Rays manager search begins with novices

© St. Petersburg Times
published October 9, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS -- The first four official candidates for the Rays managerial job have one major thing in common: none has managed in the majors.

General manager Chuck LaMar will start the process by interviewing Rays bench coach Billy Hatcher today, followed by Rays third-base coach Tom Foley on Thursday, Yankees first-base coach Lee Mazzilli on Friday and Yankees third-base coach Willie Randolph on Monday.

The Rays also received permission to speak with Oakland bench coach Ken Macha but have not arranged an interview, and they asked the Red Sox for permission to speak with Mike Stanley but were told it was not necessary because Stanley had resigned his job as bench coach. Stanley, who is said to have resigned to spend more time with his family, was not available for comment.

Though LaMar said he plans to interview "several" candidates who have managed in the majors -- Buck Showalter is likely to be one, former Indians manager Charlie Manuel could be another -- but wanted to start with the ones who have not.

"It would be very easy for this organization to lean the safe way and hire someone with experience," LaMar said. "We wanted to give the qualified candidates who have not had the experience to manage in the major leagues every opportunity. That's why we're bringing those guys in first."

LaMar plans to interview 5-10 candidates. He may exceed that over the next several weeks.

One potential candidate who may not interview is San Diego first-base coach Alan Trammell, the former Tigers star. Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he was relatively sure Trammell would not be interested and told LaMar that in a recent conversation. "I think the only place he would consider managing is Detroit (where he interviewed). I doubt that he'd go anywhere else."

Hatcher, 42, joined the Rays organization in December 1995 and is the only person to be on the major-league staff for all five seasons.

"I was very excited when Chuck told me they wanted to interview me, and just that in itself is an honor," Hatcher said. "I knew eventually I wanted to have an opportunity to manage. Whether I would or wouldn't, I knew I wanted to. Being (former manager Hal McRae's) bench coach for almost two years, he taught me so much that in a way it made me comfortable that I wanted to have the opportunity to manage."

Foley, 43, also has been with the Rays since 1995, serving in a variety of player development roles before joining the major-league coaching staff for the 2002 season. He managed in the Arizona Fall League after the 2001 season and said that during his playing career he always hoped for the opportunity to manage at the big-league level.

"It's something I always felt like I wanted to do," Foley said. "I spent a lot of time on the bench, so you become something of an expert following the manager as the game develops."

Randolph, 48, was part of five World Series teams during an 18-year playing career, mostly with the Yankees, and five more since joining the Yankees coaching staff after the 1993 season.

He has interviewed for a half-dozen managing jobs in the past few seasons and reportedly turned down the Cincinnati job because of financial terms.

Mazzilli, 47, played 14 seasons in the majors, mostly with the Mets and Pirates. He managed three seasons in the Yankees minor-league system, including 1997 and 1998 at Class A Tampa, and joined the big-league coaching staff in 2000.

The Rays have competition for some candidates. Randolph interviewed with the Tigers and Mets and is expected to do so with the Brewers. The A's have granted the Cubs, Mets, Brewers and Tigers permission to talk with Macha, who is driving home to Pittsburgh. Showalter has talked to the Mets and the Cubs. Mazzilli also may talk to the Mets. Another potential candidate, Detroit Triple-A manager Bruce Fields, has interviewed with the Tigers.

"I think the organization has put together a very good list of candidates," LaMar said.

Also, infielder Russ Johnson accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Durham, allowing him to receive his $775,000 salary. Pitcher Kevin McGlinchy, who spent the year on the disabled list, refused an assignment and is a free agent.