Mike Maddux, Dale Sveum take center stage in Cubs' search  —  Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux is a candidate for the Cubs' managerial job.  Leon Halip~Getty Images  —  It took more than three months for the Cubs to get their new front office team in place.

Cleveland Indians grant Boston permission to interview Sandy Alomar Jr. for manager's job; are Cubs also interested?  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio — Boston has received permission to interview Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. to be their manager.  But the Red Sox may have company when it comes to Alomar.

Theo Epstein, Terry Francona talking … The Theo Epstein-Terry Francona combo worked in Boston and there's a chance the duo might play in Chicago.  —  The new Cubs president of baseball operations said he spoke with the former Red Sox manager on Thursday and will speak again to gauge whether Francona …

RED SOX TO INTERVIEW MADDUX, ALOMAR JR.  —  A source has confirmed that the next two candidates to be interviewed by the Red Sox for their vacant managerial opening will be Mike Maddux and Sandy Alomar Jr. Both the Rangers (Maddux) and Indians (Alomar Jr.) have granted the Sox permission to talk to the coaches.

Dominican baseball legend Matty Alou dies at age 72  —  There's great sadness in the house of one of baseball's greatest families as Dominican Today reports that Matty Alou has passed away at age 72 from an undisclosed ailment.  —  That's Mateo Rojas Alou in the middle of the above picture …

Matty Alou, once part of an all-Alou outfield for the San Francisco Giants with brothers Felipe and Jesus, died Thursday in his native Dominican Republic.  He was 72.  —  He died of diabetes complications, according to his former Dominican team, Leones del Escogido.