Saturday, September 23, 2000
Next Reds manager? Oester 1, Piniella 1A
The New York Daily News called Friday in search of insight. Had to tell them I was fresh out. The question was who will manage the Reds in 2001. The answer, as memory serves, was “Beats me.”
Reliable sources have dried up. Inside information is illegible. If there is consensus in the front office, it has been cloaked in confusion. If the field has been narrowed, no one in the know is inclined to put a number on it.
Jim Bowden, the gabby general manager, is mute. Privately, insiders say, he wants to bring back Lou Piniella or Davey Johnson.
John Allen, the leak-proof chief operating officer, is so tight-lipped he might be hermetically sealed. He is believed to be backing third base coach Ron Oester but remains as coy as Scarlett O'Hara with the Tarleton twins.
“Really?” Allen said Friday, batting his eyelashes, “I didn't know we were looking for a manager.”
Jack McKeon, the manager of the moment, was a lame duck before the season started. When subordinate coaches sign longer contracts than the man in charge, it is a notice not to sign any long-term leases.
Yet if McKeon's fate has been a fait accompli since spring training, the identity of his successor is at least unclear and probably undecided. There are at least two camps in the Reds' executive offices and no fewer than five legitimate candidates.
Who's in the running?
Since you asked:
• Ron Oester (3-1): Because most major-league managers are the polar opposite of their predecessors, the Reds' feisty third base coach would seem a logical replacement for the mellow McKeon. He is the Reds coach most likely to confront players and the one most likely to come to blows with his bosses.
• Lou Piniella (4-1): The manager of the Reds' 1990 world champions left town for no other reason than Marge Schott's negligence. He may leave Seattle for no other reason than he's tired of the travel from baseball's most remote outpost. Bowden prizes Piniella's opinion, Reds fans relish his theatrics, and no other manager has more experience cajoling Ken Griffey Jr.
• Davey Johnson (6-1): Destined to be dumped by the Dodgers after failing to produce with a huge payroll, Johnson remains another Bowden favorite. Like Piniella, he left the Reds for no good reason. He is a harder sell, perhaps, because of recent health problems and a reputation for short hours and office politics.
• Bob Boone (10-1): Completing his third year as one of Bowden's special assistants, the former Kansas City manager has made clear his designs on returning to the dugout. Perhaps a little too clear. A dugout conversation with Barry Larkin was perceived by some officials as overt lobbying during a difficult period for McKeon.
Don't count out ...
• Ken Griffey Sr. (20-1): Senior might have a better shot at getting the job if Junior were still in Seattle. He has earned an interview by managing in the Arizona Fall League and Puerto Rico, and he might benefit from the backing of Major League Baseball as a minority candidate. Yet some members of Reds management are wary of potential issues involving his son, the center fielder.
• The Field (50-1): Felipe Alou would be an ideal choice if the Expos are silly enough to let him leave. Bobby Valentine rates a look if he gets fired by the Mets. Reds first base coach Dave Collins is a terrific teacher. Johnny Bench may have nothing better to do.
Jack McKeon? Wasn't he the manager of the year?
E-mail: tsullivan@enquirer.com.
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SULLIVAN: Next Reds manager? Oester 1, Piniella 1A
