Tigers hire Trammell, five others still searching for managers

One down, five to go.

Detroit became the first team to hire a new manager Wednesday after a half-dozen jobs opened in the days following the end of the regular season. The Tigers reached into their past for Alan Trammell, who played shortstop for them from 1977-96.

Trammell, a coach with the San Diego Padres the last three years, was introduced at an evening news conference.

That left the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays still in the hunt for a new skipper. Buck Showalter, fired twice in the last seven years, seems to be the most popular candidate.

Showalter was dismissed first by the New York Yankees in 1995 and then by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000, each time after taking those teams to the playoffs. Each team went on to win the World Series the next year.

Those successes placed the ESPN baseball commentator high on the lists of the teams still shopping. Showalter has talked with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, and the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays have expressed interest as well.

Showalter is one of three candidates interviewed by the Mets, who've also talked with batting coach Chris Chambliss and Yankees third base coach Willie Randolph. Oakland Athletics bench coach Ken Macha has an appointment with them as well.

Newsday reported Wednesday that the Mets have settled on San Francisco manager Dusty Baker as their top candidate and will pursue him as soon as the Giants' season is over. Baker's team opened the NL championship series at St. Louis on Wednesday night.

Macha, a candidate for the Boston Red Sox job before it went to Grady Little last spring, is also on the lists of the Cubs, Brewers, Devil Rays and Detroit Tigers.

Bob Melvin, Arizona's bench coach, will be interviewed by Milwaukee on Thursday and could also be a candidate with the Cubs. Ex-Boston bench coach Mike Stanley has been mentioned for the Tampa Bay job.

Randolph, who nearly went to Cincinnati before Bob Boone took that job two years ago, will talk with Milwaukee on Thursday and Tampa Bay on Monday.

The Devil Rays began their managerial search Wednesday, interviewing bench coach Billy Hatcher. Third base coach Tom Foley gets his turn Thursday followed by Yankees first base coach Lee Mazzilli on Friday.

Detroit talked with Randolph during the Yankees playoff series with Anaheim and also had Triple-A Toledo manager Bruce Fields on its list. But the Tigers decided on Trammell as they try to recover from a 106-loss season.

Besides Showalter, the list in Texas includes Trey Hillman, the team's director of player development, bench coach Terry Francona, first base coach DeMarlo Hale and ex-Tiger and Colorado manager Buddy Bell.

Milwaukee has Showalter, Macha and Melvin on its list, along with fired Texas manager Jerry Narron.