Ex-GM Towers dies of cancer at age 56
Kevin Towers was a seat-ofthe-pants, throwback type of man who did whatever it took to make the San Diego Padres competitive, almost always with a limited payroll.
A 1982 first-round draft pick who blew out his elbow and did not pitch in the major leagues, Towers advanced through the Padres’ organization and spent 14 years as general manager, a tenure that included four NL West titles and an appearance in the 1998 World Series.
Known around baseball simply as KT, Towers died Tuesday morning from cancer complications with his wife, Kelley, at his side. He was 56.
Towers was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer a little more than a year ago.
Friend and former agent Barry Axelrod said Towers was admitted to a hospital with fluid on his lungs a few days ago, and friends and family thought he would be able to go home Tuesday.
Bruce Bochy, who managed the Padres for most of Towers’ tenure as GM before joining the Giants, was a teammate of Towers in Triple-A in 1988. Towers was Bochy’s pitching coach when he managed in the minor leagues.
“Sad day,” Bochy said in a text to the Associated Press. “Baseball lost a great one today. Was lucky to have him as a teammate, coach, boss and friend. My thoughts are with Kelley and his family.”
Towers also was the Diamondbacks’ GM from 2010 through 2014.
Extra Coliseum netting: The A’s joined the vast majority of major-league teams this winter in adding extra protective netting that will extend to the end of both dugouts.
The Chronicle reported the decision Saturday and the team made an official announcement Tuesday.
The netting will run from sections 112 to 122 and will be green, according to the A’s, in order to blend in with the grass field and minimize its visibility.
— Susan Slusser
Arbitration: Mookie Betts and the Red Sox have argued the first salary-arbitration case of the year, with the All-Star outfielder asking for a raise from $950,000 to $10.5 million and the team offering $7.5 million.
Arbitrators Daniel Brent, Mark Burstein, Phillip LaPorte heard arguments Tuesday, and a decision is expected Wednesday.
Betts’ gap was the largest among the 27 players who swapped figures with their teams Jan. 12. Just two of them reached agreements, leaving the rest headed toward hearings, which are scheduled through Feb. 16. Among those are three members of the World Series champion Astros: outfielder George Springer, closer Ken Giles and pitcher Collin McHugh.
Briefly: A runner would be put on second base at the start of the 11th inning of the All-Star Game and each additional inning, according to the latest pace-of-game proposal by Major League Baseball. The experiment also would be used in the 10th inning of spring training games, according to the Jan. 9 proposal obtained by the Associated Press. Spring training games would be capped at 10 innings . ... Reliever Matt Albers has finalized a $5 million, two-year contract with the Brewers. Former Giants catcher Andrew Susac was designated for assignment to make room for Albers on the 40-man roster . ... Reliever David Hernandez has agreed to a $5 million, two-year contract with the Reds . ... The Diamondbacks have a deal with catcher Alex Avila pending a physical, according to the Arizona Republic and Fan-Rag.