Baker’s Exit Followed by Alou’s

Hours before the San Francisco Giants announced Monday that Felipe Alou would not return as manager, the man he replaced, Dusty Baker, was let go by the Chicago Cubs after a last-place finish and a failure to take the team to the World Series in his four years.

The Cubs made the announcement a day after team president Andy MacPhail resigned and the club finished with a 66-96 record.

“I wish we could have gotten it done, but we didn’t,” Baker said. “You see four years come to pass very quickly.”

Baker was in the last season of his $14 million-to-$15 million deal and had hoped to resurrect the franchise that hadn’t been in the World Series since 1945 and hadn’t won one since 1908. The Cubs got within five outs of the Series in 2003 but never came close after that.

He compiled a 322-326 record in Chicago.

General Manager Jim Hendry said it was a tough day, but that it was time for a change. He also said finding a new manager would be his first priority, but he offered no timetable.

Meanwhile, the Giants refused to blame Alou for their failures of the last two seasons. Owner Peter Magowan took the heat for that.

“He’s every way a victim of circumstances,” General Manager Brian Sabean said. “He knows he had four good years here. The last two were rugged.”

The change had been expected for some time, with the 71-year-old Alou’s contract expiring. He said he would like to stay in baseball in 2007, possibly with the Giants, the franchise that signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 1955. And Sabean already has offered Alou a job.

After winning 100 games and the NL West in his first season in 2003, the Giants did not make the playoffs in Alou’s last three years. He had a 76-85 mark in 2006, ending his tenure 342-304.

The Giants didn’t rule out talking to Baker about their managerial opening.

Angels pitching coach Bud Black is considered a candidate. Bob Brenly, Lou Piniella and Giants bench coach Ron Wotus also could be in the mix. Sabean confirmed Wotus was a candidate.

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The Boston Red Sox overhaul began when the team decided not to renew the contracts of pitching coach Dave Wallace and hitting coach Ron Jackson.

The team also said that Jonathan Papelbon would become a starter next year after an impressive rookie season as a closer and that Trot Nixon, the right fielder who has spent eight seasons with Boston, might not be asked back as a free agent.