, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Big parade salutes Series champs
ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Amid a sea of red ThunderStix and rally monkeys, the Anaheim Angels celebrated the first World Series title in their 42-year history with a parade that started at Disneyland and ended at Edison Field on Tuesday.
Jackie Autry, the widow of Gene Autry, who formed the expansion team in 1961 before selling it to the Walt Disney Co., rode alongside Mickey Mouse in the Disneyland parade.
The Angels had never won a postseason series before embarking on a magical postseason run in which they beat the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins in the American League playoffs before defeating the San Francisco Giants in a thrilling seven-game World Series.
Tens of thousands of fans clad in red hats and shirts cheered as Angels Manager Mike Scioscia raised the World Series Trophy aloft at Disneyland's theme park.
"The players on this team deserve to be champions," Scioscia said. "They deserve to be champions and you deserved a championship team."
A second parade followed, beginning at Arrowhead Pond, home of the National Hockey League's Mighty Ducks, as players, coaches and their families rode on fire trucks and vehicles to Edison Field, home of the Angels.
World Series Most Valuable Player Troy Glaus, shortstop David Eckstein, first baseman Scott Spiezio and relievers Troy Percival and Francisco Rodriguez received the loudest ovations.
Indians name Wedge manager
CLEVELAND, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Eric Wedge became the youngest manager in the major leagues Tuesday when the Cleveland Indians signed him to a three-year contract.
Wedge, 34, managed Cleveland's Class AAA affiliate in Buffalo for the past two seasons. He will turn 35 on Jan. 27, youngest Indians skipper since Lou Boudreau was named manager in 1942 at the age of 24.
"Age has never really been a factor. Respect has nothing to do with age," Wedge said. "I've always felt beyond my years."
When Wedge guides the Indians on Opening Day, he will become the youngest major league manager since Bobby Valentine debuted for the Texas Rangers at 35 years and five days on May 17, 1985.
Tony La Russa was 34 and Buck Showalter and Jeff Torborg both were 35 when they began their major league managerial career.
Wedge was the surprise choice over Joel Skinner, who started last season as the Indians' third base coach and took over as interim manager for the final 76 games after Charlie Manuel was fired. Wedge said that Skinner has agreed to remain with the Indians as third base coach.
Oakland promotes Macha to manager
OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The Oakland Athletics Tuesday officially promoted bench coach Ken Macha to be their next manager, replacing Art Howe, who was allowed to leave.
Howe signed a four-year, $9.4 million contract with the New York Mets on Monday.
Macha, 52, received a multi-year contract from the Athletics reportedly worth close to $1 million annually.
"This man deserves the opportunity and will be a very successful major league manager," said Athletics General Manager Billy Beane at a Tuesday news conference. "He has been critical to our success over the last few seasons."
Howe, who led the Athletics to three straight playoff appearances and more than 100 wins each of the last two seasons, had one year left on his contract with the Athletics worth $1.7 million. But Beane gave the Mets permission to pursue Howe in the hopes of promoting Macha, who interviewed with the MilwaukeeBrewers and Chicago Cubs earlier in the month.
Giants' Hilliard out for season
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- New York Giants wide receiver Ike Hilliard will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated right shoulder, it was announced Tuesday.
Hilliard was injured when he was hit by safety Brian Dawkins in a Monday night game against Philadelphia. An MRI Tuesday revealed that he had a tear in both his labrum and his pectoralis muscle. He will undergo
surgery in about a month. The normal rehabilitation period for the surgery is three months.
Hilliard is the Giants' second starter to suffer a season-ending injury in as many games, following defensive tackle Keith Hamilton, who ruptured his Achilles tendon on Oct. 13 against Atlanta.
The injury occurred on the opening drive of the second half. Trailing 9-3, the Giants had a 2nd-and-14 at the Eagles' 36-yard line when Kerry Collins threw incomplete to Hilliard outside the 20. The seven-year veteran took three more strides before he was leveled by Dawkins, who received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the helmet-to-chest hit.
"It's disappointing to have to go through this again and miss the remainder of the season," Hilliard said. "It's not for me to determine whether or not it was a dirty hit. It was late. Dawkins is a good, aggressive player. I'm not one to shy away from contact, so I'm not going to cry about it. That wouldn't do my shoulder any good."
Expos keep Colon for 2003
MONTREAL, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The Montreal Expos on Tuesday exercised their $6 million club option on pitcher Bartolo Colon for the 2003 season.
Acquired from the Cleveland Indians before the trade deadline, Colon helped the Expos briefly contend in the National League East. In 17 starts with Montreal, he posted a 10-4 record with a 3.31 ERA.
The hard-throwing righthander became a 20-game winner for the first time in his career, combining to go 20-8 with a 2.93 ERA in 33 starts.
Colon joined Hank Borowy (1945) as only the second pitcher in Major League history to win 10 games in each league in the same season.
Acquired by Cleveland in 1993 as a non-drafted free agent, Colon signed a four-year contract with the Indians in 1999. The deal included a club option for the 2003 campaign.
The Expos also announced that outfielder Wil Cordero and first baseman Andres Galarraga have declared for free agency.
Saints extend GM Loomis' contract
METAIRIE, La., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Five months after taking over as the general manager of the New Orleans Saints, Mickey Loomis on Tuesday signed a four-year contract extension.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Loomis was promoted to general manager in May after the surprise firing of Randy Mueller, who conducted April's NFL draft. Prior to his promotion, Loomis was the Saints' director of football administration since 2000.
The move to sign Loomis to an extension is another move to stabilize the future of the franchise. Coach Jim Haslett, hired in 2000 by Mueller, and quarterback Aaron Brooks agreed to contract extensions earlier this year.
Spain has edge in FedCup bid
MASPALOMAS, Spain, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Spain will have the home-court advantage when it looks to win a sixth Fed Cup title, although the matches will be played on an indoor hardcourt surface rather than the favored clay.
Spain will play Austria in the semifinals beginning on Wednesday. Slovakia meets Italy in the other semifinal. The matchups are best of five rubbers over two days, with the final to be contested on Saturday and Sunday.
Veterans Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Conchita Martinez will represent Spain in singles matches against Patricia Wartusch and Barbara Schett, respectively, on Wednesday.
Slovakia is represented by world No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova and Janette Husarova, who will also combine for the doubles match. World No. 16 Silvia Farina Elia and Francesca Schiavone play the singles matches for Italy.
