Wayne Krivsky

Worried their rickety bullpen was dragging them out of playoff contention, the Cincinnati Reds swung an eight-player trade with Washington yesterday, getting relievers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray, but giving up two everyday players. The Reds gave up rightfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez. "We paid a steep price," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. The Reds also acquired shortstop Royce Clayton, infielder Brendan Harris and pitcher Daryl Thompson and gave up reliever Ryan Wagner.

Minnesota assistant general manager Wayne Krivsky overwhelmed new Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini during an interview yesterday, then got the job as their GM. Krivsky's hiring ended a 2-week search that involved Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle and seven other candidates. It came down to Krivsky and Reds special adviser Jim Beattie. In other baseball news: Washington has offered a non-guaranteed, incentive-laden major league contract to Sammy Sosa, and agreed to a 1-year, $850,000 contract with former Minnesota catcher and first baseman Matthew LeCroy.

Baseball investigator George Mitchell likely will issue his long-awaited report on steroids use in baseball by the end of the year, and there is a strong possibility he will identify individual players. A lawyer for the firm representing Major League Baseball in the investigation updated representatives for the 30 teams during a conference call yesterday and told them Mitchell's report likely would be issued in November or December, several club officials said. Asked by a club official whether the report would name individual players, Thomas Carlucci of Foley & Lardner told teams they should assume it would, several team officials who were briefed on the call's details said.

Manager Jerry Narron was fired last night by the Cincinnati Reds, who raised their payroll and their expectations in the offseason only to find themselves with the worst record in the major leagues. Narron, 51, was the second big-league manager to be fired this season. Baltimore's Sam Perlozzo lost his job on June 18. Advance scout Pete Mackanin was chosen the Reds' interim manager. Mackanin, 55, managed the Reds' Triple A team in Nashville from 1990-92. He was the Pirates' interim manager for the final 26 games of the 2005 season after Lloyd McClendon was fired.

Minaya hires . . . We're not sure exactly what he'll be doing, but Wayne Krivsky was hired by the Mets yesterday as the "special assistant" to general manager Omar Minaya. About two months ago, the Reds fired Krivsky, 53, as their general manager. According to the Associated Press, Krivsky's main responsibility will be major-league scouting. We do know Minaya and Krivsky have at least one thing in common: They have both recently been involved with firings. Speculation In an article for ESPN.

Ken Griffey Jr. couldn't avoid injury in the off-season. The Cincinnati Reds centerfielder suffered a broken left hand in an accident at home, the latest in a series of setbacks since he joined his hometown team for the 2000 season. Griffey will have the hand in a hard cast for three weeks, then be reexamined, the team said yesterday. He did not authorize the club to give any details of how he was hurt. General manager Wayne Krivsky said he wasn't sure whether Griffey would be ready for the start of spring training.

There's only one job in baseball that could pry Davey Johnson out of Cincinnati - manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Johnson interviewed for the Orioles' opening yesterday and treated the trip as a return home. Johnson played second base with the Orioles from 1965 to 1972, helping Baltimore win the World Series in 1966 and 1970. "I learned how to play the game here," he said. "I have fond memories of great teams, tremendous camaraderie and a lot of professional pride. To get a chance to manage here, well, that's just too good to pass up. " Johnson received permission from the Cincinnati Reds to apply for the Orioles job, which opened when Baltimore fired Johnny Oates on Sept.

With Walt Jocketty, the question was when. When would the Cincinnati Reds decide to switch general managers and give Jocketty the chance to turn them into winners? The answer: 21 games into the season. Off to their worst start in 5 years, the Reds fired Wayne Krivsky yesterday and replaced him with Jocketty, who built consistent winners during 10 seasons running the Oakland Athletics and 13 with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Jocketty era got off to a bad start, however, as the Reds lost to the visiting Houston Astros, 9-3, last night.

Nothing excites the baseball mythmaking machine like a rocket arm. And when that arm emerges not from some baseball academy but from the mysterious mists, the myth is enhanced. Think of Bob Feller, the farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa. Or Nolan Ryan, the laconic, small-town Texan. Or even Sandy Koufax, the Brooklyn bonus baby who appeared suddenly, as if by magic, after years in the shadows of the Dodgers' bench. Some potential myths, like Steve Dalkowski or Herb Score, surface only to be slapped down cruelly and quickly by fate.

Nothing excites the baseball mythmaking machine like a rocket arm. And when that arm emerges not from some baseball academy but from the mysterious mists, the myth is enhanced. Think of Bob Feller, the farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa. Or Nolan Ryan, the laconic, small-town Texan. Or even Sandy Koufax, the Brooklyn bonus baby who appeared suddenly, as if by magic, after years in the shadows of the Dodgers' bench. Some potential myths, like Steve Dalkowski or Herb Score, surface only to be slapped down cruelly and quickly by fate.

Minaya hires . . . We're not sure exactly what he'll be doing, but Wayne Krivsky was hired by the Mets yesterday as the "special assistant" to general manager Omar Minaya. About two months ago, the Reds fired Krivsky, 53, as their general manager. According to the Associated Press, Krivsky's main responsibility will be major-league scouting. We do know Minaya and Krivsky have at least one thing in common: They have both recently been involved with firings. Speculation In an article for ESPN.

With Walt Jocketty, the question was when. When would the Cincinnati Reds decide to switch general managers and give Jocketty the chance to turn them into winners? The answer: 21 games into the season. Off to their worst start in 5 years, the Reds fired Wayne Krivsky yesterday and replaced him with Jocketty, who built consistent winners during 10 seasons running the Oakland Athletics and 13 with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Jocketty era got off to a bad start, however, as the Reds lost to the visiting Houston Astros, 9-3, last night.

Baseball investigator George Mitchell likely will issue his long-awaited report on steroids use in baseball by the end of the year, and there is a strong possibility he will identify individual players. A lawyer for the firm representing Major League Baseball in the investigation updated representatives for the 30 teams during a conference call yesterday and told them Mitchell's report likely would be issued in November or December, several club officials said. Asked by a club official whether the report would name individual players, Thomas Carlucci of Foley & Lardner told teams they should assume it would, several team officials who were briefed on the call's details said.

Manager Jerry Narron was fired last night by the Cincinnati Reds, who raised their payroll and their expectations in the offseason only to find themselves with the worst record in the major leagues. Narron, 51, was the second big-league manager to be fired this season. Baltimore's Sam Perlozzo lost his job on June 18. Advance scout Pete Mackanin was chosen the Reds' interim manager. Mackanin, 55, managed the Reds' Triple A team in Nashville from 1990-92. He was the Pirates' interim manager for the final 26 games of the 2005 season after Lloyd McClendon was fired.

Ken Griffey Jr. couldn't avoid injury in the off-season. The Cincinnati Reds centerfielder suffered a broken left hand in an accident at home, the latest in a series of setbacks since he joined his hometown team for the 2000 season. Griffey will have the hand in a hard cast for three weeks, then be reexamined, the team said yesterday. He did not authorize the club to give any details of how he was hurt. General manager Wayne Krivsky said he wasn't sure whether Griffey would be ready for the start of spring training.

Worried their rickety bullpen was dragging them out of playoff contention, the Cincinnati Reds swung an eight-player trade with Washington yesterday, getting relievers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray, but giving up two everyday players. The Reds gave up rightfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez. "We paid a steep price," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. The Reds also acquired shortstop Royce Clayton, infielder Brendan Harris and pitcher Daryl Thompson and gave up reliever Ryan Wagner.

Minnesota assistant general manager Wayne Krivsky overwhelmed new Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini during an interview yesterday, then got the job as their GM. Krivsky's hiring ended a 2-week search that involved Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle and seven other candidates. It came down to Krivsky and Reds special adviser Jim Beattie. In other baseball news: Washington has offered a non-guaranteed, incentive-laden major league contract to Sammy Sosa, and agreed to a 1-year, $850,000 contract with former Minnesota catcher and first baseman Matthew LeCroy.

There's only one job in baseball that could pry Davey Johnson out of Cincinnati - manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Johnson interviewed for the Orioles' opening yesterday and treated the trip as a return home. Johnson played second base with the Orioles from 1965 to 1972, helping Baltimore win the World Series in 1966 and 1970. "I learned how to play the game here," he said. "I have fond memories of great teams, tremendous camaraderie and a lot of professional pride. To get a chance to manage here, well, that's just too good to pass up. " Johnson received permission from the Cincinnati Reds to apply for the Orioles job, which opened when Baltimore fired Johnny Oates on Sept.