Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum and Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin have already been interviewed to replace Mike Quade, who was fired by new president of baseball operations Theo Epstein.

Maddux pitched for nine teams in a 15-year major-league career that ended in 2000. He became pitching coach of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003, then took the same job with Texas before the 2009 season and has helped the Rangers win back-to-back AL pennants. The Cubs are also expected to interview Cleveland bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr.

Maddux withdrew from consideration for the Red Sox managers vacancy, citing the distance between Boston and his family in the Dallas area.

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The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.

Francona managed the Red Sox for eight seasons and left after they wasted a nine-game September lead in the AL wild-card race.

St. Louis is seeking a replacement for Tony La Russa, who retired two days after winning his second World Series in 16 seasons with the Cardinals.

More interviews are planned for Wednesday, believed to be with third base coach Jose Oquendo and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryan Sandberg, who managed the Phillies Triple-A team last season.

St. Louis previously interviewed Mike Matheny, Joe McEwing and Chris Maloney. Matheny and Maloney have organizational ties and McEwing played for St. Louis.

The 48-year-old Oquendo has been the third base coach the last dozen years. He played his final 10 major league seasons with the Cardinals from 1986-95 when he was nicknamed the “Secret Weapon” as a nod to his versatility.

St. Louis has received permission from the Phillies to talk with Sandberg, ruled out earlier for the managing job with the Cubs, the team he starred for from 1982-97.

After he left the Red Sox, there were reports players drank beer and ate fast food-fried chicken in the clubhouse during games rather than root on their teammates. The Boston Globe reported the club was concerned he was “distracted,” living in a hotel while separated from his wife and taking painkillers to deal with knee operations. Francona has said his personal life did not affect his performance.

Boston ended an 86-year championship drought in 2004, Franconas first season, when the Red Sox swept the Cardinals in the World Series. Francona also managed the Red Sox to a sweep of Colorado in the 2007 Series.

Francona is the second-winningest manager in Red Sox history with a 744-552 record and 8-0 mark in the World Series.

Francona and Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak did not respond to requests for comment.

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Many have tried. None has succeeded. Not recently, anyway. The Orioles have finished in last place four straight years and are mired in a franchise-record run of 14 straight losing seasons.

Column Scott Miller
Weeks and weeks of searching, scrounging, stubbing their beaks and requesting permission to speak with employees from other clubs led to … this? Read More >> More on Orioles Baltimore unveils Duquette | Team history Miller: Love Letters: The Angelos edition Brunell: 2012 free-agency predictions Snyder: Recapping Os dismal 2011 season Snyder: Simon off hook for manslaughter

Armed with a three-year contract, Duquette, the teams new executive vice president of baseball operations, is confident he can make Baltimore relevant again in the top-heavy AL East.

“Thats the challenge of the job, right? The way that were going to be competitive is were going to bring in some good players and build our team from the ground up,” Duquette said Tuesday at his introductory news conference. “Were going to have to work harder. Were going to work smarter than these teams that have these huge piles of resources. But it can be done.”

Duquette spent eight seasons in the Montreal Expos front office from 1987-94 and was general manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1994-2001. The experience he gained with those two teams helped prepare him for his post with Baltimore.

“I learned in a small market, I applied my skills in a small market, to put together a top-quality team,” he said. “I also worked from a major-market perspective.”

After leaving the Red Sox, Duquette spent time coaching both his two boys, founded and built the Dan Duquette Sports Academy in Massachusetts and just relaxed. The 53-year-old has been content to stay on the sidelines, but was intrigued by the challenge of building the Orioles.

“This is right up my alley, turning around a ballclub and building a farm and scouting system,” Duquette said. “This is what I love to do. This is a great opportunity and Im thankful for it and Im ready to go to work.”

Asked if his absence from baseball might be a factor, Duquette replied, “Baseball is really in my DNA. My focus is going to be sharper and better from my time being away from the game.”

Duquette replaces Andy MacPhail, who couldnt pull the Orioles out of their funk during his 4½ years on the job. The Orioles interviewed five other people before settling on Duquette, who impressed club officials with his spirit and optimism.

“It was very obvious when he came in that he was very up to speed on the Orioles,” said manager Buck Showalter, who took part in the hiring process.

Said Duquette: “Im glad that Im here. I can use my strengths in building an organization, and my experience with both small and large market clubs is what distinguished me from the other candidates.

“This is the kind of challenge I look for and met successfully in Montreal and Boston, teams I took over that were below .500,” Duquette said. “I wouldnt be here if I didnt believe I would have an impact to turn this franchise around, to get it to be competitive and then get it to a championship level.”

In explaining his philosophy for success, Duquette said he relies on aggressive scouting nationally and internationally to stock the farm system with talent. He then can decide whether to trade young players for established stars or bring them up to the big league team.

“We will be active in a lot of markets, a lot of talent markets, to field competitive and winning teams,” Duquette said. “The major league free agency market is probably the riskiest one right? Im much more comfortable operating with less risk.

“The team that has the best farm system is the team that competes year in year out, irrespective of your market size,” he said. “It all starts with signing and developing and bringing them up to your team.”

Duquette will be working closely with Showalter to turn around a team that has lost at least 90 games in six straight seasons.

“Anybody who thinks hes not up to speed on the industry is sadly mistaken,” Showalter said. “In fact, I think sometimes getting away from it a little bit is a good thing. Were very fortunate to have somebody like him, with his background and experience and track record of success. Im excited about it.”

Duquette placed no timetable for success, but stressed he has no intention using all three years of the contract before seeing results.

“My plan is to win every game every day,” he said.

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He had been scheduled for an interview Tuesday, but Boston general manager Ben Cherington announced Monday that Maddux had withdrawn. The job opened when Terry Francona left following the teams epic collapse in September, when it went 7-20 and missed the playoffs.

Maddux pitched for nine teams, including the Red Sox, in a 15-year career that ended in 2000. He became pitching coach of the Brewers in 2003, then took the same job with Texas before the 2009 season.

The Red Sox already have interviewed Philadelphia bench coach Pete Mackanin and Milwaukee hitting coach Dale Sveum. They plan to interview Cleveland bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr.

Maddux, also a candidate for the Cubs managerial opening, said in a statement it was a family decision that led him to withdraw from consideration.

“My wife and two daughters are together in the same state for the first time in three years and words cannot describe my happiness,” he said. “The game of baseball has many sacrifices but being apart from family is the toughest. I feel there is too much distance between the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Boston to see my family as much as Id enjoy.

“Again, I thank Ben Cherington and the Boston Red Sox for the flattery, honor, and compliment of considering me for their position.”

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A person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press of the move on condition of anonymity because the Orioles havent announced the hiring.

The 53-year-old Duquette, who interviewed with the Orioles over the weekend, was farm director of the Montreal Expos from 1987-1991 and their general manager from 1991-94. He then served as general manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1994-2002. He has not worked in a major league front office since leaving the Red Sox.

Duquette takes over for Andy MacPhail, who stepped down last month after four-plus seasons. Duquette will attempt to turn around a franchise saddled with 14 consecutive losing seasons.

Although Duquette has not worked in a major-league front office since 2002, he has a history of success. The Expos appeared playoff bound in 1994 until a baseball strike ended the season. In Boston, he laid the groundwork for the teams world championship in 2004.

He is the cousin of Jim Duquette, who was vice president of baseball operations with the Orioles in 2005 and 2006.

Duquette was the second candidate to be interviewed more than once. The other, Tony LaCava of the Toronto Blue Jays, turned down the Orioles offer.

Four others interviewed for the job: Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock and Orioles director of player development John Stockstill.

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Authorities accused Kleiber Miguel Bruno Gonzalez on Thursday of accepting $25,000 and conspiring with a scout and an independent trainer to alter the players identity. Police did not identify the other people involved.

The U.S. Embassy helped police with the investigation, which found that the player spent two years living with a woman who pretended to be his mother, according to authorities.

Bruno worked for an office MLB established in the Dominican Republic in 2002 to oversee and control possible fraud cases, an ongoing problem in the Caribbean country.

In September, Dominican authorities arrested a man accused of falsifying documents for Florida Marlins closer Leo Nunez. Authorities have said the players real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and that he is 29, a year older than listed in the team media guide.

National District Assistant Prosecutor Jose Dantes Diaz told the Associated Press his office will keep pursuing all possible false identity cases involving local players.

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Team spokesman Brian Bartow said Forsch, the third-winningest pitcher in franchise history, died Thursday at his home near Tampa, Fla. The cause of death wasnt immediately known.

The death came less than a week after Forsch threw out the first pitch at Game 7 of the World Series, a few hours before the Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 to win the championship. Forsch was the stand-in for his longtime manager, Whitey Herzog, who is recovering from a fall that left him in a hospital for more than three weeks.

“I was supposed to throw out the first ball and was still on medicine, so they decided Forschie would do it,” Herzog told the AP in a phone interview from his home in suburban St. Louis County. “Weve kept in touch throughout the years. To drop dead like that, its a real shock.”

Forsch, a 6-foot-4 right-hander known for clutch performances in crucial games, played on three World Series teams in the 1980s under Herzog, and one of his three career postseason victories came against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Cardinals 1982 World Series championship.

Bob Forsch: 1950-2011 Related links CBS St. Louis: Forsch on no-hitters, World Series CBS St. Louis: Bob Forsch photo gallery Baseball-Reference.com: Forschs career stats Eye on Baseball news | Follow on Twitter

Forsch won 20 games in 1977 and twice was a 15-game winner, and had a career record of 168-136 with a 3.76 ERA. Forsch was an accomplished hitter, too, with a .213 career average and 12 home runs.

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Bob Forsch,” chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “Bob was a one of the best pitchers in the history of our organization and a valued member of the Cardinals family.”

Forsch, who was a 26th- round draft pick of St. Louis in 1968, threw no-hitters in 1978 (Phillies) and 1983 (Expos). His older brother, Ken Forsch, threw a no-hitter for the Astros in 1979, making them the only brothers in major league history to pitch official no-hitters.

The younger Forsch is one of only 30 major league pitchers to throw at least two no-hitters, according to STATS LLC. His were the only two thrown at old Busch Stadium, where he won more games and pitched more innings than any other pitcher. In all, he won 163 games for the Cardinals from 1974 to 1988, trailing only Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines. He finished his career with the Astros in 1989.

Herzog said Forsch was well-liked for his bulldog toughness on the mound, and off the field as well. Herzog also said Forsch was one of the more sensible players on his roster.

“I was fortunate to have Bobby on my team,” Herzog said. “He never missed a turn, pitched 200 innings each year. Hed take the ball, and he was a great competitor.”

The last three years, Forsch was the pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds rookie league affiliate, the Billings Mustangs.

“He spent his entire life in baseball and touched many people both inside and outside the game,” general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement. “Over the last few seasons, he played an important part in the development of our young players.

“Our baseball operations staff and the players he touched will miss him.”:

Survivors include Forschs wife, Janice, and two daughters. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

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Alomar recently completed his second season coaching first base for Cleveland manager Manny Acta. He was promoted to bench coach on the final day of the season by Acta when Tim Tolman stepped down because of Parkinsons Disease.

Alomar has no managerial experience, and would be considered a longshot to replace Terry Francona, who was fired after the season.

A six-time All-Star catcher with the Indians, Alomar has also been considered for managerial openings in Toronto and with the Chicago White Sox.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox interviewed Milwaukee hitting coach Dale Sveum. He managed the Brewers for the final 12 games of the 2008 regular season and the playoffs after Ned Yost was fired.

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McEwing was named third base coach for new Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura earlier this week after success at the minor-league level. Maloney manages the Cardinals Triple-A Memphis affiliate.

More on St. Louis Cardinals Related links Report: Cardinals search to begin with Francona Cubs wont interview Hall of Famer Sandberg Eye on Baseball news | Follow on Twitter

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the search is not public.

Ryne Sandberg, ruled out earlier this week for the Chicago Cubs managing vacancy, is among other candidates who will be interviewing with the Cardinals.

Sandberg managed the Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A team last season and the Phillies said they have granted the Cardinals permission to talk to him.

General manager John Mozeliak said in an email to the AP that the Cardinals had not determined a public strategy for the search to find a new manager. Tony La Russa resigned this week, three days after the team won the World Series.

Terry Francona and an in-house candidate, Jose Oquendo, are also believed to be on the Cardinals list. New Cubs general manager Theo Epstein has told Sandberg he isnt a candidate to replace the fired Mike Quade.

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Reps. Henry Waxman of California and Frank Pallone of New Jersey made those requests in a letter Wednesday to Commissioner Bud Selig and Michael Weiner, executive director of the players union.

Its the latest in a series of salvos from Capitol Hill on tobacco and HGH, although recent congressional attention on HGH has focused on the NFL.

Waxman, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Pallone, the top Democrat on the panels health subcommittee, he collectively known as smokeless tobacco. Theyre making a push on tobacco and HGH as MLB and the union negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current one set to expire next month.

“These issues affect the integrity of the game, the health of your players, and most important, the health of teenagers who aspire to be like pro players,” the congressmen wrote.

The players union declined to comment on the letter. MLB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Waxman and Pallone noted that Selig testified in 2008 that he would support an HGH test “when a valid, commercially available and practical test for HGH becomes reality,” and that Weiners predecessor, Donald Fehr, said at that hearing the union would “consider in good faith any valid and effective test which is developed.” Waxman chaired that hearing, held to discuss the Mitchell Report, which identified major league players it said had used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

“The time to begin testing for HGH in baseball has arrived,” the congressmen wrote, citing the use of blood testing for HGH in the Olympics.

The NFL and its players already agreed to begin blood testing for HGH as part of their new col but only if the union agreed to the methods. The union has delayed implementing the test, asking for more scientific data to prove it is reliable. Last week, Waxman and two other House Democrats urged the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Michigan Republican Fred Upton, to hold hearings on the impasse. Waxmans office said it has not yet received a formal response.

Meanwhile, four senators wrote to the baseball players union on the eve of the World Series last month urging a ban on chewing tobacco. A coalition including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society and the American Medical Association has been pushing for one since last year. Selig endorsed the ban in March, but the players union hasnt committed to one. Weiner said in June that a “sincere effort” will be made to address the issue.

“There is ample precedent for a ban on the use of smokeless tobacco on the field and in the dugout,” Waxman and Pallone wrote. “The use of cigarettes by players in uniform and in view of the public has been banned for over three decades. Minor league baseball has banned the use or possession of smokeless tobacco in ballparks since 1993, with no adverse impact on the game or its players.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says smokeless tobacco can cause cancer, oral health problems and nicotine addiction, and stresses it is not a safe alternative to smoking. Despite the risks, the CDCs most recent survey found that in 2009, 15 p a more than one-third increase over 2003, when 11 percent did.

Some baseball players interviewed by the Associated Press at the end of the season were receptive to a ban, but others viewed it as an infringement on their freedom. Chewing tobacco in baseball dates well back into the 19th century.

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