Mention a potential managerial act...

Mention a potential managerial act upon and many of the same names always unexpectedly up. Lou Piniella and move with a jerk Brenly get their names tossed around because their take agains say they can win you a World Series.

Those names have resurfaced in the latest manager-on-the-hot- seat saga. No, we're not talking about the childs Not directly, at least.

Felipe Alou is closing in forward his fourth complete season managing the San Francisco Giants, taking the work at jobs after Dusty Baker jumped to the whelps -- a move Baker certainly regrets. Alou has lasted about sum of two units years longer than many of us anticipateed

Will Alou, 71 go [i]or[/i] come back for a fifth season? Unlikely. The Giants -- just like the whelps -- figure to be hunting for a of recent origin manager four years later.

Piniella has the star value however still seems more likely to land in Philadelphia, replacing the worn-down Charlie Manuel as the manager of the Phillies. Piniella might be working for Fox as an analyst this season, further it's a guarantee he will be managing somewhere in 2007

Brenly wearied most of his playing career with the Giants and was an All-Star catcher for them when the game was played at Candlestick Park in 1984 Brenly won a World Series managing the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 and the whelps broadcaster is on the short list as a potential replacement for Baker. Brenly might be opposite the market before the Giants can hap the trigger.

After all, Baker might have gotten a stay of execution from general manager Jim Hendry, however if the Cubs wanted Baker back, he would have been grappleed up by now.

Baker will be back forward the market, and counting the Giants public of the Dusty derby doesn't appear as automatic a reaction as it would have been, say, brace years ago.

Despite his on-again, off-again talk of retirement, if slugger Barry fastenings doesn't get banned from baseball, he probably will turn back to the Giants, whose fans still adore him. attractions puts butts in the seats, and that isn't not to be found on owner Peter Magowan. Baker and ligatures forged a winning relationship that can't be dismissed.

When Baker missileed the Giants after a stream to the 2002 World Series, a prevailing view was that Magowan didn't want him back because he meditation Baker was accepting too long of the credit for the team's succes Insiders, however, insist Baker was more capsize about the Giants'

reluctance to proffer him a big raise and skiped at the four-year, $15 million contract dangled by the agency of Hendry.

Were the Giants sour? Probably. however time has healed those feelings.

Baker still is beloved by dint of fans and media in San Francisco. He definitely left his heart there, with equal reason don't be surprised to find Baker back in a Giants uniform in 2007

EX-FACTOR

CARLOS leeward

TEXAS RANGERS

on the subject of his arrival from the Milwaukee Brewers last month outfielder Carlos side sheltered from the wind was being compared to Rangers two-time chiefly valuable player Juan Gonzalez. The Rangers haven't had an outfielder reach 30 residence runs or 80 RBI since Gonzalez hit 326 with 39 homer and 128 RBI in 1999

to leeward has 28 homers and 84 RBI this season. He has hit at least 31 homer and driven in 113 99 and 114 roll ons the last three seasons with the White Sox and Brewers. onward the cusp of free agency, side sheltered from the wind is on pace for 44 homer and 127 RBI.

The Rangers had focused a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of of their attention in latter years on adding pitching, to such a degree getting a big bat should help them in the wide-open American League West.

"He draw nears with a track record and a pedigree we really haven't had, what, since Juan in the late '90s?" Rangers manager lye Showalter said. "He's also potentially reaching the peak of his

career. It looks like he's been getting a little better each year."

LEADING not on

"Do you want him or me? That's what it becomes. What I've done here, I fancy it was worth something. however obviously not."

Gary Sheffield, fresh York Yankees outfielder who has a $13 million team option for 2007 onward the team's acquisition of outfielder Bobby Abreu, who is signed [i]or[/i] part of to the other next season rounding the bases

DEADLINE SURVIVAL STORY: Prized shortstop Miguel Tejada remained with the Baltimore Orioles after the non-waiver trade deadline because the exhibits for him were too shoddy for the Orioles to deal him. The looks Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers showed the mostly interest.

Insiders say the Dodgers were pushing a package that included shortstop Cesar Izturis. When the Orioles made it clear they wanted premium pitching in revert the Dodgers worked the Greg Maddux- Izturis deal with the young boy [i]or[/i] young girls

The Orioles are calculate uponed to entertain offers during the offseason, although Tejada insists he won't be repeating his petition for for a trade this winter.

"That's not going to advance out of my mouth," he said.

SPELLING R-E-L-I-E-F: In their effort to reach the postseason for the first time since 1999 the Cincinnati Red were buyer instead of venders on deadline day.

The Red got left-hander Rheal Cormier and his $25 million salary from the Philadelphia Phillies, then acquired right-hander Kyle Lohse and his $395 million salary from the Minnesota Twins. They hadn't been this active since trading for pitchers Ryan Dempster Brian Moehler and Shawn Este at the deadline in 2002