Major league firings produce only minor spark

Interim managers are hired midseason to bring a quick turnaround to a disappointing year, but so far the results have been mixed for the three teams that made a change.

Jim Riggleman of the Seattle Mariners moved to 7-4 with a walk-off win against new manager Cito Gaston and the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Gaston is 6-5. Jerry Manuel improved to 7-7 with the New York Mets after beating the St.Louis Cardinals 7-4 Tuesday.

Each manager is addressing a primary issue. The Mariners, last in the American League West, are trying to set themselves up for a successful 2009. The Blue Jays need to improve their productivity on offense. And the Mets, 3 1/2 games out in the NL East, are trying to move past the June 16 firing of Willie Randolph.

"We've been dealing with adversity," Mets third baseman David ...