The MLB Hot Seat: 10 Managers Who Could Be on the Chopping Block

With the 2010 season less than two weeks old, this seems kind of premature. Well, unless you're me, then you're chomping at the bit to put a list together like this.

There are several managers that should be on this list, maybe more than 10, but we'll stick to 10 and see where that leads us.

The managers on this list either had it coming or just sucked enough this year to warrant them being shown the door, and not just because an umpire sent them that way after a heated argument.

Speaking of umpires, why aren't they shown the door a lot more than they are? Or are they fired a lot more than I think they are? Maybe I shouldn't worry about that too much since we're not talking about umpires.

Brad Mills (Houston Astros)

You can see it written all over Brad Mills' face, "if I don't right this ship quick, there will be a mutiny."

While Mills isn't captain of a ship, per se, he is the manager of the Houston Astros, the 3-9 Houston Astros that is. Not a great start to the season, which makes me believe that if things aren't figured out, and QUICK, Mills is going to be looking for another job sooner than he thinks.

Though being a 4.58 team ERA (10th in the NL) and being dead last in the National League in team batting average (.215) sure doesn't help matters any.

Dave Trembley (Baltimore Orioles)

I don't know if the Orioles will ever be able to bring in a manager that can make this team a competitor. Nothing interesting has happened to this team since Cal Ripken Jr retired.

Manager Dave Trembley goes into his fourth season as the Orioles manager and will be looking for his first winning season since he got the gig. The only problem is, sometimes you don't find what you're looking for, which is the case for Mr. Trembley.

He was 40-53 in 2007, 68-93 in 2008, then 64-98 last year. Nothing says "keep me" like getting worse from one year to another.

Dave Trembley, you are the weakest link, goodbye.

Jerry Manuel (New York Mets)

"I once caught a fish THIS BIG." I couldn't resist the caption to that because Jerry Manuel needs someone to buy a whopper of a story if he's going to keep his job.

Maybe you can't put all of the fault of the Mets problems and their lack of winning on Manuel's shoulders, some of that needs to go to general manager Omar Minaya.

I'd put all of the fault on Minaya, but he seems to keep skating on thin ice and lets the managers take the fall for his inability to put a winning team together. Hence their 4-8 start to the 2010 season.

Minaya will probably escape this trap door as well and watch Manuel fall through the cracks.

Jim Riggleman (Washington Nationals)

"Why can't we be a decent team?" To which the umpire replies, "because it's Washington DC, everything reeks in this town."

In the land of politics, big business, and big lies, Washington Nationals' manager Jim Riggleman is in a tough position, especially because the Nationals are about the only thing to cheer for and the only team that comes close to a winning record.

Unfortunately for Riggleman, I don't know if the Nationals will ever become a contending team even with their so-called "franchise savior" in young right hander Stephen Strasburg.

The Nationals will continue to lose and Riggleman will just be another name on the long list of managers that will come and go. Maybe the US Government can step in and control the baseball team too, they seem to want to control everything else.

Dusty Baker (Cincinnati Reds)

I think this is the first picture I've ever seen where Dusty Baker didn't have his famous toothpick in his mouth. I guess things do change.

What hasn't changed, however, is the fortune of the Cincinnati Reds and their manager, which means Dusty will probably not last that much longer.

He hasn't had a winning record as a manager since 2004, when the Chicago Cubs finished at 89-73. Baker will begin his third season with the Reds and hopes to improve upon his 74-88 record in 2008 and his 78-84 record last season.

Try the toothpick again Dusty, maybe it'll change your fortunes. Well, maybe not so much.

Mike Scioscia (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Though Angels' manager Mike Scioscia received a contract extension in January of 2009, making him the manager through the 2018 season, that doesn't mean the long time Dodgers' catcher isn't on the hot seat.

The Angels aren't the far and away favorites to win the AL West and, depending on their pitching staff (void of ace John Lackey), may not even make it to the playoffs.

Not to say that Scioscia will be fired if a bad season may occur in 2010, but it doesn't mean the rumors won't start.

I've always been a fan of Scioscia's through his playing days and continue to be a fan now. Still doesn't keep the rumors from flying.

Ozzie Guillen (Chicago White Sox)

Ozzie Guillen is one of the managers you either love or you hate, there's really no in between when it comes to the outspoken White Sox manager.

He's been on the hot seat for the last few years and this year is no exception. He has his good days and his bad days, but on either kind of day you'll still be able to hear good audio from good 'ole Ozzie.

He has four winning seasons in six years, including a World Series trophy that I'm sure White Sox fans love bragging about to Cubs fans, who haven't seen one of those for over 100 years.

After a 79-83 season last year, I think the front office was hoping for better than a 4-9 start to this season.

Ron Washington (Texas Rangers)

Living near Dallas I have the opportunity to hear all of the sports radio stations talking about Ron Washington and his admission of "trying cocaine," sometime last year.

Believe me, it didn't take long for Rangers fans to jump on the "Fire Ron" bandwagon after that came out. Though what a lot of the fans won't tell you is that they've been wanting Washington gone for some time now.

Nevermind the fact that they finally have a team that could legitimately contend for the AL West division crown, something that hasn't happen in the recent past. They want Ron gone and they want him gone quickly, though a 5-7 start to the year can't be a good deterrent.

Whether this team improves or not over the next month or so may not matter. Unfortunate but true.

Bud Black (San Diego Padres)

Bud Black may have one more year to prove that he's the man for the job as the manager of the San Diego Padres. While I'm a fan of Bud's and I'm of the opinion that he's the right man, that really won't matter in the grand scheme of things.

San Diego Padre fans want this team to compete and they're tired of waiting for a "good" team to come along. Most will go through a dozen managers just to get what they want. It's not the way to handle things but, hey, they want what they want.

With Adrian Gonzalez, Heath Bell, and/or Chris Young headed out the door before the trading deadline in July, I hardly see how Bud Black is in a good position right now. Management hasn't helped him out in the past and they're not helping him out now.

Terry Francona (Boston Red Sox)

The Boston Red Sox are off to a terrible start and I'm sure the radio air waves are full of rumors that Terry Francona should or could be on his way out.

The Red Sox faithful have gotten used to winning and they've gotten used to winning big. With the players they brought in this past offseason, most of them (and I'll throw myself in there as well), thought this team would be able to get off to a great start, but that has not happened.

While it may be premature to say that the Red Sox will or should fire Francona, and personally I think they shouldn't, it doesn't mean that the move won't be made if they don't see an improvement soon.

The other problem is not having David Ortiz as a factor. He's been everything but, and it's not helping the Sox at all.