Longoria weighs in on Maddon Successor

If this is the shopping list, Martinez would be the front-runner for me as well, from a continuity standpoint. So I agree with Longoria. The buzz is that Manny Acta would be a better choice, having made his rookie mistakes with another franchise, and there is something to that theory. Some of the better managers in baseball were fired once before they figured things out. Montoyo give the Rays continuity, especially with the players younger than Longoria.

from Yahoo Sports:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/evan-longoria-says-dave-martinez-is-the--obvious-pick--for-rays-new-manager-015716638.html

However, if the decision belonged to the face of the franchise, three-time All-Star Evan Longoria, it sounds like there wouldn't be much of a decision to make. During an appearance on the MLB Network program MLB Now on Friday afternoon, Longoria didn't hesitate to tab Dave Martinez as the clear choice for the job, citing his familiarity with the situation and perhaps some personal hope that the team does in fact stay the course. 

If Martinez doesn't get the job, there's a chance he too would move on, meaning a whole new regime would take charge. That's not lost on Longoria, either, and wholesale changes understandably don't sound very appealing.  

Ron Wotus would be my second choice and while I don't want to see the Giants lose him, he suffers from a similar knock that comes Martinez' way in that most feel if he was that good a candidate, he would have been hired by now. He does have three rings though and there is something to that.

Martinez suffers the same fate in Tampa, except who was going to let Maddon go to make room for him? Wakamatsu has been in the pipeline for some time as well, he may be in the same coaches purgatory as Wotus. Kevin Cash gives you some "local hero" flair being an ex-Tampa Gaither HS product, but if you're looking for an extra ticket sales kicker, listen to Al Davis and "just win, baby".

The recent trend to hiring ex-players and ex-marquee players at that would lean you towards Ibanez, but there seem to be better candidates who have paid their dues as base coaches or assistants. Too soon for Ibanez, Cash and Counsell IMO.

Bottom line, and I don't know how any of these guys interview, I would focus on:

• Martinez
• Wotus
• Montoya 
• Acta
• Wakamatsu
• Cash, Counsell and Ibanez are also-rans 

Eight is a big list, the Rays need to focus on qualtity here, not quantity.

FIRE UP THE HOT STOVE LEAGUE!!