Padres hire Angels pitching coach Black to manage team

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- Angels pitching coach Bud Black was hired Wednesday to replace Bruce Bochy as the manager of the San Diego Padres, a baseball official said.

Black will be introduced at the team's awards banquet Thursday night, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement hadn't been made.

Black, who lives outside San Diego, has been the Angels' pitching coach for the last seven seasons. He played at San Diego State with Tony Gwynn and pitched in the big leagues for 15 seasons, helping the Kansas City Royals win the 1985 World Series.

Dusty Baker, considered the leading candidate, said he was told Wednesday morning that he didn't get the job.

"Life's full of disappointments some time and you have to deal with them," Baker said.

Baker, who managed the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, said he heard that Black "probably" was getting the job.

"Blackie's one of my favorite people," Baker said. "He's a good baseball person and just a good person."

Black's hiring was first reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Web site.

Bochy managed the Padres to consecutive National League West titles for the first time in club history, but wasn't offered a contract extension beyond 2007. With a year left on his Padres deal, he accepted a three-year contract with San Francisco late last month.

Padres, Indians make deal

Not wanting to risk striking out in free agency, the Cleveland Indians found an everyday second baseman the conventional way, acquiring Josh Barfield in a trade with the San Diego Padres.

The Indians sent infielder Kevin Kouzmanoff, their minor league player of the year, and right-hander Andrew Brown to San Diego for the 23-year-old Barfield, who played in 150 games as a rookie last season.

Barfield batted .280 with 32 doubles, 13 homers and 58 RBIs in helping the Padres win the NL West. The son of former AL home run champion Jesse Barfield also had 21 steals and scored 72 times.

In addition, Barfield's .987 fielding percentage -- he had nine errors in 684 total chances -- was third best among NL second basemen.

The Indians didn't have an up-and-coming second baseman in their minor league system and would have been faced with finding one among a weak free agent class.

Last season, Shapiro traded utility infielder Brandon Phillips to Cincinnati and dealt second baseman Ronnie Belliard to St. Louis before the July 31 deadline for Hector Luna.

Cubs tab Perry as coach

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella completed his staff Wednesday when Gerald Perry agreed to a two-year deal to be the team's hitting coach.