself. But it didn’t take Piniella long to find success elsewhere, and both managers were big winners Wednesday. Maddon easily won the American League Manager of the Year award for guiding the Rays from baseball’s basement to the World Series.

Ruth monument packed up
The Babe moved Wednesday.

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Castilla to coach Mexico at WBC (AP)
Retired major-leaguer Vinny Castilla will coach Mexico at the World Baseball Classic. The tournament in March will be his second term as Mexico’s national coach. He also led the team to the bronze medal at last year’s Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero. Castilla says the team’s strength will be pitching.

Mariners interview Wakamatsu, Ready (AP)

After completing his fifth interview in three days to find a new manager for the Seattle Mariners, Jack Zduriencik sighed and chuckled. “Another day at the office,” the team’s new general manager said Wednesday night after meeting with Oakland bench coach Don Wakamatsu for four hours in the morning and San Diego Triple-A manager Randy Ready into the evening.

Some fret over new Dodgertown in LA (AP)
Next spring, when a city’s fancy turns to baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers will take the field in a neighborhood newly christened Dodgertown. But Rachel Cantu and others who once lived there won’t be celebrating. The area’s former residents will be marking the 50th anniversary of when the last families were driven out of a close-knit, largely Hispanic neighborhood they knew as Chavez Ravine.

Red Sox not raising ticket prices (AP)
For the first time in more than a decade, the Boston Red Sox aren’t increasing their ticket prices at Fenway Park for the 2009 season. The team said Wednesday that it had raised prices in each of the last 14 years. It’s average ticket price of $48.80 on opening day in 2008 was the highest in the majors.

Leiter, Reynolds to be MLB studio analysts
Former major leaguers Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds were hired Wednesday as studio analysts fot the MLB Network, which launches Jan. 1.

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Wright says Mets need ‘facelift’ (AP)
With the New York Mets coming off consecutive September collapses, David Wright is ready for a few significant changes. “You go through two seasons that we’ve been through the last couple years and you’re going to need a little bit of a facelift,” Wright said Wednesday. “There’s 30 teams out there that can use pitching, and obviously we’re one of them.” That’s why the All-Star third baseman is…

Rays CF Upton has shoulder surgery (AP)
Tampa Bay center fielder B.J. Upton had surgery on his left shoulder this week and the Rays expect him to be ready by opening day. Dr. James Andrews did the surgery Tuesday, Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “We don’t have too much of an update other than to say we expect him to be ready during spring training and be in a position to be in our opening day…