PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have extended the contracts of manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers. Gary Cahill Jersey . Contracts for both had been set to expire after the coming season. The team would not divulge the lengths of the contracts or even whether the lengths were the same for both. Team President Derrick Hall said after Mondays announcement that Gibson and Towers asked that the length of the deals be kept secret. "I dont understand why the contracts of people in management are public knowledge," Towers said. "Its between myself, Derrick, (managing general partner) Ken (Kendrick) and Gibby." Last October, the team declined to exercise options to extend both contracts, but Hall said he has felt all along that the Diamondbacks shouldnt go into the season with the two facing the last year of their deals. "Theres constant distraction and a labeling of whos on the hot seat," Hall said, "Are they feeling the pressure?" Besides, Hall said, "These are guys I have a lot of confidence in." In fact, Hall said he probably would have preferred to have the extensions in place sooner. He said that when the contracts werent extended last fall, it was with the understanding that there would be talks on a new deal for both. Gibson and Towers have had three full seasons together, and their most successful was their first. The Diamondbacks won 94 games in 2012 and took the NL West title before falling to Milwaukee in five games in the divisional playoffs. Arizona has gone 81-81 each of the past two seasons. "Im certainly very excited," Towers said, "as is Gibby. This is a place where we hope we get to spend the rest of our careers at." Gibson, a standout football player at Michigan State, played 17 seasons in the majors, 12 with the Detroit Tigers. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, earning the NL most valuable player award. In the playoffs that season, he hit one of the most memorable home runs in World Series history. Playing virtually on one leg because of a severe knee injury, Gibson hit a game-winning, two-run home run off Oaklands Dennis Eckersley in Game 1, limping around the bases and pumping his fist in triumph. The Dodgers went on to win the series. Gibson was hired as Arizonas bench coach in 2007 and was named interim manager when A.J. Hinch was fired on July 1, 2010. Towers, former GM of the San Diego Padres, came on board as general manager in September of that year, and one of his first decisions was whether to keep Gibson as manager. He did and the team went on to have that highly successful 2010 season. But the Diamondbacks stumbled the next two seasons in the vastly improved NL West, with pitching-rich San Francisco winning in 2012 and the just-plain-rich Dodgers taking it in 2013. Towers said he wants to develop "a ball club that not only has a chance to win the NL West but hopefully go deep into the post-season." "I dont take these things lightly," he said. "There are only 30 of these jobs." He said that the jobs "arent easy" and require the confidence of the clubs top executives and ownership. Towers said that going into the final year of a contract probably would have been more of a distraction for Gibson, given the high public profile of the managers job and his duties directing a teams day-to-day operation. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training at the Diamondbacks Scottsdale facility on Thursday. They are the first team to begin spring training because of Arizonas early season-opening two-game series against the Dodgers in Australia. Towers has said the team wants to acquire a No. 1 starter, but added on Monday "theres not too many of those guys out there." "The markets not the same as it was two months ago," he said. Filipe Luis Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Jamal Blackman Jersey . The Desert Foxes took part in the 2010 World Cup and failed to advance past the group stage, and the African side figures to have a tough time reaching the last 16 this time around as well. Belgiums last appearance on the big stage was the 2002 tournament when the team reached the second round before bowing out to eventual champions Brazil.OTTAWA - Eugene Melnyk is already predicting a return to the playoffs for the Ottawa Senators this season. The NHL teams owner said he sees no reason why this years lineup wouldnt have the capability to be one of the more competitive teams in the Eastern Conference. "I think you can pretty well predict what were going to have on the ice," Melnyk said Tuesday. "If everybody just plays to their potential I think its a great team and is going to be very competitive and will be a playoff team, but they just need to play to the level that we know that they can play." The Senators missed the playoffs last season and finished 11th in the Eastern Conference, but Melnyk is confident the Senators will finish in the top eight this year. "I think we have the potential to be in the playoffs and be competitive throughout the whole year," he said. "Once the playoffs start anything can happen. Thats the first step, lets get into the playoffs and let it run from there." There will be some significant changes to the Senators this year after the trade of Jason Spezza and the addition of David Legwand, Alex Chiasson and prospects Nicholas Paul and Alexander Guptill. Curtis Lazar, 19, will also be pushing to make the roster. "I think were going to be very, very competitive," said Melnyk. "Last year was not the kind of year we want to have this coming season. Eveeryone knows their roles and Im just hoping we stay away from injuries and were all set to go. Gary Cahill Chelsea Jersey. " Melnyk feels the Senators have a better schedule this season, adding he senses a renewed energy from players who are eager to put last season behind them. Ottawa dealt Spezza to the Dallas Stars last month. He was drafted by the Senators with the second overall pick in 2001 and had spent his career in the nations capital. The team has yet to name a new captain. Melnyk said he understood and accepted Spezzas request to be traded. "I spoke to him as far back as five years ago and he was already starting to talk about potentially moving and this time around he was looking for a change and I totally understand what he wanted to do," he said. Melnyk was in town to announce that the Senators and the Senators Foundation have surpassed the $100-million mark in community contributions and initiatives. "Were at the top, weve won the Stanley Cup in that area," he said of the teams charitable efforts. "I know what everybody else does, we talk about it, and they come here to see what weve done to get a sense of it. Theyre just in awe of the organization and how well we are organized. Its a machine." Melnyk capped off the afternoon with another charitable contribution as he and Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '