Associated Press
The baseball notebook …
NEW YORK ó Pitchers Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians and Brad Lidge of the Philadelphia Phillies were honored Tuesday as baseball’s Comeback Players of the Year.
Lee went 22-3 with an American League-leading 2.54 ERA. The previous season, he was 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA and was demoted to the minor leagues.
“I’ve never seen a season like that,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “From start to finish he was incredible. There were real reasons for it. He worked hard phyically to get back.”
Lidge was a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities as the Phillies’ closer. In 2007, he converted just 19 of 27 for the Houston Astros.
“I never lost confidence in myself, no matter what the years were like or the results,” Lidge said. “I always felt I was going to come back and pitch to the best of my ability.”
CASHMAN STAYS
NEW YORK ó Brian Cashman is staying on as general manager of the New York Yankees, agreeing to a three-year contract that runs through 2011.
The Yankees missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 1993. Cashman took over as GM in 1997 and his current deal was set to expire at the end of October.
The move Tuesday was expected, though there had been rumblings that Cashman might be interested in running another club.
FIRED
CLEVELAND ó Longtime Indians bullpen coach Luis Isaac has been fired
Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said Tuesday that “it was tough” to dismiss the 62-year-old Isaac, who had been with the club for 44 years.
STAYING
SAN DIEGO ó Bud Black is coming back as manager of the San Diego Padres despite the club’s worst finish in 15 seasons.
The Padres ha one of their worst years, finishing 63-99, 21 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.