Red Sox eye Farrell for vacant manager job

BOSTON (AP) - John Farrell sat in the visitors' dugout at Fenway Park a month ago and discussed a key to successful managing. He said the players should come first in a manager's decision making.

Since that session with reporters before the opener of a three-game series between Toronto and Boston, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has been fired and Blue Jays manager Farrell has emerged as the leading candidate to take over. But he has a year left on his contract and the Red Sox would have to discuss with the Blue Jays compensation to make him available.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington wants the search to be shorter than the one that took 62 days before Valentine replaced Terry Francona last December. But he said it's more important to hire the right person.

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