New Manager

Real estate veteran Tom Coard has been named manager of the Bel Air Central office of Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. Coard joins Long & Foster with more than a decade of real estate and management experience with his team, The Coard Group. He was previously affiliated with Coldwell Banker's Harford County Regional Office in Bel Air, serving home buyers and sellers throughout Maryland with an emphasis on Baltimore and Harford County. "I am thrilled that Tom is joining the Bel Air Central office as our new manager and look forward to seeing him build a lasting and rewarding affiliation with the Long & Foster family – a brand that has for more than 40 years helped buyers and sellers with all of their real estate needs.

ESPN The Magazine has unveiled its annual Ultimate Team Rankings, which measure “how much MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises give back to the fans in exchange for all the time, money and emotion the fans invest in them.” The franchises were evaluated on eight criteria, including “bang for the buck,” the stadium atmosphere, the on-field product, and past championships and the prospects of winning others in this lifetime. As you can imagine, the Ravens were ranked pretty highly on this list, which will be in the magazine when it hits newsstands on Friday . The Orioles?

If the Orioles were Rick Besore's girlfriend, he would have broken off the tortured relationship long ago. Who could still love after the collapse of 2005 or the 2-16 start of 2010 or the dashing of this year's once-robust hopes? But on Monday, Besore stood with his brother Scott on the flag court at Camden Yards, shouting for his 92-loss team to spoil the playoff chances of the Boston Red Sox. Somehow, his bond with a club that will wrap up its 14th straight losing season tonight is stronger than almost any in his life.

Residents may know by the end of the month who their new city manager will be, but officials are mum on details about the new group of candidates interviewed behind closed doors the last two months.CityAttorney Thomas Stansfield said people answering the ad this time are more qualified than last summer's first group.The city almost had a new manager last September to replace the retiring Neal W. Powell. But James White, the Montgomery County business consultant offered the job, declined for family reasons shortly after accepting.

New season. New manager. New tournaments. New look. But some things will remain the same at Fair Lanes Edgewood.You'll notice new carpets and paint and a new manager, but there'll be old faces, old tournaments and old friends to make you feel at home.And in October, Hugh McCarthy, the new manager, will get married."Things are moving rapidly," McCarthy laughed, "A new position and a new wife."McCarthy, 25, is a native of Baltimore County and lives in Owings Mills, "but I'll be moving to this area later."

It's a different direction for the Baltimore Orioles because for the first time in more than a quarter century they'll be directed by a man who wasn't schooled in their farm system as a player or manager. This is good. It offers a different dimension to the same old way of doing things. Instead, there's going to be a fresh approach.Obviously, the Orioles didn't let sportswriters make the decision of Dave Johnson, who was the pre-selection favorite and the people's choice. Recycling the "old boys school" also takes a beating.

Orioles third-base coach DeMarlo Hale, one of two coaches the team has yet to resign, has interviewed for the Toronto Blue Jays bench coach job, an industry source has confirmed. Ending a tenuous search for a manager to replace John Farrell, who left to become the Red Sox's new manager, the Blue Jays hired John Gibbons, who managed Toronto from 2004-'08. He was introduced to the media on Tuesday morning.  Orioles manager Buck Showalter had expressed concern that other teams could woo Hale, who also served as the team's infield coach, with the offer of a bench coaching job. Hale was bench coach on new Indians manager Terry Francona's staff in Boston and worked alongside Farrell, formerly the Red Sox pitching coach, under Francona.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos didn't so much choose Phil Regan to manage his club as rubber-stamp a decision made by his hand-picked selection committee.That's how Angelos, who didn't appear at yesterday's Orioles news conference announcing Regan's hiring, described his role in choosing the manager."The committee selected him. I fully endorsed their recommendation and fully support their conclusion," Angelos said yesterday from his Baltimore home."That is a very formidable group. And contrary to what others have said, I am a delegator to groups or individuals in whom I have complete faith."

The Pirates have hired Clint Hurdle as their new manager, SI.com reported Sunday. The Pirates will announce the hiring Monday. Hurdle spent 2010 as the hitting coach for the Rangers, who led the majors in batting average, were fifth in runs scored and advanced to the World Series. The Pirates fired John Russell after three last-place finishes in three years. Pittsburgh has not enjoyed a winning season since 1992 and lost 105 games last season, the most for the franchise since 1952.

Seeking another makeover during what could be the worst season in franchise history, the Orioles have hired an experienced manager with a reputation for joining moribund or fledgling clubs and turning them into winners. Buck Showalter will officially become the Orioles' 17th full-time manager at a noon news conference Monday and will take over on the field Tuesday at Camden Yards against the Los Angeles Angels, kick-starting a three-plus-year contract that will expire at the end of the 2013 season.