In a continuing effort to make Tom Shearn REALLY earn that rotation spot, the Reds have signed right-hander Josh Fogg to a 1-year contract for $1 million. Press release below.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds Executive Vice President and General Manager Wayne Krivsky today announced the signing of free agent RHP Josh Fogg to a one-year contract through the 2008 season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Fogg, 31, last season for the National League champion Colorado Rockies went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 29 starts and one relief appearance. During the Rockies’ postseason run he posted a 2-1 record in a relief appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies during the National League Division Series and starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the NL Championship Series and the Boston Red Sox during the World Series.

In 2007, Fogg ranked among Rockies team leaders in wins (2nd), starts (2nd) and innings pitched (165.2, 3rd). Eight of his 10 victories were against playoff teams or teams that were in the playoff hunt going into the season’s final week. In his last seven starts of the regular season he went 3-0 with a 3.82 ERA.

A seven-year Major League veteran, Fogg has posted a 60-60 career record with a 4.90 ERA in 197 appearances, including 179 starts, for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Rockies.

To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP Bobby Livingston (left shoulder surgery, 9/6/07) went on the 60-day disabled list.

Bob Howsam, universally recognized as the architect of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine of the 1970s, died this morning of heart failure in Sun City, Arizona. He was 9 days shy of his 90th birthday.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete, though a celebration of his life will be planned in the next few days. It will be held in Sun City.

“Cincinnati was his second home. He had some of his greatest successes there, and the city was always dear to him,” said Howsam’s son, Robert Howsam Jr.. “While Pops recognized the importance of the players and ownership in baseball, he always felt pleasing the fans should be the number one goal, whether it be concessions, parking or the experience at the ballpark. That was his guiding light, his main message.”

Howsam was the club’s general manager from 1967-78 and again from 1983-84, but he also served as president and chief operating officer from 1973-78 and 1983-85. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in August 2004.

Under Howsam’s direction, the Reds were baseball’s dominant team in the 1970s, a decade during which they won 6 Western Division titles, 4 National League pennants and World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. That team’s starting lineup of Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, Pete Rose, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo and Griffey earned 63 All-Star selections, 6 Most Valuable Player awards and 26 Gold Gloves.

While he was known as one of baseball’s most shrewd traders, Howsam also was credited with making the Reds’ minor league system one of the strongest in the game. In 1973, he was named Major League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News.

While presiding over the team’s move from Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium in 1970, Howsam expanded the front office staff and established promotional and public relations programs that would be necessary for success in the new park, including the Straight-A ticket program. He also was a member of Major League Baseball’s executive and player relations committees. Howsam retired on July 1, 1985 but remained with the team for 17 months as a special consultant.

Reds President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini said, “Mr. Howsam played a very important role in the long history of this proud franchise. He put together an organization that became the model for all of baseball. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

The Pirates finally ended the managerial suspense today when they named John Russell as the next guy to try to right the ship. From the press release:

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that John Russell has been hired as the 38th manager in team history. The announcement was made by senior vice president and general manager Neal Huntington.

Russell, 46, spent the last two seasons as the Triple-A manager in the Philadelphia organization. He was named the International League Manager of the Year after guiding Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to the Northern Division title in 2006. Russell, who served as manager at the 2007 International League All-Star Game, managed Ottawa last season.

There’s also a letter to the fans from the general manager. Letters from the general manager? That won’t last.

Dear Pirates fans:

I am extremely excited to officially announce today that we have hired John Russell as the new manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. John’s hiring is another significant step in the process of changing the culture of this organization to a culture of pride, passion and excellence.

Throughout the process it became clear that John was the top choice to lead our ballclub. His positive energy, intense passion for the game and strong managerial experience set him apart from every other potential candidate we considered.

John has been extremely successful getting the most out of his players in his 10-plus years of managing. During his Minor League managing career, John was a two-time Manager of the Year and twice selected by Baseball America as a top managerial prospect.

John is a great teacher of the game, an exhaustive communicator and tireless worker. He will hold himself, the coaching staff and our players accountable for being the most prepared and hardest working club in Major League Baseball. He will ensure that our players continue to improve at the Major League level and play with the pride and passion we, and you the fans, expect of them.

He brings a focused intensity to the managerial role and to our clubhouse. I am extremely confident in John and his abilities to manage our ballclub and instill in our players the sense of pride they should take in playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He shares our vision of how we will return the Pirates to a consistent winner.

Thank you for your continued support of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sincerely,

Neal Huntington

My favorite part is where he qualified “John has been extremely successful” with “getting the most out of his players.” That can only say good things. And as if that weren’t enough, this original sentiment always turns out to be true about new managers:

Speaking to reporters at PNC Park on Monday, Russell, 46, used the words “accountability,” “discipline,” “pride” and “passion.” Those were adjectives Russell believes will be attached to the club moving forward, and are words that Huntington believe already describe the man that he brought in to replace Jim Tracy.

Pat at Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke fails to be outraged:

I can imagine that a lot of people’s thoughts today run along the lines of, “We looked for a month and we ended up with this guy?” The truth is, most managers are incredibly similar.

While Jake at Bucco Blog takes a somewhat firmer stance:

Some will suggest the proper thing to do would be to give Russell a chance before blasting him, but since he’s already proven to be total garbage in Pittsburgh, why wait?

And what do I think, you might ask, seeing as I’m supposed to be a Pirates blogger these days. Well, I’m just so psyched to see that they picked up Phil Dumatrait, I can’t even think of anything else.

All you Reds fans who bought the Dumatrait jersey (or more likely, all you Bats fans who bought a Dumatrait jersey) will be glad to know that you’ll still get to see your fair share of the youngish lefty now that the Pirates have picked him up off waivers:

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have claimed left-handed pitcher Phil Dumatrait (pronounced “doo-MAH-tray”) off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President and General Manager, Neal Huntington.

Dumatrait, 26, spent a majority of the 2007 season with Triple-A Louisville, where he went 10-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 22 starts. He made his Major League debut with the Reds on Aug. 2 at Washington and made six starts with Cincinnati over the final two months of the season, pitching a career-high 6.0 innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Aug. 9.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft (22nd player chosen overall), Dumatrait was named Boston’s Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year in 2002 after going 8-7 with a 2.88 ERA in 26 starts with Augusta (A) and Sarasota (A). He was traded to the Reds organization, along with cash considerations and a player to be named (LHP Tyler Pelland), in exchange for right-handed pitcher Scott Williamson on July 29, 2003. Dumatrait missed the 2004 season after having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow on April 12 of that year. In 145 career Minor League games (142 starts), he has gone 45-44 with a 3.33 ERA

To make room for Dumatrait on the 40-man roster, the Pirates outrighted catcher Carlos Maldonado to Triple-A Indianapolis.

How considerate for the press release to provide a pronunciation guide for Dumatrait’s name. They ought to provide one for poor Paul Maholm, who seems to be under the impression that his last name has three sylables. Not that I can talk: I tried to spell the word “pronounciation.”

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds today announced that Major League coaches Mark Berry, Billy Hatcher, Brook Jacoby and Dick Pole along with bullpen catcher Mike Stefanski will be offered contracts for the 2008 season.

The club also announced that bullpen coach Tom Hume will not be offered a contract and that bench coach Pat Kelly has been reassigned within the organization.

The bullpen coach and bench coach vacancies on new manager Dusty Baker’s staff will be filled in the near future.

Berry will return for his 25th season in the organization and for his 10th year on the Major League coaching staff. He has been the club’s third base coach the last 4 seasons.

Hatcher has been with the organization for 2 years, both as first base coach.

Jacoby and Pole will return for their second seasons as hitting coach and pitching coach, respectively.

Stefanski will return for his fifth straight season as bullpen catcher. Hume was with the organization for 11 seasons as bullpen coach and for 1 season (2006) as pitching coach. Kelly will return as manager of the organization’s Gulf Coast League Sarasota affiliate and as director of Florida on-field operations, positions he held last season until he was named interim manager Pete Mackanin’s bench coach on July 3.