Nov. 2 -- AMARO TO BE NAMED GM

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, the Phillies just confirmed the worst-kept secret in baseball. As just about every newspaper has been writing this week, Ruben Amaro Jr. will be named general manager tomorrow in a 10 a.m. press conference. Amaro, 43, has been an assistant GM since 1998 under Ed Wade and Pat Gillick and was runner-up for the Astros' GM job last year that went to Wade.

Following the announcement, Amaro will leave for the GM meetings in California. Team president David Montgomery and Gillick will attend the press conference. It's believed that assistant GM Mike Arbuckle will be leaving the organization.