Pac Bell Park Has New Name

Pacific Bell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, will become SBC Park on Jan. 1.

The Giants announced Tuesday a 24-year agreement with SBC that gives the telecommunications company the naming rights to the team’s 4-year-old waterfront ballpark.

“SBC played a critical role in the development of our ballpark and helped to keep Major League Baseball in San Francisco,” said Larry Baer, the Giants’ executive vice president and chief operating officer.

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Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt has been hired by the Philadelphia Phillies to manage their Class-A team at Clearwater, Fla.

“There’s a bit of a void in my life,” Schmidt, 54, said. “I’ve been involved in other things that have taken me away from baseball.

“The thing that would be most fulfilling is to get back in the game and life I know the most about.”

It will be the first managerial job for Schmidt. In 2002, he was a part-time hitting instructor with the Phillies.

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The Phillies picked up their option for next season on left-hander Rheal Cormier, but will not exercise their options on right-handed relievers Jose Mesa and Mike Williams.... Minnesota claimed right-handed pitcher Sean Douglass on waivers from Baltimore and designated right-hander Mike Fetters for assignment.