Front Office

Curtis Martin hopes to run straight from the backfield to the front office. After retiring from the New York Jets yesterday as the No. 4 rusher in league history, the 34-year-old Martin revealed he has his sights set on becoming an NFL owner. "Ever since you have seen me as a player, I've been looking at myself as an owner," Martin said at a small, 45-minute news conference at the team's Manhattan offices, one of several stops on a whirlwind media tour. "Most people see me as a low-profile player, and I've always seen myself as a high-profile owner," he said.

Bob Myers showed up for his first game as the new general manager of the Golden State Warriors wearing the same yellow tie with diagonal blue stripes that owner Joe Lacob also had knotted around his neck. The unplanned fashion gaffe left both a bit a red-faced, at least at first. The Stefano Ricci tie was a gift by the owner purchased months earlier by his fiancee, Nicole Curran, who apparently bought one for each. "See," Myers joked, "we're already on the same page. " Golden State's new management team certainly looks the part.

Though it was no surprise, it was quite a week in Montreal, as Canadiens ownership flushed the front office Thursday by firing general manager Pierre Gauthier and much-loved Bob Gainey, previously the club's GM and more recently Gauthier's special adviser. It marks a thoroughly new start for the Habs, even if owner/CEO/president Geoff Molson has put yet another ex-Habs GM, Serge Savard, in charge as his No. 1 eyes-on-the-transition guy. Hotel CHalifornia: You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.

The Pittsburgh Pirates faced four of the NL's elite starting pitchers in their first four games of the season, yet still emerged with a split. That impressive result didn't feel particularly comforting to the Pirates after Andre Ethier set off a celebration at Dodger Stadium at their expense. Ethier hit a tiebreaking homer off Jason Grilli with two outs in the eighth inning Tuesday, sending the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 victory on Dodger Stadium's 50th anniversary. Pittsburgh opened a nine-game trip with just five hits against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers' bullpen.

Mike O'Connell got the gate yesterday, nearly a dozen years after moving into the Bruins' front office, first as assistant general manager and then as GM. Based on how the last decade-plus played out, the end could have come years ago, because franchise success was hardly the hallmark of the former defenseman's stay on Causeway Street. So, why yesterday, at 6 p.m., with another season already burned to the ground, and a roster stocked all too deep with American Hockey Leaguers?

Andy MacPhail will not return as president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles next season after running the front office of his childhood team for four-plus seasons. The team announced the move Saturday. Baltimore went 69-93 during its 14th consecutive losing season, and MacPhail's contract expires on Oct. 31. "I thank Andy for his service to the club over the last four-and-a-half seasons," Orioles owner Peter Angelos said in a statement. "Andy's knowledge and experience have helped lay the groundwork for our future success.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Ortiz, who reported to Red Sox training camp a day early today, said he spoke to teammates about their clubhouse beer drinking during games, but said it wasn't his job to be "a babysitter. " "Not because of the beer or the chicken. The problem was when they did it," Ortiz said. "They came out and apologized. That means they're not going to do it again. For that, you need to turn the page.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff ARLINGTON, Texas — The Red Sox will play a split doubleheader against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday to avoid Sunday's game being washed out by Hurricane Irene. Player representative Daniel Bard broke the news earlier today. The Red Sox then made an official announcement minutes ago. Sunday's game was moved to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The regularly scheduled game at Saturday, originally set for 1:10 p.m., will be at noon. Fans holding tickets for Saturday's regularly scheduled game may use...

Here at Fenway Park for the stakeout. John Henry and Terry Francona are inside. DeMarlo Hale is here, too. It's probably just a matter of how they word the press release at this point. When Theo Epstein last hired a manager, he went with a 44-year-old bench coach with managerial experience. That could bode well for somebody like Trey Hillman of the Dodgers. Or Tony Pena of the Yankees. Yankees third base coach Rob Thompson is highly regarded for his intelligence.

The New York Mets have exercised manager Terry Collins' contract option for 2013. General manager Sandy Alderson announced the move before the Mets played the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. The Mets are finishing up their third straight losing season, but Collins' enthusiastic managerial style has won over veterans and rookies alike. Collins signed a two-year deal after a wholesale revamping of the Mets' front office following the 2010 season. The Mets are 76-84 this year with two games remaining.

Though it was no surprise, it was quite a week in Montreal, as Canadiens ownership flushed the front office Thursday by firing general manager Pierre Gauthier and much-loved Bob Gainey, previously the club's GM and more recently Gauthier's special adviser. It marks a thoroughly new start for the Habs, even if owner/CEO/president Geoff Molson has put yet another ex-Habs GM, Serge Savard, in charge as his No. 1 eyes-on-the-transition guy. Hotel CHalifornia: You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.

Sean Payton's many motivational ploys included a life-size poster of an exit door on the locker room wall at Saints headquarters. It served as a not-so-subtle reminder that finding the way out of the organization was easy for those who failed to buy into his way. It a stunning twist, the NFL has shown Payton the door. The move has left the Saints reeling, trying to figure out how to move forward without Payton — at least for a year. New Orleans has begun picking up the pieces.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a few ways, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is Bobby Valentine, version 2.0. He is an effusive personality, a creative thinker and somebody adept at turning marginal players into valuable ones. Valentine doesn't know Maddon beyond saying hello. But he respects what Maddon has done for the Rays. "Met him a couple of times, really like him. I like what he does and how he does it," Valentine said. "I don't know the person. I think a lot of the managers I kind of like are guys who are unpredictable.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a few ways, Rays manager Joe Maddon is Bobby Valentine Version 2.0. He is an effusive personality, a creative thinker and somebody adept at turning marginal players into valuable ones. Valentine doesn't know Maddon beyond saying hello. But he respects what Maddon has done for the Rays. "Met him a couple of times, really like him. I like what he does and how he does it," Valentine said. "I don't know the person. I think a lot of the managers I kind of like are guys who are unpredictable.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - There's no question this beer/fried chicken theme is getting old. It is indeed time to move on with the Red Sox, but every so often we hear a different twist that stirs the imagination and brings up mind-boggling issues. And so we delve in again. Comments by David Ortiz yesterday stirred the pot once more. Ortiz said he spoke to the beer-drinking fried-chicken-eaters at one point last season about knocking it off, but he backed off, he said, because he's not the manager, the general manager, or the owner.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - There's no question this beer/fried chicken theme is getting old. It is indeed time to move on with the Red Sox, but every so often we hear a different twist that stirs the imagination and brings up mind-boggling issues. And so we delve in again. Comments by David Ortiz yesterday stirred the pot once more. Ortiz said he spoke to the beer-drinking fried-chicken-eaters at one point last season about knocking it off, but he backed off, he said, because he's not the manager, the general manager, or the owner.

PALM CITY, Fla. - John McHale, who played on the Detroit Tigers team that won the 1945 World Series and became a longtime baseball executive, died yesterday in a hospice near his home in Palm City. He was 86. A first baseman who played 64 games for the Tigers from 1943 to 1948, Mr. McHale made more of an impact in the front office. He was president of the Montreal Expos when they debuted as an expansion team in 1969 and later served as their general manager. Mr. McHale also was the GM for the Tigers and Braves, and worked in the commissioner's office.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - There's no question this beer/fried chicken theme is getting old. It is indeed time to move on with the Red Sox, but every so often we hear a different twist that stirs the imagination and brings up mind-boggling issues. And so we delve in again. Comments by David Ortiz yesterday stirred the pot once more. Ortiz said he spoke to the beer-drinking fried-chicken-eaters at one point last season about knocking it off, but he backed off, he said, because he's not the manager, the general manager, or the owner.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Ortiz, who reported to Red Sox training camp a day early today, said he spoke to teammates about their clubhouse beer drinking during games, but said it wasn't his job to be "a babysitter. " "Not because of the beer or the chicken. The problem was when they did it," Ortiz said. "They came out and apologized. That means they're not going to do it again. For that, you need to turn the page.

Tony La Russa is back at spring training, visiting with the Detroit Tigers. La Russa, who retired after managing the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series title last year, says he's interested in learning more about the inner workings of a front office. He's known Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski for over three decades, so he's spending some time with the Tigers. La Russa and Detroit manager Jim Leyland are also close. The two took the field together at the start of Tuesday's workout.