PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have extended the contracts of manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers. Roberto Alomar Blue Jays Jersey. Contracts for both had been set to expire after the coming season. The team would not divulge the lengths of the contracts or even whether the lengths were the same for both. Team President Derrick Hall said after Mondays announcement that Gibson and Towers asked that the length of the deals be kept secret. "I dont understand why the contracts of people in management are public knowledge," Towers said. "Its between myself, Derrick, (managing general partner) Ken (Kendrick) and Gibby." Last October, the team declined to exercise options to extend both contracts, but Hall said he has felt all along that the Diamondbacks shouldnt go into the season with the two facing the last year of their deals. "Theres constant distraction and a labeling of whos on the hot seat," Hall said, "Are they feeling the pressure?" Besides, Hall said, "These are guys I have a lot of confidence in." In fact, Hall said he probably would have preferred to have the extensions in place sooner. He said that when the contracts werent extended last fall, it was with the understanding that there would be talks on a new deal for both. Gibson and Towers have had three full seasons together, and their most successful was their first. The Diamondbacks won 94 games in 2012 and took the NL West title before falling to Milwaukee in five games in the divisional playoffs. Arizona has gone 81-81 each of the past two seasons. "Im certainly very excited," Towers said, "as is Gibby. This is a place where we hope we get to spend the rest of our careers at." Gibson, a standout football player at Michigan State, played 17 seasons in the majors, 12 with the Detroit Tigers. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, earning the NL most valuable player award. In the playoffs that season, he hit one of the most memorable home runs in World Series history. Playing virtually on one leg because of a severe knee injury, Gibson hit a game-winning, two-run home run off Oaklands Dennis Eckersley in Game 1, limping around the bases and pumping his fist in triumph. The Dodgers went on to win the series. Gibson was hired as Arizonas bench coach in 2007 and was named interim manager when A.J. Hinch was fired on July 1, 2010. Towers, former GM of the San Diego Padres, came on board as general manager in September of that year, and one of his first decisions was whether to keep Gibson as manager. He did and the team went on to have that highly successful 2010 season. But the Diamondbacks stumbled the next two seasons in the vastly improved NL West, with pitching-rich San Francisco winning in 2012 and the just-plain-rich Dodgers taking it in 2013. Towers said he wants to develop "a ball club that not only has a chance to win the NL West but hopefully go deep into the post-season." "I dont take these things lightly," he said. "There are only 30 of these jobs." He said that the jobs "arent easy" and require the confidence of the clubs top executives and ownership. Towers said that going into the final year of a contract probably would have been more of a distraction for Gibson, given the high public profile of the managers job and his duties directing a teams day-to-day operation. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training at the Diamondbacks Scottsdale facility on Thursday. They are the first team to begin spring training because of Arizonas early season-opening two-game series against the Dodgers in Australia. Towers has said the team wants to acquire a No. 1 starter, but added on Monday "theres not too many of those guys out there." "The markets not the same as it was two months ago," he said. Yoenis Cespedes Red Sox Jersey . Garza, who signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the Milwaukee in the off-season, retired the Cubs in order in four of the first six innings. San Diego Padres Jersey . Midfielders Patrice Bernier and Justin Mapp and forward Daniele Paponi also werent on the field Thursday due to minor injuries. Some of them, maybe even all of them, will be ready when the Impact play host to the New England Revolution on Saturday afternoon, but how much they can play might only be determined on the day of the game. FRANKFURT, Germany -- Defending champion Bayern Munich conceded a late goal and had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Freiburg in a Bundesliga match Tuesday, dropping its first points of the season. Bayern paid the price for some complacency in the end despite controlling most of the match, which was played ahead of the weekend because Bayern plays Chelsea on Friday in Prague in the UEFA Super Cup. Bayern won the Champions League and Chelsea is the Europa League champion. "We played well, we attacked, but we didnt use our chances," said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who made seven changes from the lineup that beat Nuremberg 2-0 on Saturday. "All players played well. In the Bundesliga, you can concede a late goal." Xherdan Shaqiri put Bayern ahead in the 33rd but Nicolas Hoefler notched the equalizer in the 86th. "We didnt use our chances and failed to score the second goal that would have secured the victory," Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said. Freiburg finished fifth last season but had earned only one point from the previous three rounds. Bayerns important midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger limped off the field in the second half with a leg iinjury. Prince Fielder Rangers Jersey. . Shaqiri collected a cross from Thomas Mueller and drove home at the far post with his left foot. The ball shaved the post and bounced into the net. Although Bayern had most of the possession, Freiburgs Charles-Elie Laprevotte hit the outside of the post early in the second half, his last touch of the match before being substituted. And it was Freiburgs substitutes who combined for the equalizer. Sebastian Freis crossed from the right and Hoefler tapped the ball from close range at the far post although Bayern had six players defending in its area. "When you play Bayern you have to be incredibly mentally strong and thats what we were," Freiburg coach Christian Streif said. Before Freiburgs goal, Bayern missed chances from Mueller and Franck Ribery, who had come on for Schweinsteiger. Dante had a late chance but his shot from 10 metres (yards) went high. Guardiola sent on striker Mario Mandzukic late in the game but to no avail. Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann also had a strong performance to deny Bayern a second goal. "We fought all the way but its still funny how the game turned around," Baumann said. wholesale nfl jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '
