Joe Girardi won’t be named AL Manager of the Year for his efforts in the regular season — that honor will go to Buck Showalter or Bob Melvin — but he made the most memorable substitution of the year last night when he replaced Alex Rodriguez, one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, with Raul Ibanez. As you know by now, Ibanez homered and then homered again as the Yankees took the lead over Showalter’s Orioles in the Division Series. Now for today’s managerial notes…
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told reporters (including John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that he expects manager Dusty Baker and the coaching staff to return in 2013. Baker has completed his last year under contract with the Reds and said he's “not sure where my career is going here in Cincinnati. We’re going to talk about that in the next couple of days. But I’m not through managing. I have more to do.”
- The Red Sox are prioritizing Major League managing, coaching or playing experience in their search for a new skipper, which is why Triple-A Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler is not being considered, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. The Sox have yet to contact Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo or White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing (who was considered for Boston's managerial job last year).
- The Red Sox will interview Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus for their managerial job early next week, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Ausmus, the former MLB catcher, isn’t the only NL West-based candidate who has caught the attention of Red Sox personnel. The Red Sox are also expected to interview Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach for the position.
- The Rockies announced that they will interview Tom Runnells for their managerial opening, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. Rockies executives will interview the 57-year-old bench coach today. Runnells, the former manager of the Montreal Expos, is up against Stu Cole, the manager of the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post