Blue Jays name Farrell to succeed Gaston

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos had interviewed 18 candidates for the manager's job and still couldn't make up his mind. "I think I drove my wife crazy," he said Monday.

In the end, Anthopoulos picked the person he'd felt a bond with right from the start: Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.

Farrell was chosen to succeed the retired Cito Gaston. It will be Farrell's first managerial job. "It's one heck of a unique and exciting opportunity," he said.

Anthopoulos declined to reveal the length of Farrell's contract or other terms of the agreement.

Farrell was Cleveland's player development director for five years and Boston's pitching coach the past four seasons.

First-time Series umps

Major League Baseball has decided that the World Series umpiring crew should include some first-timers. Sam Holbrook and Bill Miller will make their World Series debuts Wednesday night in Game 1 between Texas and San Francisco, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

Last year, after a rash of missed calls in the playoffs, baseball switched from its regular rotation and included only umpires with previous World Series experience.

Holbrook and Miller will be joined by veteran umpires John Hirschbeck, Gary Darling, Mike Winters and Jeff Kellogg.

- AP