Who will be D-backs next manager? List of candidates full of experience

PHOENIX — The man who followed Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa in St. Louis has a pretty good idea of the kind manager La Russa's Diamondbacks soon will hire.

"Baseball savvy, appreciation for the history of the game, commitment to the club, sacrifice," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, who has been to the playoffs in all three seasons since he was hired to replace La Russa in Nov. 2011, two weeks after La Russa's team won the World Series.

"I think he is going to need (to see) some history of that. Need to see somebody who has the competency to move forward with the history of the game, regardless of where the game is heading. Being a forward thinker. Those are all things he embodied."

And leadership?

"Especially," Matheny said.

Possible candidates

In other words, another La Russa.

D-backs general manager Dave Stewart agreed with the profile.

"You have to be a leader first," Stewart said. "If you can lead, if you can get people to believe your vision, you can get people to follow you, even though they don't know where they are going. That's a great quality to have. Leadership, communication, strategy, motivator, all those things.

"There are very few Tony La Russas or Bobby Coxes or Tommy Lasordas or Cito Gastons in this industry, but there are some. And there are some who are in the making. Whether we chose the one who is, or the one who is in the making, we're going to do a very, very good job in finding the next guy to lead this team. We have to keep our eyes and ears open to the right guy, whether he be an up-and-comer or a guy who's already done it."

Given La Russa's long history with Oakland and St. Louis, it seems certain some of those he has shared time with will be on the short list.

Some names already are being mentioned, most prominently Cardinals bench coach Mike Aldrete, Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo and Chicago White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing, who played for La Russa in St. Louis.

Minnesota Twins bench coach Terry Steinbach, a catcher during the La Russa/Stewart era in Oakland, also could be a candidate. Former D-backs infielder Jay Bell, the bench coach in Pittsburgh, previously expressed interest in managing.

Stewart mentioned Triple-A Reno manager Phil Nevin, Double-A Mobile manager Andy Green and hitting coach and former Mobile manager Turner Ward as possible candidates.

Aldrete was the D-backs' hitting coach in 2005 and 2006, joining manager Bob Melvin's staff when Melvin was hired to replace interim manager Al Pedrique. Aldrete played in Oakland for La Russa from 1993-95, La Russa's final three seasons with the A's. Stewart finished his career in Oakland in 1995.

Oquendo joined La Russa's staff in St. Louis in 1999 and has been on the field since, first as the bench coach and then as the third-base coach. He has managing experience with Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009.

McEwing played two seasons for La Russa in St. Louis before finishing a nine-year career with the New York Mets, during which he played every position on the field but catcher and pitcher. He was considered a top candidate before the Cardinals hired Matheny.

Like most decisions, the new manager will be decided by the group. But if there is a call to be made, La Russa will make it.

"In this case, yeah, I'm going to include Stew, Dunc (Dave Duncan), De Jon in what they think about the manager candidates (and) who gets selected to interview. We'll listen, listen, listen, have a vote. Until they move me from below Derrick, I have the last shot," La Russa said.

"Next year, if it's a high draft choice, that's not me. But I think I know something about managing."

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