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SPORTS Friday 6 OctOber 2023
Billy Eppler quits as Mets general manager, three days after David

Stearns was hired above him

By Ronald Blum York Yankees. He was di-
Associated Press rector of professional
NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Ep- scouting from 2006-11 and
pler quit as New York Mets an assistant GM under Brian
general manager Thurs- Cashman from 2012-14.
day, three days after David Eppler became GM of the
Stearns was hired above Los Angeles Angels from
him as the team’s first presi- 2015-20, then was fired af-
dent of baseball opera- ter five losing seasons. The
tions. Mets gave him a four-year
Eppler’s decision continues contract in November 2021
an overhaul that followed to become their fifth head
a fourth-place NL East finish of baseball operations in
for a team with World Series 13 months. He signed ace
expectations. Owner Steve Max Scherzer and outfield-
Cohen fired manager Buck er Starling Marte among his
Showalter on Sunday, say- first moves, and the Mets
ing Stearns deserved to went 101-61 in 2022. While
bring in his own manager. they led the NL East for all
“I wanted David to have a but six days, they fell from
clean slate and that meant first at the season’s end
me stepping down,” Ep- and lost to San Diego in the
pler said in a statement re- New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler speaks to reporters during a news conference at Citi NL Wild Card Series.
leased by the team. Field, Jan. 31, 2023, in New York. Eppler quit as the Mets general manager on Thursday, Oct. 5, New York boosted payroll
Cohen had long talked days after David Stearns was hired above him as the team’s first president of baseball operations. to a major league record
about hiring a president of (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) $355 million at the start of
baseball operations above the 2023 season, adding
Eppler and had said base- news conference at Citi one’s best interest to fully The 48-year-Eppler worked pitchers Justin Verlander,
ball operations leadership Field to introduce Stearns, hand over the leadership in scouting and player de- Kodai Senga and José
had become too large who had discussed working of baseball operations to velopment for the Colo- Quintana, but faded by
a job for one person. Ep- in tandem with Eppler. David Stearns,” Cohen said rado Rockies from 2000-04, midsummer, traded veter-
pler attended the Monday “He decided it is in every- in a statement. then joined the the New ans and finished 75-87.q

Uihlein, Soderberg and Arnaus share lead at Dunhill Links

Championship as Ryder Cup winners return

Associated Press Rumayyan during the British partners that help us make is not feasible for the R&A or rope to an emotional and
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) Open this summer. Slum- this thing happen. I think the golf to just ignore what is a thorough victory over the
— Peter Uihlein was in the bers was asked during The world has changed in the societal change on a glob- United States in the Ryder
company of some of golf’s Open if he would entertain last year. It’s not just golf. al basis. We will be consid- Cup outside Rome.
top newsmakers on Thurs- PIF money for events run by You’re seeing it in football. ering within all the param- History came from Da-
day, and made some news the R&A. “If I’m very open, You’re seeing it in F1. You’re eters that we look at all the vid Howell, who made his
of his own with an 8-under we are and do and contin- seeing it in cricket. I’m sure options that we have.” 722nd appearance on the
64 giving him a share of ue to do, talk to various po- tennis won’t be that far be- Uihlein shared the lead with European tour to break the
the lead in the Dunhill Links tential sponsors,” Slumbers hind. “The world of sport Sebastian Soderberg and record of Miguel Angel Ji-
Championship. said in July. “We have a has changed dramatically Adri Arnaus at the pro-am menez.
Uihlein, one of four LIV Golf number of large corporate in the last 12 months, and it that takes place at St. An- Six of the best nine scores
players in the European drews, Kingsbarns and Car- in the first round came at
tour event, played with noustie. The final round is on St. Andrews, including the
amateur partner Yasir Al- the Old Course. rounds of Uihlein and So-
Rumayyan, the governor LIV Golf players in the field, derberg that featured fast
of Saudi Arabia’s nation- including Louis Oosthuizen starts in good conditions.
al wealth fund (PIF) that and Talor Gooch, were Soderberg birdied seven
backs LIV Golf. either not European tour of his first eight holes to go
Al-Rumayyan is now is ne- members or had resigned out in 29, while all eight of
gotiations with the PGA their membership before the birdies by Uihlein who
Tour and European tour to playing in a LIV Golf event. plays on the LIV Golf circuit
create a separate compa- They are sponsor invitations were in the first 14 holes of
ny that would combine the and faced no sanctions the American’s bogey-free
tour’s commercial interests. from the tour. round.
Also playing in their group Of greater notoriety were Arnaus played at Car-
on the Old Course at St. An- Matt Fitzpatrick (67), Tom- noustie, where he birdied
drews was R&A CEO Martin Robert MacIntyre on the 18th hole during day one of the 2023 my Fleetwood (69) and five straight holes from No.
Slumbers, whose pro part- Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, Thursday Oct. Robert MacIntyre (70), all of 17 after starting at the 10th,
ner was Jordan Smith. 5, 2023. them at Carnoustie just four and also eagled the par-5
Slumbers was seen with Al- (Steve Welsh/PA via AP) days after they helped Eu- 14th hole. q