Fregosi Fired by Blue Jays

Jim Fregosi was fired Tuesday as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays after two seasons of third-place finishes.

The decision came after a season in which the Blue Jays finished 83-79. Fregosi’s contract expired at the end of the season.

“The contract of manager Jim Fregosi will not be renewed,” the team said in a statement.

General Manager Gord Ash, who received a three-year contract extension from CEO Paul Godfrey, was in Florida to meet with Fregosi. Fregosi said he had a gut feeling that he would be told his two-year term with the club was over.

“We had a good two years. Toronto is a great city and was a lot of fun,” Fregosi said by telephone from his home in Tarpon Springs, Fla. “There was a decision from an organizational standpoint that they didn’t want me back.”

Top candidates to replace Fregosi reportedly include former Blue Jay star Paul Molitor, broadcaster Buck Martinez and former Toronto catcher Ernie Whitt.

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Chicago White Sox right-hander James Baldwin will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder next week, the team said.

Baldwin, who spent much of September on the disabled list, will undergo the procedure to remove a small bone chip and repair some fraying in the right shoulder.

Baldwin, 29, was a mainstay of the White Sox staff for the first half of the season, earning a selection to the American League all-star team with an 11-4 mark at midseason.

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John Vukovich, a Philadelphia Phillie coach since 1988, was the first candidate interviewed to succeed Terry Francona, fired Oct. 1 after a fourth consecutive losing season with the Phillies.

Vukovich, a third base coach under Francona, met with General Manager Ed Wade and team officials Tuesday.

“He was the same honest, upfront guy that I’ve known for a long time,” Wade said. “He should be considered a real solid candidate.”

Wade will be in Florida today to interview two more candidates, former Phillie catchers Darren Daulton and Bob Boone.

Others to be interviewed: Seattle Mariner third base coach Larry Bowa, New York Yankee coach Willie Randolph and Ruben Amaro Sr. of the Phillies’ farm system.

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Florida Marlin right-hander Alex Fernandez, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery July 20, was reinstated from the emergency disabled list.

Left-hander Michael Tejera, who sat out the entire season after elbow surgery, also was reinstated.

Fernandez has battled shoulder problems since 1997. He was 4-4 with a 4.13 earned-run average this year and hopes to pitch again by May.