Cincinnati fired their GM and field manager, as well as their hitting and third base coaches yesterday, upending the organization just days before the July 31st trade deadline. Assistant GM's Brad Kullman and Leland Maddox now are expected to jointly maneuver the club through a trading season in which many anticipate Cincinnati will be quite active. If the Reds were going to make a change prior to the off-season, this move should have happened at least two weeks ago.

The Reds promoted AAA Louisville manager Dave Miley to take over as interim field manager of the major league club for the remainder of the season. The 41-year-old began his career with Cincinnati when they drafted him out of high school in 1980. However, after seven years in the minors, he decided to move into coaching and managing. Miley spent a season on the AA coaching staff before taking his first managerial position with A Greensboro in the South Atlantic League in 1988. He moved to A Cedar Rapid in the Midwest League for the next two years. In 1992, he reappeared as the AA Chattanooga manager. Miley logged his only major league coaching experience in 1993 when he was bench coach under Tony Perez and bullpen coach under Davey Johnson. He returned to managing at Chattanooga in 1995, but after winning the Southern League Manager of the Year award, he advanced to manage AAA Indianapolis in American Association. Miley has managed Cincinnati's AAA affiliate since that time, though the club moved from Indianapolis to Louisville. He received another two Manager of the Year awards in 1997 and 1998.

As minor league managerial experience tops my list of resume builders for potential major league managers, I have to say Miley's credentials impress me. He's also quite familiar with the current major league team, as many of the players have passed through his AAA teams. His reputation indicates he doesn't have a lot of rules, but he garners the respect of his players and instills them with confidence. With regards to baserunning, players with good speed and instincts will have the green light.

As the club intends to let the new GM pick the new manager, Miley's position doesn't guarantee he'll even be considered when the Reds look to hire a manager next season, however he'll likely receive a strong look.