Reds Hire Boone

C I N C I N N A T I, Nov. 3 -- Bob Boone was willing to take the CincinnatiReds’ managing job — and the below-market contract offer that camewith it — to get back to the thing he loves most in baseball.

Boone was hired today as the successor to Jack McKeon, ending amanager search that repeatedly ran into road blocks because of theteam’s offer.

Boone, who managed Kansas City from 1995-97, became the fallbackchoice after Reds third base coach Ron Oester and New York Yankeesthird base coach Willie Randolph turned down the job.

Boone accepted a two-year contract with a team option for 2002,meaning he’s not guaranteed to be the manager when the club movesinto its new ballpark.

He didn’t hesitate when the club offered the job this morningafter Oester turned it down.

“I think you know I’ve been out of managing for three years andprobably appreciate it now since I’ve been out and realize howdifficult it is to get back in,” Boone said.

Job Is Not About Money

Oester, a Cincinnati native who spent his entire career in theReds organization, reportedly rejected an offer of $300,000 peryear — less than Lloyd McClendon got in Pittsburgh.

Oester drove to the stadium before the news conference todayand took all of the personal items from his dressing cubicle,leaving only the team-issued shirts and jerseys. Boone didn’t knowwhether Oester would stay around for the final year of hiscontract.

Asked how long it took him to decide to accept the job, Boonesaid, “How long does it take to write Bob Boone? This job is notabout money for me.”

Like Oester, Randolph took himself out of the running because hethought the club’s offer wasn’t adequate.

A Love for Managing

Since general manager Jim Bowden took over after the 1992season, he hasn’t offered anything more than a two-year contract toa manager. Seattle’s Lou Piniella — who was the Reds’ top choice — and the Mets’ Bobby Valentine both got three-year extensions fromtheir clubs on Tuesday.