Davis set for 6th Series as umpire
Gerry Davis will work the World Series for the sixth time, tying Joe West for the most times among active umpires.
A 34-year big league veteran, Davis has worked a record 136 postseason games and will be crew chief for the third time. He also umpired in the World Series in 1996, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2012.
Phil Cuzzi will be behind the plate for tonight’s opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros. Paul Nauert will be at first, Davis at second, Laz Diaz at third, Bill Miller in left field and Dan Iassogna in right.
Angels hire Hinske
Eric Hinske has been hired to be the Los Angeles Angels’ new hitting coach.
Hinske, who spent the past four seasons on the Chicago Cubs’ coaching staff, played 12 big-league seasons and won the AL Rookie of the Year award with Toronto in 2002. He won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox in 2007 and with the New York Yankees in 2009.
Hinske also made the World Series with Tampa Bay in 2008, joining Don Baylor as the only players to reach the Series in three straight seasons with three different teams.
The Angels, who fired hitting coach Dave Hansen three weeks ago, had the second-fewest hits (1,314) and third-worst batting average (.243) in the majors this season.
Dickey a free agent
The Atlanta Braves have declined their $8 million option on 42-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey and exercised their $4 million option on catcher Tyler Flowers.
Dickey was the Braves’ most consistent starter this season, going 10-10 with a 4.26 ERA in 31 starts.
Flowers will return for his third season with Atlanta after hitting a careerbest .281 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs.
Manager eyes unity
New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway wants to bring a family atmosphere to the job.
“I’m so excited to get to know the players,” Callaway said Monday at his introductory press conference. “We’re going to know that they’re human beings and individuals. This is going to be a group that feels that every day we come to the clubhouse. That’s going to be our main concern.”
Callaway, 42, spent the last five seasons as the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians. He agreed to a three-year deal with New York on Sunday.
Callaway replaces Terry Collins, who stepped down at the end of the season and accepted a position as a special assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson.
Frick Award finalists
Bob Costas, Al Michaels and Joe Buck are among the finalists for the Hall of Fame’s 2018 Ford Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting.
Don Drysdale, Dizzy Dean, Joe Morgan and Pee Wee Reese, a quartet in the Hall of Fame for their playing careers, also are among the finalists.
The ballot rotates among national broadcasters (2018), early voices (2019) and team-specific announcers (2020).
The winner will be announced Dec. 13 at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.