Seattle GM Gillick will return in 2003

Seattle Pat Gillick wasn’t trying to keep secrets. He just wanted to wait until after the season to decide whether to return as Seattle’s executive vice president and general manager.

The 65-year-old Gillick said Wednesday he will be back, ending speculation that he planned to retire or move to another team.

“People kept inquiring about that during the season,” Gillick said. “But during the season, my focus is always on the season. It wasn’t until now that I was able to take a chance to focus on this.

“At my age, I kind of take it one day at a time.”

The Mariners took a step backward this season, finishing third in the AL West to miss the playoffs after making it to the AL championship series the past two seasons and tying the major league record with 116 victories in 2001.

There was conjecture that Gillick and manager Lou Piniella were upset with the team’s ownership for not expanding a budget of $90 million at the trading deadline in order to deal for a veteran hitter or starting pitcher.

Angels fans line up for World Series tickets

Anaheim, Calif. Thousands of Anaheim Angels fans scrambled to buy World Series tickets at the ballpark Wednesday, with up to 20,000 fans charging the gates and police in riot gear wading through the crowd around Edison Field.

Fans drove from as far away as Las Vegas and San Francisco for a chance to get a wristband just to participate in the ticket lottery, which limited them to a maximum of four tickets per home game.

The unofficial crowd estimate was between 15,000 and 20,000, Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez said.

Tickets were also sold online.

Red Sox claim Lyon

Boston The Boston Red Sox claimed pitcher Brandon Lyon off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. The 23-year-old right-hander is 6-8 in 26 career appearance for the Blue Jays, including 21 starts.

Indians Gutierrez has neck surgery

Cleveland Cleveland Indians second baseman Ricky Gutierrez underwent successful neck surgery that doctors hope will allow him to play again.

Gutierrez, who signed with the Indians as a free agent in December, played with a sore neck most of last season.

Despite getting hurt in the first week of the season while diving for a grounder, he didn’t reveal to the Indians what doctors later diagnosed as a career-threatening injury until August. He spent the final 11â2 months on the disabled list.

Carpenter, Sirotka to test free agency

Toronto Blue Jays pitchers Chris Carpenter and Mike Sirotka declined outright assignments to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday and instead will test the free-agent market.

Carpenter, a 27-year-old right-hander, was 4-5 with a 5.28 ERA in 13 starts last season before having surgery on his right shoulder Sept. 4. In six seasons with the Blue Jays, the 1993 first-round pick went 49-50.

Sirotka, a 31-year-old left-hander, never pitched for Toronto after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in January 2001 in the David Wells trade. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on April 24, 2001.

ALCS ratings up

New York The television rating for Game 1 of the AL championship series between Minnesota and Anaheim was up considerably from last year despite the absence of the New York Yankees. Fox got a 7.3 rating for the Twins’ 2-1 victory against the Angels on Tuesday night, 30 percent higher than Game 1 of last year’s ALCS between Seattle and the Yankees.

Feliciano inks with Mets

New York Left-hander Pedro Feliciano and the New York Mets agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract that will pay him at a rate of $315,000 when he’s in the major leagues and $90,000 when he’s in the minors. Feliciano, acquired from Cincinnati on Aug. 15 in a five-player trade, was 0-0 with 7.50 ERA in six games, pitching six innings.