CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- When the Cincinnati Reds acquired Ken Griffey Jr. last February it appeared to be a virtual certainty that his dad would manage the team in 2001. Instead, Aaron Boone's dad got the job.

The Reds today named Bob Boone as their new manager and signed him to a two-year contract with a club option for 2003.

Financial terms were not disclosed. However, money apparently was a key factor in the Reds' decision to hire Boone.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Reds third base coach Ron Oester and New York Yankees first base coach Willie Randolph were the two finalists for the Reds' job, but both rejected low salary offers. Oester declined a two-year contract worth $300,000 annually and Randolph removed himself from consideration on Thursday night.

With his two finalists out of the picture, Reds general manager Jim Bowden turned to Boone, who served as assistant general manager since November 1997 and was the Reds' bench coach under Davey Johnson in 1994.

"Money was not a factor for me," Boone said. "The money will come if you're successful. But I don't know the circumstances about any of it with Ronnie (Oester). I put a call in to Ronnie. Ronnie is a very good baseball man."

Boone, 52, previously managed the Kansas City Royals from 1995 to 1997 and compiled a record of 181-206.

"I appreciate it more now because I realize how difficult it is to get back in," Boone said.

Surprisingly, Ken Griffey Sr., the team's bench coach under former manager Jack McKeon, was not given strong consideration for the job.

Expectations were high when the Reds acquired Griffey Jr. from the Seattle Mariners, especially since they finished 96-67 and lost a one-game playoff to the New York Mets the previous season.

However, the Reds finished a disappointing 85-77 in 2000, 10 games behind the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals, and McKeon was fired after the season. He won NL manager of the year honors in 1999.

Boone will become the sixth person in major league history to manage his son. Aaron Boone is the Reds' starting third baseman. The other father-son, player-manager combinations were Connie and Earle Mack, Yogi and Dale Berra, Cal Ripken Sr. and sons Cal Jr. and Billy, Hal and Brian McRae and Felipe and Moises Alou.

"Aaron is a big factor on this ballclub," Boone said of his son. "But what he knows and I know is he's just another player to me. Our relationship will be that of player-manager. It seems weird, but it is easy to do."

Boone played 19 seasons in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels and Royals and established a major league record for catchers with 2,225 games, a record since broken by Carlton Fisk. He hit .254 with 105 home runs and 826 RBI and won seven Gold Glove Awards.

Boone's father, Ray, played in the majors for 13 seasons from 1948-60. His oldest son, Bret, played for the San Diego Padres last season and his youngest son, Matthew, is in the Detroit Tigers' organization.