Sports briefs 10/11/05

Baseball

• Ed Wade was fired as general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday after failing to get them into the playoffs during his eight years on the job.

The Phillies went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston, and attendance dropped by more than a half-million.

The Phillies haven't reached the playoffs since 1993, and have won just one championship (1980) in the franchise's 123-year history.

* Jim Beattie won't return in 2006 as executive vice president of the Baltimore Orioles, a move that could signify the beginning of wide-ranging shakeup in the wake of the team's eighth straight losing season.

Beattie told people Monday at a charity golf outing in the Baltimore area that he would not be back. His contract expires at the end of this month.

There was no word on the status of vice president Mike Flanagan, who worked with Beattie in the Orioles' front office. It was also uncertain whether the Orioles would retain interim manager Sam Perlozzo, who took over for manager Lee Mazzilli on Aug. 4.

* Former home run king Sadaharu Oh will manage the Japan team next March in the World Baseball Classic, the sport's first World Cup-style tournament.

Nippon Professional Baseball announced the decision Monday.

"I will take up the post for not only Japan but also the development of baseball in the world," said Oh, who currently manages the Softbank Hawks of Japan's Pacific League. "I would like to create the best possible team."

The World Baseball Classic is an 18-day, 16-nation event organized by Major League Baseball and its players' association, and will be played in the United States, Asia and Latin America from March 3.

Oh hit 868 home runs in his career in Japanese baseball.

Colleges

* Texas Tech's Joel Filani, Missouri's Brian Smith and Ryan Havens of Baylor were named Big 12 players of the week Monday.

Filani was offensive player of the week, with three touchdown receptions. That included a pass from quarterback Cody Hodges with 12 seconds remaining that gave the Red Raiders a 34-31 win at Nebraska. Filani ended the day with 11 catches for 163 yards.

Defensive player honors went to Smith, who had seven tackles -- including two sacks, forced a fumble and broke up a pass in Missouri's 38-31 win at Oklahoma State.

Ryan Havens won for special teams, going 3-for-3 on field goals of 49, 21 and 36 yards in Baylor's 23-13 win at Iowa State. His 49-yarder was the longest by a Bears kicker since 1999.

* Bobby Wallace is leaving Temple in the same shape he found it: As one of the worst football teams in the country.

After eight losing seasons of never winning more than four games, Wallace said Monday he will leave at the end of the year when his coaching contract expires.

The Owls have been outscored 297-63 and have lost five of their games by at least 25 points.

Even with three two-win seasons and a one-win season on his Temple resume, this year has truly been Wallace's toughest. The Owls have allowed more than 60 points three times already and lost by three points against Western Michigan, their best chance for a win this year.

The 11 opponents on Temple' schedule finished a combined 83-48 (.634) last year and eight of its opponents played in bowl games.

* East Carolina suspended baseball coach Randy Mazey for unspecified reasons Monday, the first step toward likely dismissing the third-year coach.

Assistant Billy Godwin was named acting coach, and athletic director Terry Holland announced plans for a national search to find a permanent replacement following the 2006 season.

Because Mazey is a state employee, he can be suspended with pay until a final decision is made on his status, but he isn't expected to be back.

Mazey was 120-66-1 with the Pirates -- 60-30 in Conference USA -- and reached an NCAA regional in each of his three seasons.

-- From wire reports