This year, the Red Sox have some options that weren't available in the waning weeks of Dec. 2003. One notable name is former Yankees skipper Joe Torre. The 71-year-old spent 29 years managing in the major leagues before calling it quits after a trying season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010. Torre, who managed the Yankees for 12 years, led New York to six pennants and four World Series titles. Torre has a .538 career winning percentage.
DeMarlo Hale is another possible candidate. The 50-year-old bench coach doesn't have any managerial experience at the major-league level, but he has managed in the minors and served as the Red Sox' first base coach from 2002-05 and third base coach from 2006-09. He was Francona's bench coach for the last two seasons.
Trey Hillman is another potential option. Hillman managed in the big leagues from 2008-2010, all with Kansas City until the Royals fired him 35 games into the 2010 season. Hillman posted a .423 winning percentage in that span, but the Royals did not post a winning record in any of those seasons.
Then there's Bobby Valentine. The long-time manager-turned-analyst hasn't been in the dugout since 2002, but the 61-year-old still is an option. In more than 15 years as a manager of the Texas Rangers and New York Mets, Valentine earned one NL pennant and a .510 winning percentage and finished nine full seasons with a winning record.
Who do you think deserves to be the next manager of the Red Sox?
