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CHICAGO -- Commissioner Rob Manfred says baseball wants to study high-profile positions within the sport to see if certain qualifications predict success, a step that has everything to do with minority hiring.Baseball had no Latino managers before Rick Renteria took over the Chicago White Sox last month. Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals and Dave Roberts from the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only black skippers among the leagues 30 teams.But there were 10 minority managers as recently as 2009, according to Richard Lapchick of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.Certain perceptions develop as to what people are looking for in particular positions and then people write stories saying, Oh, thats a problem on the minority front because, you know, maybe minorities are less likely to share these characteristics, Manfred said Thursday at the conclusion of two days of owners meetings.I think a first step in addressing those concerns is identifying which ones really matter and then you start to identify candidates who have all those qualifications and say, hey this may be the perfect guy for you and I have some science behind it in order to demonstrate that he is the best candidate, or she.Major League Baseball hired Korn Ferry last year in part to help top minority candidates in their interviews for positions in baseball operations. But Manfred said the search firm is going to focus on openings for individual clubs when its retained because of the potential for conflicts when it works for the central office and teams at the same time.When the White Sox announced Renterias promotion, they highlighted his ability to communicate in English and Spanish. But Manfred said there are all sorts of factors that could be considered.You could name probably 20 things off the top of your head, he said. The question is, once youve named them, do any of them really predict success on the field?While MLB briefed the owners on baseballs highly successful postseason and the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the ongoing labor talks with the players occupied a significant portion of the meetings at a downtown Chicago hotel, already decked out in its best Christmas decorations.The collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. Negotiators for owners and players have been meeting since spring training.I remain optimistic that were going to make a deal, Manfred said. This process is not predictable in terms of time. I said there were certain natural deadlines out there. The beginning of the market was one and the expiration of the agreements another, and Im hopeful that were going to get a deal done before that latter deadline.Manfred declined to address any details from the bargaining sessions, but he said an international amateur draft remains on the table.Manfred also touched on several other fronts with the sport and the owners quarterly meetings:-The owners approved changes with the leadership structures in Oakland and Philadelphia, with John Fisher becoming the control person of the Athletics and John Middleton taking over the same position with the Phillies. The As announced that Lew Wolff will be transitioning from managing partner to chairman emeritus, and that he had agreed to sell most of his interest to the remaining owners.Fisher and Middleton each controlled the biggest stake in their specific teams before taking over their new roles.I think the ownership committee has a strong preference that the individuals who are either the largest or one of the largest equity owners in clubs be the individual who is the baseball control person, Manfred said.-Manfred also reacted to supermodel Kate Uptons online support of fiance Justin Verlander after the Detroit Tigers ace finished second to Bostons Rick Porcello in voting for the AL Cy Young Award. Verlander was left off the ballot by two voters, prompting a series of tweets by Upton that were widely circulated on social media.The particular content of the tweet Im not going to comment on, a chuckling Manfred said. I do think that engagement on social media by players and people close to players is important in todays world. I think that it brings attention to the sport at a point during the year when its our offseason and we have less going on.-The Cubs first World Series title since 1908 helped generate great ratings during the playoffs, and there is talk around the sport about how to build on the success from the postseason.Were not going to have the Cubs and 108 years every year, Manfred said. But I think there are lots of compelling baseball stories that can help us produce the kind of postseason popularity that we enjoyed this year.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Youth Tom Brady Jersey . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Antonio Brown Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. https://www.sportsstarsjerseys.com/james-conner-jersey/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Tim Duncan Jersey .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week. Michael Jordan Jersey Nike . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). TORONTO --Until a few days ago, Peter Holland played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Hardly played might be a better description. The center was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday for a conditional pick in the 2018 draft and returns to the Air Canada Centre to face his former team Thursday night.While the Maple Leafs were blowing a two-goal third-period lead on the way to a 3-2 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, Holland had two assists in his debut for the Coyotes in their 4-1 victory over the Red Wings at Detroit.Holland had one assist in eight games for the Maple Leafs this season. He played in only two games last month, Nov. 26 and Nov. 12.I havent been in a match in about a month and been practicing with just a few guys on the ice during my time in Toronto, Holland told the Arizona Republic before Tuesdays game. So its going to take me a little bit to get my timing back and feet under me. But, hopefully, it comes back quicker than I think.Peter gives us that steady center that weve needed since (Brad) Richardson got hurt, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said after the game Tuesday. He didnt look like a guy playing his first game for a team.Well, its good for him, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock told reporters Wednesday. Were playing them next so I watched (Tuesdays game). We went through it today.Holly was a good player for us, did lots of good things, it just didnt work here for him. Theres lots of players in the league, when you look at it, who are in a situation, and they go somewhere else and they get a new opportunity. You want everyone to do well, period. If its not working here, and theyre not finding a way to help themselves, or grow as a player, or to help you, its important that they move on. When they move on, youre not cheering against them at all, youre cheering that they do well, except when they play you.The Coyotes (10-14-5) play the third game of four in a row on the road Thursday. They began the trip with a 7-0 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, which followed a home win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.We did a lot of the thinngs that it takes to win hockey games, said goaltender Mike Smith, who made 37 saves Tuesday.dddddddddddd The offense took its chances and everyone made plays. We knew what happened (Monday) night and no one wanted to see that again. Were a better team than that.The Coyotes will be without Max Domi indefinitely after the left winger had hand surgery Monday. He suffered a broken bone in his hand during a fight against the Calgary Flames last Thursday.Arizona defenseman Connor Murphy suffered an upper body injury Saturday and was schedule for tests Tuesday in Arizona before rejoining the team. His status for Thursdays game was not known.The Maple Leafs (11-11-6) have only one win in their past six games and once again Tuesday showed that they have problems closing games out. They were in command before the Sharks struck with goals of 12:43 and 14:50 of the third and then lost in the shootout.Babcock talked about the necessity of keeping the pressure on the other team when on the lead. He talked about activities around each goal as an example.Ive got it written down right here, he said. In the third, we had six (activities) around their net. They had 12 around ours. Any way you look at it that means youre being a little more careful. Tight and tentative never got you anywhere in life.When you get in your car, normally what you do is you dont put one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas. The long skinny one on the right -- you just push it down and the car goes better.Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews, who had a goal and an assist against the Sharks, is from Scottsdale. Ariz. The first pick in the NHL draft this year grew up going to Coyotes games, dreaming of playing for them. This will be the first time that he has played against them.Im really looking forward to it, Matthews said Wednesday. Its fun to play your hometown team. It will be cool after watching guys like (Shane) Doan growing up. Hes still playing (at 40). That will be pretty special. ' ' '