In San Diego, Kevin Acee wrote there is "no one more powerful person" in the Padres organization than President & CEO Mike Dee, "outside of the team's two primary owners," Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler. Dee put a "significant voice to the decision to axe" GM Josh Byrnes a little more than a week ago, and is "among the threesome conducting interviews of potential replacements." The Padres "need to nail this hire," and for "that chore, we can rightly look to Dee" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/1).
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT: Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said of the team's rebuilding efforts, "I can't blow this team up for five years and expect us to be (bad) for the next five or six years. I don't think that's the right way to go about our franchise. ... If we do have to go into a transition, it's going to be a shorter one than that." Asked if his job depends on having a successful July, Amaro said, "I'm not worried about my job. My job is to try to do what's best for the organization, short term and long term" (PHILLY.com, 7/1).
SPOTTY RECEPTION: In Illinois, Mike North wrote the White Sox are "an afterthought in Chicago and are just existing." The team is averaging 20,350 fans this season at U.S. Cellular Field, ranking 28th in MLB. White Sox fans "must have a disconnect with the organization for some reason." North: "While I believe they can draw 30,000 again, it's only going to happen with some imagination, improved marketing, a better team and reaching out to the fan base" (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 7/1).
SORRY ABOUT THAT: MLB.com's Richard Justice noted Astros GM Jeff Luhnow following the team's computers being hacked "reached out to all the general managers that were impacted in that." Justice: "These guys are fanatical about secrecy. They don’t like players' names mentioned. It's a disconcerting things for the players, so they tried to repair it the best they could" ("Olbermann," ESPN2, 7/2).
