SKIPPER...

Bx. as a few names rise to top

poached by Denbo.

However, it’s not expected that any current members of the Yankee coaching staff will get the top job.

Closer to home, there’s Tim Naehring, Cashman’s VP of Baseball Operations, who is also universally liked and respected throughout the organization and popular with the media. However, after working his entire post-playing career in the front office, the last 11 years with the Yankees, it is questionable if Naehring would want to go down on the field and endure the daily grind of managing. utside the organization, there’s been a lot of speculation about former Yankee batting coach Kevin Long, who has let it be known he would like to manage. When it comes to any potential reunion with the Yankees, however, it is important to remember Long left under rather acrimonious circumstances when he was fired by Cashman for shooting his mouth off too much. Another name that has surfaced is Raul Ibanez, the former Yankee outfielder who is presently a special assistant to Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. Ibanez was a natural leader on every team he played for and immensely popular with the media. But he’s never managed or coached anywhere,

which could make

Ohim a risky pick by Cashman (if he’s even on the list). That said, he’d get my vote.

Meanwhile, what’s to become of Girardi, who until Thursday morning, was the only current manager to boast winning records for his team in each of the last 10 seasons? He’s in good company this crazy fall with Dusty Baker and John Farrell, each fired despite winning back-toback division titles.

As Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo said: “Finishing first and making the postseason is not enough anymore. We have to get to the World Series.” Good luck to the next manager there, but at least in Girardi’s case, they’d be hiringamanager who’s not only been there but won one.