Tony Paul: MLB insider

Will Kirk Gibson ever be a manager?

Managers of yesteryear and managers of tomorrow, those are the two brands of bench coaches.

So, how do we explain Kirk Gibson?

The fiery former Tigers star seemed a likely choice to replace Bob Melvin when the first axe of 2009 fell last week in Phoenix -- he seemed a popular pick among fans, along with TV analyst Mark Grace and Triple-A manager Brett Butler -- but was snubbed in favor of A.J. Hinch, who, at 34, is the youngest manager since the White Sox hired a 34-year-old Tony La Russa in 1979.

Making this development more puzzling: Gibson, a pal of Melvin's (they were teammates in Detroit in 1985), chose to stay on the Diamondbacks staff.

Is Gibson -- the right-hand man for Alan Trammell in Detroit from 2003-05, and for Melvin since 2007 -- no longer a legitimate managerial prospect?

Say what?

I'm a few credits shy of my medical degree -- by a few, I mean my mother always wanted me to be a doctor but I haven't quite got around to starting the journey -- but even my eyebrows got a manic workout the instant I heard this.

In an interview Tuesday with "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN, Roger Clemens talked about how "suicidal" it would be for him to inject any such substances considering his family's history of heart troubles. His prime example: His stepfather's fatal heart attack.

The key word, of course, being "step," as in one further away from Cooperstown.

Clemens' retirement from hibernation, by the way, coincided with the release of "American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime."

Around the horn

So with Melvin out in Arizona, who's next on the block?

Two teams off to terrible starts are the Rockies (13-18) and Indians (12-22), but Clint Hurdle and Eric Wedge have strong bonds with their bosses. Plus, they both received votes of confidence this week.

Manny Acta is in trouble of not making it through Year 3 with the Nationals (10-21), while Cecil Cooper might not be safe with the Astros (14-18).

• In winning Tuesday, Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay , 32, improved to 16-5 in his career against the Yankees. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that .762 winning percentage is second-best among pitchers with at least 20 decisions against the Yanks, behind Babe Ruth (17-5, .773).

tpaul@detnews.com