FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Joe Kerrigan knew he'd be fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox four days before he lost his job.

		Tue., March 5 The Red Sox new ownership is trying to completely overhaul the atmosphere of this club. First, they got rid of Dan Duquette, now they remove Joe Kerrigan. They are trying to make the Rex Sox a friendlier organization, one where people actually get along. Some of the players didn't get along very well with Kerrigan, and Duquette's tendency to rub people the wrong way has been well documented. Cleveland bench coach Grady Little is likely the top candidate for the job vacated by Kerrigan. The second choice is probably Ken Macha, a bench coach for the Oakland A's and a guy who has worked with several of the Red Sox minor leaguers along the way. Both Little and Macha have been candidates for other big-league managerial jobs in the past. Felipe Alou is another, albeit less likely, candidate. Alou is older and would require more money than either Little or Macha.

The tip-off came at a meeting last Friday when the team's new owners introduced themselves to the players.

"They thanked me for my patience, for the way we ran the camp," Kerrigan said Wednesday, "but there wasn't an endorsement there in front of the players.

"I've been around the block a few times and you can read the landscape and I knew then that my days were numbered."

The team undertook an immediate search for a permanent replacement with bench coaches Grady Little of Cleveland and Ken Macha of Oakland considered top candidates. Little was a bench coach with Williams in Boston from 1997 through 1999 and Macha managed four years in the Red Sox system.

Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Wednesday the team had given the Red Sox permission to talk with Little.

"I can't think of anyone better qualified for the job than Grady Little," Shapiro said. "We certainly would not stand in his way.

"The only thing we're sensitive with is the time frame. We've told them to please make a decision as soon as possible."

Kerrigan, who took over when Jimy Williams was fired Aug. 16, was dismissed Tuesday and replaced on an interim basis by third-base coach Mike Cubbage.

Kerrigan's firing came six days after John Henry and his partners took over the team last Wednesday.

Mike Port became interim general manager when Dan Duquette was fired Thursday. Two days later, David Chadd became director of amateur scouting, succeeding Wayne Britton. On Monday, former Texas general manager Doug Melvin was hired as a consultant to study the minor league system, a possible prelude to his becoming general manager.

Port said Wednesday the team hoped to have a new manager by the weekend.

He said the Red Sox haven't talked directly to any potential candidates, but have asked permission of other teams to talk with their employees.

There's even a chance Kerrigan could get his former job as Boston's pitching coach, although he said he wanted to spend a few days at his suburban Philadelphia home before addressing that.

"It's been an unusual spring," pitcher Derek Lowe said. "When I first started working out it was `when the new owners were going to take over,' and now they remove the general manager and now the manager.

"It's been something that, more than likely, no one's ever gone through or probably ever will."

Team president Larry Lucchino and Port said Kerrigan's lack of managerial experience was a major reason for his dismissal.

The 48-year-old Kerrigan never managed a professional team before moving up from pitching coach last season and leading Boston to a 17-26 record. The Red Sox were beset by injuries and clubhouse turmoil.

He returned to the clubhouse Wednesday morning and went from locker to locker, saying goodbye to players.

"It was tough seeing Varitek. He's a warrior," Kerrigan said.

Catcher Jason Varitek, coming back from a broken elbow, praised him.

"Joe's worked really hard at whatever job he's done, whether he's our pitching coach or our manager," Varitek said. "Joe's going to make a great manager one day."