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PHOENIX -- Former Arizona third base coach Chip Hale was hired Monday to replace Kirk Gibson as the Diamondbacks manager. The 49-year-old managed in Arizona's minor league system for six seasons and was with the Diamondbacks from 2007-09 in the first of eight consecutive seasons as a big league third base coach. He spent 2010-11 with the New York Mets and the last three seasons with Oakland under manager Bob Melvin. Arizona hired Tony La Russa as chief baseball officer in May, and the retired Hall of Fame manager is overhauling the team's front office. General manager Kevin Towers was fired in September and replaced by former 20-game winner Dave Stewart. De Jon Watson was hired from the Los Angeles Dodgers as senior vice president/baseball operations. Gibson was fired with three games left in a season in which the Diamondbacks finished a big league-worst 64-98. Hale emerged from an initial list of nine candidates. He spent parts of seven seasons with Minnesota and the Dodgers during a 12-year playing career. He also played at the University of Arizona and still lives in Tucson.
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