Watson, 2time AllStar and 2nd black GM, dies

Bob Watson, a twotime All-Star who became the first black general manager to win a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1996, has died. He was 74.

The Houston Astros, for whom Watson played his first 14 seasons, announced his death Thursday night. The team didn’t provide details, but son Keith wrote on Twitter that he died in Houston from kidney disease.

Watson, nicknamed “The Bull,” made the AllStar team in 1973 and ’75, hit over .300 four times and drove in at least 100 runs twice for the Astros. He also holds the distinction of scoring the millionth run in MLB history — on May 4, 1975, against the Giants at Candlestick Park.

He also played for Boston (1979), the Yankees (198082) and Atlanta Braves (198284), finishing with a .295 career batting average with 184 home runs, 989 RBIs and 1,826 runs scored while primarily playing first base and left field. Watson also hit .371 in 17 career postseason games. He was the first player to hit for the cycle in both leagues — for Houston in 1977 and Boston two years later.

After retiring as a player, Watson began coaching and helped the 1988 A’s win the American League pennant as the hitting coach for the likes of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire.

He became the second black general manager in major league history — after Atlanta’s Bill Lucas (197679) — when he was hired by the Astros in 1993.

Watson was hired as the Yankees’ GM in 1995, and hired Joe Torre as New York’s manager. Watson, along with Torre leading the team on the field, helped put together the World Serieswinning squad in 1996.

Watson retired from the Yankees after the 1997 season.

Legal matters: The attorney for Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, facing armed robbery charges over an incident Wednesday in Florida, said that he has statements from five witnesses attesting that Dunbar was not involved.

Attorney Michael Grieco contends that should compel authorities to withdraw a warrant for Dunbar’s arrest on four felony armed robbery charges issued the day before.

However, Tania Rues, the public information officer for the Miramar, Fla., police department, told the Seattle Times that the department had not been provided any new information from witnesses and that the warrant for Dunbar’s arrest issued Thursday still stands.