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Blue Jays hire Mark Shapiro from Indians to be team president

MLB, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays

CLEVELAND -- Indians president Mark Shapiro is leaving the club after this season to run Toronto's front office.

Shapiro, who has had several prominent roles in his 24 seasons with Cleveland, will become the Blue Jays' next president and CEO. He said he's taking on a "unique opportunity" with mixed emotions.

Those emotions were on display Monday afternoon when he couldn't make it through his opening remarks before tearing up.

"I almost made it all the way through," he said, turning to Indians owner Paul Dolan.

Shapiro will replace Toronto CEO Paul Beeston, who is retiring. The AL East-leading Blue Jays, who have swung for the fences and beefed up their roster to try to make the playoffs, have been looking for a top executive for months and feel they've landed one of the best in Shapiro.

"Mark is a seasoned baseball veteran whose leadership, drive for excellence, and commitment to all aspects of the game is impressive. We have confidence that he is the right person to lead the Toronto Blue Jays into the future and build upon the franchise's legacy," Blue Jays chairman Edward Rogers said.

Meanwhile, Blue Jays officials said Monday that they'd "love" to keep general manager Alex Anthopoulos in the fold and have been in discussions about extending his contract, which expires in October.

Shapiro has been with Cleveland since 1992, when he began as an assistant in baseball operations. He spent four years as the team's minor league director and three as vice president before becoming general manager in 2001. The Indians made the playoffs twice with Shapiro calling the shots before he took over as team president in 2010.

"I really spent exactly half my life here," Shapiro said. "That's incredible. It's hard to imagine the path this has been, the journey it has been."

Shapiro said the decision to leave Cleveland is difficult, but one he is prepared to make at this point.

"I'm a lot about wanting to become better, wanting to grow, wanting to develop," Shapiro said. "To do that, you have to be challenged. This opportunity for me would be the right challenge at the right time of our lives and of my life."

Though Shapiro is moving on, Dolan said he will not look for a replacement.

"Given the person that Mark is, the significant leadership and values that he has brought to the organization and with everything he has helped us accomplish, it will be extremely difficult to see him leave," Dolan said.

"However, I hope that this new challenge brings happiness and fulfillment for Mark and his family. As we move forward, I will not be seeking an external replacement for Mark and will continue to rely on the existing strong leadership group to guide us forward.

"Mark and I are confident that moving forward through this transition, we have a very strong foundation in place to build championship level success on and off the field."

The addition of Shapiro is another shrewd move by the Blue Jays, who have risen to the top of their division through trades and signings. Toronto is trying to end a postseason drought dating to 1993.

But the Blue Jays have big plans beyond this season, and the club intends to make major renovations to Rogers Centre, their downtown Toronto home. Shapiro oversaw major restorations and upgrades at Progressive Field, which has become more fan-friendly the past few years but is still suffering from lagging attendance.

Anthopoulos, who has served as the Jays' GM since 2009, acquired MVP candidate Josh Donaldson in the offseason and traded for David Price and Troy Tulowitzki before the deadline to give Toronto a chance at its first playoff spot since 1993. Blue Jays games are breaking TV viewing records, and many Canadians are talking baseball for the first time in years.

"We'd love to extend Alex's contract. He's done a terrific job. We've been in discussions, but frankly we're all focused on playing great baseball right now and winning," Rogers Communications spokesperson Andrea Goldstein said.

Beeston believes Shapiro is just another piece to the puzzle.

"I have known Mark for many years. He is an exemplary executive and his passion for baseball and winning is remarkable," Beeston said. "I am happy to pass him the baton -- but not just yet; Alex, the team, and I have a little more work to do and we're focused on putting more W's in the win column."

The Indians, meanwhile, have won five straight games to move back into the AL wild-card picture. Coincidentally, they open a series Monday in Toronto.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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