It won't surprise anyone who reads, watches television or listens to the radio, but the Seattle Mariners will introduce Don Wakamatsu as their new manager this afternoon.
At 45, the son of a Japanese father and Irish mother will be named the 14th fulltime manager in franchise history.
And the sixth since 2002.
For those who might have missed it, here's a marvelous John McGrath column on Wakamatsu.
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Not much will be asked of Wakamatsu as a first-time big-league manager - only to win with a team that just lost 101 games, unite a clubhouse filled with small cliques and bring back stability to a team that hasn't had it since Lou Piniella.
His first job will be assembling a coaching staff, and along the way conferring with GM Jack Zduriencik on what players to keep and which ones on the free agent market to pursue.
It's been a busy off-season for Seattle already, hiring a new GM and now a new manager.
It's only mid-November, but the Mariners recognize reality. When it comes to repairing what's broken, they're just getting started.
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