Earlier today, the Reds fired manager Dusty Baker, who had one year and roughly $3.5MM remaining on his contract. Reports indicated that Baker was fired after telling GM Walt Jocketty to fire him instead of hitting coach Brook Jacoby, whom Baker didn't feel was to blame for the team's struggles. Reds owner Bob Castellini denied that report when asked by John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Here's more on the Baker, the Reds and other managerial rumblings from around the league…
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that Tony La Russa has no interest in returning to a managerial role, and adds that the Reds will likely stay in-house to replace Baker. He lists Jim Riggleman as one internal candidate.
- Indeed, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch backs Nightengale's assessment of La Russa. Hummel spoke with La Russa following Baker's dismissal and was told, "I'm not managing again." La Russa then joked, "Walt [Jocketty] has had more than enough of me."
- Fay tweets that pitching coach Bryan Price is the leading in-house candidate to replace Baker, though Riggleman is also a candidate. He implies that it isn't a given that Cincinnati will stay in-house, though.
- Baker was fired because his players stopped playing hard for him, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It became clear to management that Baker wasn't the man to take them to the next level, says Rosenthal.
- Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated looks at Baker's 0-for-7 run in the postseason, calling him the Gene Mauch of our generation and wondering if Baker will get another chance. Verducci speculates that Baker could be a fit with the Mariners and adds that Baker loves that area of the country.
- The Nationals have asked the Yankees for permission to interview Joe Girardi, according to David Kaplan of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Kaplan speculates that the Reds may also want to interview Girardi.
