Hey, look! It's the top of the fourth and the Reds are up 0-5. The offense is supporting Bronson Arroyo (who's also supporting himself with a solo shot) and the Giants just keep failing to steal off David Ross. There's a real danger of the Reds winning a series.

Dude, when was the last time that happened? I'm going to have to go look it up.

Either way, lovely summer evening.

Breaking News:

Bucky Dent has been dismissed as the Reds' bench coach.

He's been replaced by Pat Kelly, a 51-year old veteran of the Reds' organization, who managed Double-A Chattanooga in 1993-94, and has managed a total of 12 pro teams since 1986. Kelly was most recently a scout for the Braves. As a player, he was very briefly a catcher for the Blue Jays, and also played minor league ball with the Angels, Braves and White Sox organizations.

Also, roving outfield instructor Ed Napoleon has resigned.

Napoleon was a close friend of Jerry Narron and according to the Reds' official site, declined an offer to remain in the organization.

It’s only been two days since our last podcast: how will we ever find things to talk about tonight??

We haven’t been able to read and post as much about the team as we’d like today thanks to a day-long trip to the ER with our Crack Technical Son, who was giving us the appendix scare, but we’re trying to make up for it tonight with a podcast. Before we even get into the juicy story, we chat about:

• The aforementioned trip to the hospital
• The highlights of the Cincinnati trip with The Scratchers
• The pros and cons of developing a taste for beer
• Ken Griffey, Jr. being the Reds’ only representative to the All-Star game
• The continuing development of Homer Bailey

Under the subhead of Jerry Narron: Once and Future Manager are several more topics for our chattering:

• The value of firing him now, even though it’s clearly too late for 2007
• Differences between Narron and Dave Miley
• Brandon Phillip’s quote and reaction
• Hoping the Reds will perform a proper manager search in the off-season
• Going 50-30 the rest of the way to make .500

Plus, you won’t want to miss the anecdote about a math teacher from our high school dying when the school’s basketball team won state. You’ll just have to listen to hear how I tie that in to baseball.

Episode 65: The End of the Narron Era (23.3MB, 33:57)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

First of all - I was somewhat surprised the Reds made Pete Mackanin the interim manager rather than Bucky Dent. However, I surmise from this that the promotion of bench coaches to replace fired managers is over in Cinci and that the search is on for a real manager.

That being the case (and I think it is), some possibilities:

Guys who managed in the majors last season who aren't doing so this year (so far) - Felipe Alou, Dusty Baker, Joe Girardi, Ken Macha, Frank Robinson, and Buck Showalter.

Macha is a part-time analyst on Red Sox broadcasts. Baker is working for ESPN as an analyst. Girardi is working as a Yankees broadcaster and also does regional Fox Saturday Baseball telecasts, and reportedly interviewed for the Orioles' managerial job last week. Robinson has said he doesn't want to manage again. I don't know what Alou's doing.

Guys from this year - Sam Perlozzo was fired in Baltimore. Mike Hargrove quit on the Mariners.

FWIW, Other guys besides those mentioned above who have managed in the majors from 2000-present who aren't managing in The Show as of now are listed below, and I did some digging - after all, I'm the CHFS - which is also included (Mackanin would have also been on this list but since he's now the interim manager of the Reds, he doesn't fit the criteria of “not managing in The Show as of now”):

Don Baylor - Forget it. Has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

John Boles - Mariners' front office

Bob Boone - Nationals' front office

Larry Bowa - Yankees coach

Bob Brenly - Cubs broadcaster

Larry Dierker - Astros broadcaster

Jim Fregosi - was a candidate to replace Bowa in Philly before they hired Charlie Manuel, not sure what he's up to now

Art Howe - Rangers' bench coach

Davey Johnson - working to earn Team USA a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics and a consultant to Bowden in Washington

Tom Kelly - special assistant to GM for Twins

Joe Kerrigan - Yankees bullpen coach

Bruce Kimm - has managed in Cinci organization; no idea where he's gone since the Cubs fired him and hired Baker

Ray Knight - studio analyist on Nationals' broadcasts

Rene Lachemann - was coaching in Oakland last I knew

Gene Lamont - Tigers' 3B coach

Davey Lopes - Phillies 1B coach

Jerry Manuel - Mets' bench coach

Buck Martinez - Orioles broadcaster

Lee Mazzilli - Mets broadcaster

Lloyd McClendon - Tigers coach

Jack McKeon - sitting on his ass in Florida waiting for his phone to ring. I'm serious. Miami Herald said he went to a Marlins game, and that he wants to manage again.

Hal McRae - Cardinals' hitting coach,

Dave Miley - Yankees' minor league system.

John Mizerock - Managing Class A Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Royals' affiliate in the Carolina League

Tony Muser - Managing the Peoria Padres in the Arizona Rookie League

Johnny Oates - Forget it. Passed away on 12/24/04 in Richmond, VA.

Al Pedrique - special assistant to GM in Houston

Tony Pena - Yankees' 1B coach

Tony Perez - special assistant to Marlins' GM

Luis Pujols - Giants' 1B coach

Larry Rothschild - Cubs' pitching coach

Jerry Royster - Was managing Dodgers' AAA affiliate last year but got fired in September, not sure where he is now

Bob Schaefer - Oakland's bench coach

Joel Skinner - Indians' 3B coach

Jeff Torborg - Was a Braves broadcaster last year but wasn't retained for this year, dunno what he's doing now

Carlos Tosca - Marlins' bench coach

Alan Trammell - Cubs' bench coach

Bobby Valentine - Managing the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Japan

Gary Varsho - OF/baserunning coordinator for the Indians

Jimy Williams - Phillies' bench coach

Idle Speculation Department: Tony LaRussa's contract to manage the Cardinals is reportedly up after this season. And we all know that Castellini was formerly a part owner in St. Louis. Just sayin'.

Except for McKeon, I haven't offered any opinions here, “Just the facts, ma'am” as they used to say on Dragnet. FWIW, if I were Castellini, I'd have called McKeon already, but I'm not Castellini, so I haven't. As for my thoughts on the other guys listed in this post, I'll save 'em for downthread.

HMZ

Reds Press Release

CINCINNATI -- At a press conference at noon Monday at Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati Reds president and chief executive officer Bob Castellini and executive vice president and general manager Wayne Krivsky will announce Pete Mackanin as interim field manager for the remainder of the 2007 season.

Mackanin, 55, will replace Jerry Narron, whose Reds teams went 31-51 (.378) this season and 157-179 (.467) overall.

The club will have no comment until tomorrow's press conference in the field level interview room.

Mackanin (pronounced mah-CAN-in) will be introduced Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the field level interview room as the 59th manager in Reds history, the 49th since 1900.

He previously was in the organization from 1990-92, when he managed Class AAA Nashville in the American Association, and he rejoined the Reds in February 2006 as the Major League club's advance scout.

It will be Mackanin's second stint as an interim manager in the Major Leagues. In 2005 he managed the final 26 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who went 55-81 under Lloyd McClendon.

He spent seven seasons on the Major League coaching staffs of the Montreal Expos (third base coach, 1997-2000) and Pirates (bench coach, 2003-05) and has 21 seasons of managerial experience in the minor leagues and winter leagues.

Mackanin managed in the minors for 13 years and produced 917 victories and league championships in 1995 (Ottawa, International League) and 2002 (Lynchburg, Carolina league). For 8 seasons he skippered winter ball clubs in Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In 1988, he led Aguilas del Zulia to Venezuelan League and Caribbean Series championships.

An infielder, Mackanin was selected by the Washington Senators in the fourth round of the June 1969 free-agent draft. In 9 Major League seasons he appeared in 548 games for the Texas Rangers, Expos, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins.

He will wear uniform number 46.