Ripken Incident Cited as Orioles Fire GM Too

The Baltimore Orioles got rid of their fourth manager in six years, firing Ray Miller on Thursday as part of a shake-up that also cost General Manager Frank Wren his job.

Under Miller, the team’s former pitching coach, the Orioles went 79-83 in 1998, then slumped to 78-84 this year despite a $78.5 million opening-day payroll, third-highest in baseball behind the New York Yankees and Dodgers.

After firing Miller in mid-afternoon, the Orioles dumped Wren in the evening, citing several incidents in which he rubbed Angelos’ management team the wrong way.

The Orioles said Wren ordered the team flight to Anaheim to leave on time last month after Cal Ripken called to say he would arrive late. Ripken had to make his own arrangements, which began with a flight out of Washington.

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Bill Stoneman, a former Angel pitcher and longtime front-office employee of the Montreal Expos, met with Angel President Tony Tavares on Thursday for the team’s general manager position.

He joins Bob Watson, who was interviewed earlier this week, as a prime candidate for a job that will also dictate the team’s next manager.

Omar Minaya and Jim Duquette, assistant general managers with the New York Mets, will interview in the next few days with Disney officials in New York.

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The Angels exercised options on outfielders Garret Anderson ($3.25 million) and Jim Edmonds ($4.5 million) for the 2000 season. . . . Minnesota Twin owner Carl Pohlad has agreed to sell his team to Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and Wild lead investor Robert Naegele Jr. if a new stadium is built in St. Paul. . . . The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs will play the first regular-season games outside of North America, opening next season in Tokyo. The two-game series will be in the Tokyo Dome on March 29 and 30.