Indians interview Acta for managerial position

By PAUL HOYNES

CLEVELAND — It was Manny Acta’s turn Tuesday to interview for the vacant Indians manager’s job.

Bobby Valentine, Torey Lovullo and Don Mattingly are on deck. Lovullo, the Indians’ Class AAA manager for the last four years, is scheduled to interview with GM Mark Shapiro on Friday.

Shapiro wasn’t sure when Valentine, who has spent the last six years managing in Japan, would come to Cleveland for his interview because he has to work around his obligations to ESPN.

Mattingly, bench coach for the Dodgers, is busy in the NLCS. But the Dodgers trail Philadelphia, 3-1, in the best-of-seven series that resumes today.

Shapiro added that he’s considering interviewing two other unnamed candidates. He’s also collecting names to fill out a coaching staff.

Acta, 40, started his interview at 8 a.m.

Shapiro and Antonetti interviewed Acta, Valentine, Lovullo, Mattingly and others last week during the Indians’ organizational meetings in Goodyear, Ariz.

Shapiro wanted to cut the field to “three to five” for the second round of interviews with the hopes of hiring the 40th manager in Indians history by the end of the World Series. Game 7 of the series is Nov. 5.

Travis Fryman, the Indians manager at Class A Mahoning Valley, interviewed last week, but didn’t make the final cut.

“Travis Fryman was an atypical candidate for us with only two short seasons managing in A ball,” said Shapiro. “Based on our respect for who he is as a man and what he brings as a leader, we did spend an afternoon talking to him.

“I came away, as I always do when talking to Travis, impressed. Impressed by his passion for his players and leadership vision. The more he worked into it, the more it was clear he has a desire to do it and will do it in an impactful way at some point.

“I still think where he is in his life and where we are, managing some more games will make him a better candidate down the road.”