ESPN -- O's to promote Flanagan, keep Perlozzo

[Dah-Dee]

Report: O's to promote Flanagan, keep Perlozzo

ESPN.com news services

The Orioles reportedly won't completely overhaul their front office after Jim Beattie's departure, which apparently is good news for interim manager Sam Perlozzo.

Mike Flanagan, the team's vice president, will assume Jim Beattie's title as executive vice president of baseball operations on Nov. 1, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Beattie, who told people Monday at a charity golf outing in the Baltimore area that he would not be back, has been offered a job as a consultant but has not told the team whether he would accept, according to the newspaper.

Flanagan's promotion likely means that Perlozzo will get a chance to manage the team in 2006.

Several sources told The Sun that Perlozzo's rehiring is now a formality and should be completed soon. Orioles owner Peter Angelos told the newspaper that no decision on the manager's job has been finalized, but said no other candidates have been interviewed.

"Sam has done a good job for this organization for a long time," Angelos told the newspaper. "He is a solid baseball man. He has a great personality and is a very committed baseball professional."

The Orioles will now seek a top assistant to Flanagan, the Sun reported. Jim Duquette, the Mets' senior vice president of baseball operations, and Tim Wilken, the Devil Rays' special assistant to the general manager have reportedly been tabbed as candidates.

Beattie and Flanagan were hired as a tandem on Dec. 4, 2002, to replace Syd Thrift. Beattie was appointed executive vice president of baseball operations, and Flanagan received the title of vice president of baseball operations.

Their job, akin to that of a general manager, included finding talent, stocking the farm system and hiring the manager and coaches.

Their best acquisition was signing shortstop Miguel Tejada to a six-year contract in December 2003. But the duo also hired Mazzilli, who was dismissed last August after the Orioles lost 16 of 18 in the middle of second season, and acquired Sammy Sosa, who hit only .221 with 14 homers and 45 RBI.

Beattie and Flanagan failed to secure a solid starting pitcher before the 2005 season, a shortcoming that went uncorrected through the July 31 non-waiver deadline. They were also responsible for giving Sidney Ponson a three-year, $22.5 million contract in January 2004.

Ponson went 11-15 in 2004 and was 7-11 with a 6.21 ERA this season before the Orioles terminated his contract in September after he was charged with drunk driving for the second time this year.

Beattie pitched in the majors for nine years and served as vice president and general manager of the Montreal Expos from 1995 through 2001. Before that, he was the Seattle Mariners' director of player development.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2187338

[aejm1400]

Here's the release from the O's.com:

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20051011&content_id=1246113&vkey=pr_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal

The Orioles today announced that MIKE FLANAGAN has been promoted to Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations and will take over the day-to-day business of the department.
Flanagan has served as Vice President for Baseball Operations for the past three years, sharing departmental duties with JIM BEATTIE, who served as Executive Vice President. Beattie has been offered a position to remain with the organization as a consultant.

Named as Vice President on December 4, 2002, along with Beattie, Flanagan has been involved with the Orioles organization for all but five years since being drafted and signed in 1973. He compiled a 167-143 record and 3.90 ERA in 18 major league seasons with the Orioles and Blue Jays, including a 141-116 mark over 15 seasons with the Orioles. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 1979, when he went 23-9 with a 3.08 ERA and is the first winner of that award to oversee a major league team's baseball operations.

Flanagan pitched for the Orioles' 1983 World Championship team as well as their 1979 American League champions. He was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1994, his first year of eligibility. He ranks 3rd in club history in games and innings pitched, 4th in strikeouts and complete games, 5th in victories and 7th in shutouts.

He served as Orioles pitching coach in 1995, then spent two years as an analyst on Orioles television broadcasts. He returned to the field in 1998 as pitching coach before returning again to the broadcast booth, where he again did analysis and also served as an instructor during the Orioles winter workouts at Camden Yards and during spring training, before being named Vice President for Baseball Operations

Flanagan, 53, is a native of Manchester, NH, and attended the University of Massachusetts, where he played freshman basketball and baseball. He and his wife, Alex, reside in Parkton, MD. He has three daughters, Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Dunno what to make of this. Don't know what decisions over the years were Beatties and which were Flanagans. We just need a really solid offseason when it comes to acquisitions...and we need to rebuild our minor league system. We need to scout harder in the latin countries and Japan. I realize this all costs money, but if Angelos was commited as he says he is, he would splurge.

Winners put asses in the seats, he'd be wise to put a good team out there.

[Metalhead]

Yeah which guy did what? My main question is - who was responsible for the Bautista-Grimsely trade? Denny hasn't been amazing, but it was a prospect for a washed up reliever trade, not good.

What happened to Flanagan's 'stache? Didn't he have one for a while on tv for the games a few years ago? Gettin' that back would do wonders for the ball club.