Rogers rang Reinsdorf not Jays, Beeston stays

 * Paul Beeston will stay -- even though Edward Rogers phoned the Chicago White Sox asking Kenny Williams if he wanted to be the next president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays. .... 2014 Canadians in the Minors … Canadians in College 2015 Canadian draft list …. Canadians in College 2016 Canadian draft list  Letters of Intent

By Bob Elliott

SAN DIEGO _ The most successful Toronto sports executive since Punch Imlach will run the Blue Jays next season.

The most successful Toronto sports executive since Imlach will also take part in the search for his eventual successor.

When the cigar smoke finally cleared from a turbulent 72 hours -- who called whom? who didn’t call? is he out? is he in? was permission granted or denied? and all those other questions -- normalcy

President Paul Beeston, who was the boss when the Blue Jays won the 1992-93 World Series, will be in charge throughout the end of 2015 season.

Both Kenny Williams, Chicago White Sox executive vice president, and Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette as candidates as the Jays actively sought Beeston’s replacement, according to original ESPN story on Sunday.

Williams said Monday that he had been contacted by someone from Rogers Communications.

The name of the Rogers employee who got the presidential ball rolling down hill and into the public relations gutter remains unknown.

However, Edward Rogers, son of the late Ted Rogers, did call White Sox president Jerry Reinsdorf to ask about hiring Williams during the World Series. He called Williams too. Reinsdorf said he was not granting permission for Williams to interview.

“What I actually said is that I’d consider granting permission once we put our team together and once I get a request from the Toronto Blue Jays,” said Reinsdorf on Tuesday outside the Manchester Grand Hyatt at baseball’s winter meetings.

“I’m not responding to a request from Edward Rogers a beneficiary. You have to follow baseball procedure: request for permission to interview someone has to be put in writing.”

Under new Rogers boss Guy Laurence, both Edward Rogers and his sister Melinda have been removed from the day-to-day operations of Rogers Communications even though they are major share holders in the company.

Beeston who has been in baseball since 1976 has plenty of lobby support from former Jays GM Pat Gillick, to agents, to worried employees.

“I signed with the Boston Red Sox at age 19 and now I’m 66,” said former agent Dennis Gilbert. “I’ve been in the game all those years and I can say that Paul Beeston is one of the finest persons I’ve ever met in baseball.”

Right about now Reinsdorf’s White Sox team looks to be put together. They obtained right-hander Jeff Samardzija from the Oakland A’s for infielder Marcus Semien, right-hander Chris Bassitt, catcher Josh Phegley and first baseman Rangel Ravelo on Tuesday night and then gave New York Yankees free-agent closer David Robertston a four-year $46 million US deal.

Rogers Communications had 28,000 employees working at TV and radio stations, more than 50 magazines, Canada’s largest cable TV service provider, digital cable service, broadband Internet, telecom, wireless, home monitoring and other branches.

We know that neither free agents Colby Rasmus nor Melky Cabrera were not the first Rogers employee to get the ball rolling ... both being ex-employees.

A Rogers employee has submitted an innocent plea writing saying that he can document his phone conversations to Beeston and has explained the reason for his call: to discuss the future of a local sandlot.

His name will be with held to avoid any discipline ... for having a sense of humor.

In discussing his time with the 1990-91 Blue Jays Williams explained how Beeston and Gillick sent him a note “thanking me for my effort and wishing me well,” after he was claimed by the Montreal Expos. Williams called it one of the “classiest gestures I’ve ever seen in my years in the game.”

Classy has not been a word used this week in reference to the conduct by Rogers towards a loyal employee, the first employee who was there before the team had its own logo.

We’re not sure how this will all play out during the next 14 months?

The Rogers big shooters are deep in their bunkers.

Beeston, who has not been to a winter meetings since 1993, and was at his office Tuesday was only saying “I’ve got nothing to say.”

Will this play out peacefully?

Will it be messy?

Or will it be similar to after Texicans had been overwhelmed in San Antonio and Gen. Sam Houston said to his men at the battle of San Jacinto

“Remember The Alamo.”