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Beeston will remain Blue Jays president through 2015 season

TORONTO (AP) The Blue Jays say Paul Beeston will remain as team president through the end of this season.

Rogers Communications, which owns the team, announced Monday that Beeston signed a contract extension with the club and plans to retire at the end of the season.

Beeston's contract expired in October. Toronto had made overtures to Baltimore's Dan Duquette and Kenny Williams of the Chicago White Sox.

Toronto chairman Edward Rogers said the team had been in discussions about Beeston's future since his contract ended.

''There were many rumors flying about, but it would have been inappropriate to comment on such matters publicly,'' Rogers said. ''Make no mistake - we are elated to have Paul continue to lead the team for this season.''

The announcement said the successor to the 69-year-old will start when Beeston retires.

''We will not be commenting on the succession process or timing,'' Rogers said.

The first employee hired by the Blue Jays in May 1976, Beeston became vice president of business operations in 1977, executive vice president of business in 1984 and president and chief operating officer in 1989. He was promoted to chief executive officer in 1991 and held that position until 1997, when he quit to become the COO of Major League Baseball, a role he held until 2002.

He returned to the Blue Jays in October 2008 as interim CEO, and Toronto took off the interim tag a year later.

Toronto has not made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 1992 and `93 and is the only Major League Baseball team this century not reach the postseason.

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