By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Just when the Philadelphia Phillies managerial search was starting to lull you to sleep, Thursday happened.
Today we've learned that there's "no chance" that Buck Showalter ends up with the Phillies, that club executive Jorge Velandia is a "strong candidate" for manager and that Cleveland Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway is among the external names that the team is considering for their managerial vacancy. And there's more.
According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, two-time World Series champion catcher David Ross is among the names that the Phillies have internally discussed interviewing:
It is unclear if the Phillies have finalized their list of external candidates, but names like former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, Red Sox bench coach Gary DiScarcina, Astros bench coach Alex Cora, former Mariners bench coach Tim Bogar, former catcher David Ross and White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing have been discussed. Certainly there are many others.
Ross, who is 40, retired after winning the World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. He also was on the 2013 Boston Red Sox World Series team. Even prior to him become nationally known in his final season, Ross was viewed as one of the best clubhouse guys around the league. He played for eight different teams over the course of his 15-year career, so that's a reputation that has been well-tested. Even without coaching experience, it's not surprising that teams at least have Ross on their radar.
Excluding internal candidate Juan Samuel, Seattle Mariners bench coach Tim Bogar, who is 50, is the oldest managerial candidate that has been linked to the Phillies. All other candidates are in their 40s, but at 40, Ross would be the youngest. That may actually work in his favor, however, as the league seems interested in younger managers currently, and general manager Matt Klentak is only 37.
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Ross' lack of coaching experience wouldn't necessarily prevent him from garnering serious consideration either. Other than coaching Israel in their attempt to qualify for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Brad Ausmus had next-to-no coaching experience before being hired by the Detroit Tigers. He had only been retired as a player for three years prior to being hired. Mike Matheny, save for being a Spring Training instructor, had no professional coaching experience prior to the St. Louis Cardinals hiring him. So there is precedent for former catchers becoming managers despite limited or no coaching experience.
Whether the Phillies ultimately interview Ross or not remains to be seen. It's also unclear if he would be ready to jump back into baseball so quickly. Even during his final season, he spoke of a desire to spend more time with his family. Becoming a manager, especially when his family lives in Florida, wouldn't seem to allow him to do that. He also has a pretty comfortable life away from the sports, as he appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" over the summer and is an analyst for ESPN.
