21.   He was in charge of the team when the Rangers fired manager Bobby Valentine and traded slugger Sammy Sosa.

22.   His one trump card, firing the manager, has been used.

23.   How could Duquette fire a manager whose team is tied with the Yankees for first place in the American League East?

24.   If the Red Sox had any thought of firing their manager, Jimy Williams, he has made it impossible for them to do it.

25.   It is entirely possible that if one team had fired its manager sometime this season, others would have followed.

26.   It never has been clean and simple when a popular, winning manager is fired, but give Astros management credit for one thing.

27.   It is hard to imagine Lou Lamoriello hiring a coach so headstrong that he got his general manager fired before he, himself, was prompted to leave.

28.   It is something rarely done, a major league baseball team firing a manager and four years later hiring him as a coach.

29.   Last month, the company fired several managers as part of an overhaul of its European operations, bringing in more experienced executives as part of the image makeover.

30.   Last weekend in St. Louis, the floundering Cardinals fired their manager, Joe Torre, which came as no huge shock.