Rangers Hire Melvin as General Manager

Doug Melvin, the assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles, was hired as general manager of the Texas Rangers.

“I’m excited about being in charge,� Melvin said. “There’s a good foundation here of quality players.�

Melvin, 42, joined the Orioles in 1986 as a special assistant to the president. Two years later, when the Orioles lost 107 games, he became director of player personnel.

Melvin helped return the Orioles to near the top of the American League East by using first-round picks on pitchers Gregg Olson, Ben McDonald, Mike Mussina and outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds. None of Texas’ picks during that span are on a major league roster.

Manager Kevin Kennedy has one year left on his contract and ownership is on his side.

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The Chicago Cubs named Ed Lynch, who in 1987 finished his eight-year pitching career with the Cubs, as general manager. He agreed to a three-year contract to replace Larry Himes, who was demoted to director of the club’s Arizona operations.

Lynch, the Cubs’ fourth general manager since 1987, said he hoped to build a championship team around good pitching, speed and defense.

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About $235,000 was stolen from the Dominican Republic home of New York Yankee pitcher Melido Perez, police said. Perez, 31, was not in his Santo Domingo residence at the time of the burglary, police said. The right-handed pitcher arrived at his house at midnight and called police when he noticed the break-in. Police did not say how the burglars broke into Perez’s home on Sunday.

College Basketball

Frank McGuire, a Hall of Fame basketball coach at St. John’s, North Carolina and South Carolina, is gravely ill.

Kerry Tharpe, assistant athletic director at South Carolina, said not much was known about McGuire’s condition, except he was very sick at his West Columbia home.

McGuire, 80, coached South Carolina from 1965-80. He won a school-record 283 games and his teams made the NCAA tournament four consecutive seasons from 1971-74.

Pro Basketball

Miami Heat first-round draft pick Khalid Reeves, who led Arizona to the Final Four last season, reportedly signed a five-year contract believed to be worth $8.5 million. Reeves, a guard, was drafted by the Heat with the 12th pick.

Names in the News

Oklahoma State ended its 16-month search for an athletic director by hiring Terry Don Phillips to lead the Cowboys into the Big 12 Conference.

Phillips, senior associate athletic director at Arkansas since 1991, will take over effective Aug. 1. Until then, he will serve as a consultant to Oklahoma State while he completes law school at Arkansas.