It seems both sides have taken a vow of silence when it comes to the future of Reds manager Jack McKeon. And that speaks volumes when you compare it with what was said at this time last year.

        “He's our manager,” general manager Jim Bowden said Thursday. “That's our only comment.”

        “I don't even want to address next year,” McKeon said.

        Last year at this time, Bowden was saying McKeon was one of the big reasons the Reds were contending and he would be back — it was just a matter of working out a deal.

        But a lot has changed in a year.

        The Reds, of course, are contending again this year. They go into today's game with the Chicago Cubs five games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. But they are widely considered a

        disappointment. They would have to finish the year 40-9 to reach last year's total of 96 victories.

        Bowden never has blamed McKeon for the team's performance. But he won't discuss his manager's future either.

        “We're five games out,” Bowden said. “We're worrying about the 2000 season. If we get the Cardinals' lead down to three games, then sweep the final series, we're in the postseason.”

        Even if the Reds want McKeon to return, it's not a given that he'll come back.

        McKeon was miffed and hurt by the way last year's contract negotiations went. He wanted a two-year contract in the $1million-a-year range. He got a one-year contract for $600,000, among the lowest in Major League Baseball. And he had to accept that after the Reds' offered it as a take-it-or-leave-it deal.

        John Allen, the team's chief operating officer, handled the McKeon negotiations last year. He said he won't enter this year's talks until Bowden makes a decision on whether to bring back McKeon.

        “That's a baseball decision,” Allen said. “It's Jim's call.”

        If Bowden does ask McKeon to come back, will he?

        “We'll wait on that one,” McKeon said. “I'm not even interested in talking about it.”

        The negotiations over last year's contract aren't the only things about which McKeon is unhappy. He is out of the loop on player decisions. He didn't even know about the Denny Neagle trade until he heard it on the radio.

        McKeon turns 70 in November.

        If McKeon does not return, the Reds have no shortage of in-house candidates. Bob Boone, a special assistant to Bowden, has managerial experience and has said he's interested in returning to the dugout.

        Bench coach Ken Griffey Sr., who earlier this year said he wasn't interested in managing the Reds, has backed off that stance. Third base coach Ron Oester also could be a candidate. Oester's hard-nosed, fiery approach is exactly what some insiders think this Reds team needs.

McKeon may be in last year Reds-Cubs Scouting Report

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