Who will be the be Red Sox manager????

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2011/09/as_francona_dep.html

As Francona departs, who is next?
Posted by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff *September 30, 2011 11:22 AM

Here at Fenway Park for the stakeout.

John Henry and Terry Francona are inside. DeMarlo Hale is here, too.

It's probably just a matter of how they word the press release at this point.

When Theo Epstein last hired a manager, he went with a 44-year-old bench coach with managerial experience.

That could bode well for somebody like Trey Hillman of the Dodgers. Or Tony Pena of the Yankees. Yankees third base coach Rob Thompson is highly regarded for his intelligence. Dave Martinez (Rays) and Pete Mackanin (Phillies) fit that mold, too.

Joe Torre is not likely to leave a cushy job with MLB. Lou Piniella? Bobby Valentine? They might be interested, but would they subject themselves to being dictated to from the front office?

But one way or another, the Red Sox will have a new manager. That process is underway.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/223907/20111003/terry-francona-fired-red-sox-manager-candidates.htm
Monday, October 3, 2011 10:37 AM EDT
Terry Francona Fired: Who Might Replace Him in Boston?

By John Talty

The Red Sox officially dumped manager Terry "Tito" Francona last week after eight seasons at the helm due to the team's disastrous collapse that left the Red Sox out of this year's playoffs.
Francona guided the team to two World Series titles in his team in Boston -- the team's first in 96 years -- but the worst regular season collapse in baseball history led to the team refusing to pick up his two-year option.
With Francona out of the picture, the Red Sox now must find a worthy replacement. Here are a few possible candidates to replace Francona in Boston.
Bruce Bochy, Manager, San Francisco Giants
Bochy is another name Olney floated as a possible good fit for the Red Sox. Olney reported that Bochy, who guided the Giants to a World Series title in 2010, doesn't have a long-term contract with San Francisco and would be a perfect fit in Boston. Bochy's entire managerial career has been out West with the Giants and San Diego Padres so it's unknown whether he'd be willing to move East for the Red Sox, but Bochy would be a big name hire that could do wonders to motivate the Red Sox fan base.
Bobby Valentine, ESPN commentator
Valentine's name frequently comes up in manager search stories, but this one actually makes sense. Francona, a player's manager, lost the clubhouse at the end of the season -- especially given the story on pitchers drinking beers on their off-days -- which could lead Epstein to turn to more of a disciplinarian like Valentine. Valentine has turned down interest from a bunch of ball clubs over the years, but this one could finally get him out of his comfy seat as an ESPN commentator.
Dave Martinez, Bench Coach, Tampa Bay Rays
Martinez, Joe Maddon's trusted deputy in Tampa, has emerged as a hot manager candidate this October. Some have speculated that Martinez might be the early frontrunner for the Chicago White Sox managerial job. Martinez would likely be a great choice for the Red Sox, but he's a former White Sox and his son currently is a freshman at Northwestern University -- meaning a return to Chicago could be preferred. One factor to keep an eye on with Martinez is how long the Rays stay in the playoffs and whether Epstein decides to jump ship to the Chicago Cubs general manager job, as some have speculated.
DeMarlo Hale, Bench Coach, Boston Red Sox
Hale would be a logical choice for the Red Sox as he understands the team's culture, but might not be the sexy hire that the Red Sox Nation craves. The lack of star power plus the fact that Hale was a part of such a devastating collapse by the Red Sox in the month of September could doom his chances. Hale could ultimately be a backup candidate if Theo Epstein is unable to get someone off the top of his wish list.
Joe Torre, VP of Baseball Operations for MLB
Torre's name has begun floating around as a possible candidate for the Red Sox opening. Torre, the former Yankees and Dodgers manager, could be a good fit at dealing with the intense pressure and expectations that come with being the Red Sox manager, but does the 71-year old really want to deal with that again? Torre didn't fare quite as well in Los Angeles as he did in New York, but still could whip the Red Sox into shape. Plus, what better way to anger Yankee fans than hire one of the team's most beloved former managers?
Pete Mackanin, Bench Coach, Philadelphia Phillies
ESPN's Buster Olney reported over the weekend that Mackanin could be a good fit for the Red Sox and it certainly makes sense. Mackanin, 60, has done a good job with as Charlie Manuel's lieutenant in Philadelphia and deserves a chance to manage a big-time club. Similar to Hale, Mackanin doesn't quite have the sexy name appeal of some other potential candidates, but neither did Francona when Epstein hired him. Mackanin is probably an under the radar candidate, but could be a factor in some of the job openings this off-season.
Trey Hillman, Bench Coach, Los Angeles Dodgers
The former Royals manager is bound to get another opportunity to manage a squad and could be the right fit for Boston. Hillman wasn't given many resources in Kansas City and was ultimately fired in 2010, but managed to guide the team to a respectable 75-87 record in 2008. Hillman, 48, is known as one of the bright guys in baseball and could provide a nice change of pace in Boston from the old Francona regime. If Boston doesn't snatch Hillman up, someone will in the next year or two.

http://www.nesn.com/2011/10/aj-hinc...ed-sox-manager-according-to-bodog-odds-1.html

A.J. Hinch the Favorite to Become Red Sox Manager, According to Bodog Odds
by Ricky Doyle on Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 10:34PM * *
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The Red Sox' new manager might not be named for awhile, as general manager Theo Epstein's future still hangs in the balance. But when the team does name its new skipper, Bodog.net thinks A.J. Hinch has the best shot to land the gig.
According to odds posted on Bodog.net, Hinch leads the field with a 5-to-2 chance of becoming the Red Sox' new manager.
Hinch is currently the vice president of professional scouting for the San Diego Padres. A former major league catcher, Hinch managed the Arizona Diamondbacks from May 2009 to July 2010. He was then fired after the D-Backs started off their 2010 campaign with a 31-48 mark. Overall, his managerial record stands at 89-123.
Hinch played seven seasons in the majors between Oakland, Kansas City, Detroit and Philadelphia.
There does exist some connection between Hinch and the Red Sox organization. He and formed Red Sox assistant general manager Josh Byrnes worked closely together in Arizona, when Byrnes was the D-Backs GM during Hinch's managerial tenure. Byrnes is also now a member of the Padres organization, serving as the vice president of baseball operations.
Bobby Valentine (3-to-1), Joe Torre (4-to-1), Pete Mackanin (5-to-1) and Dave Martinez (11-to-2) round out Bodog's top-five likeliest candidates for the Red Sox' manager vacancy. Ryne Sandberg is listed at 6-to-1 and Alan Trammell is at 15-to-2.

Joe Torre is 800 years old. I doubt he's really in consideration

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21156156/jim-duquette-valentine-good-fit-sox

Duquette tweeted Thursday that the Sox' search "is a disaster," and that "Bobby [Valentine] is a guy that HAS to be interviewed!" Duquette explained to Mut & Merloni that the Sox don't have enough candidates with major league managing experience.

"When you look at Ben [Cherington], and he has so many good qualities, but he doesn't have the experience," Duquette said. "That combination of GM and manager really should be, you have an inexperienced GM, I think you need an experienced manager. So, when you start to look at some of the candidates that were coming in, there's not a lot of experience in a number of those candidates."

I hear Wilheim ............its the real reason he left .....

Trey Hillman, you are the next manager of the BoSox