In Major League Baseball news, three managers were fired this week. The firing started with the New York Mets firing manager Willie Randolph early Tuesday morning. The move was anticipated for weeks by the media, especially after Randolph's meeting with ownership a couple of weeks ago. Randolph was fired after the Mets victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which was weird. Jerry Manuel, the bench coach for Randolph, now takes over as the manager. He was previously the manager of the Chicago White Sox from 1998-2003, winning coach of the year in 2000. A couple of days later, the Seattle Mariners fired manager John McLaren. The Mariners owned baseball's worst record at 25-47, despite a payroll of $100 million. The Mariners had expectations to contend this year, especially after the trade that brought in pitcher Erik Bedard. But they didn't and McLaren is another scapegoat for their problems. The Mariners also fired general manager Bill Bavasi for creating this underachieving roster. Bench coach Jim Riggleman is now slated to take over as manager of the ball club. On Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays fired manager John Gibbons because of their performance on the field. The Blue Jays were expected to be in contention in the AL East, but they are now currently in last place at 35-39 and have lost 13 of their last 17 games. The Blue Jays have been considered underachievers as well, with good hitters such as Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. They also have good pitching in Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett. But they haven't been able to get it done. The Blue Jays have turned to a familiar face to manage the team. They have decided to bring back former manager Cito Gaston, who was the manager of the team from 1989-1997. Gaston was the manager when the Blue Jays won two consecutive World Series in 1992 and 1993. Which coaching change will be the most significant? Will any of these teams improve this season or will it improve in the future? Who is next on the hot seat?
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