New A's manager named

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Ken Macha was promoted from bench coach to manager of the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday to replace Art Howe.\nThe A's didn't wait long to replace Howe, who officially was hired Monday as manager of the New York Mets. After interviewing for years, the 52-year-old Macha didn't have to leave to finally become a manager.\n"I have knowledge of the players, knowledge of the system, knowledge of the front office, the whole thing," Macha said Monday night.\nMacha and general manager Billy Beane have said they would like to keep the coaching staff intact. The A's won 103 games this season, tied with the New York Yankees for the most wins in the major leagues, then lost to Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.\nInstead of landing in Milwaukee, which reportedly offered a job to Macha, or with the Cubs, Macha will take over a talented young team that beat out World Series champion Anaheim for the AL West title but lost its third straight division series.\nMacha spent four years as a manager in the Boston organization before joining the A's as a bench coach before the 1999 season. He just completed his 13th season on a major league coaching staff. That includes stints with Montreal and California. He was the Eastern League manager of the year in 1996 with Double-A Trenton, and led Triple-A Pawtucket to two winning seasons.