The hot stove has never been hotter.

The typically tame Atlantic League off-season has seen six managerial changes so far, and the Eastern League's Trenton Thunder have been busy as well.

It's time to take a look at what's happened after the last pitch was thrown a few months ago.

The Bridgeport Bluefish made the biggest splash, naming Major League veteran Tommy John as their new manager. The 288-game winner brings instant credibility to an organization that has seen attendance numbers dip since their inception in 1998.

The Camden Riversharks and expansion York Revolution also brought in new faces, with former Dodgers catcher Joe Ferguson and former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles being tabbed as each team's respective skipper.

The Lancaster Barnstormers, Long Island Ducks and Newark Bears all brought back familiar faces, however. After the departure of Tom Herr, the Barnstormers promoted third base coach Frank Klebe, making him the second manager in team history.

Dave LaPoint, voted the league's best manager during his only year in Bridgeport, returned to the Ducks to lead them. Don McCormack will stay on as the team's bench coach.

Perhaps the most intriguing move came in Newark, where ex-Riversharks manager Wayne Krenchicki will be reunited with General Manager John Brandt. Brandt, the long-time Camden GM, also brought in pitching coach Steve Foucault, who was Camden's pitching coach for the duration of Krenchicki's stay.

"We're looking to have a strong pitching staff like we had the past few years in Camden," said Krenchicki in a phone interview.

While Somerset's Sparky Lyle will be the only manager staying put for 2007, that's not to say the Patriots didn't have a busy off-season. After the resignation of Liam Healy, the team needed a new hitting coach. It quickly became obvious that there was only person for the job.

Kevin Dattola, an integral part of Somerset's first championship team in 2001, will become the first former Patriot to serve as hitting coach.

Dattola, who spent the past several seasons with the same position for the Can-Am League's New Jersey Jackals, knows he'll be dealing with more experienced players in Somerset.

"They're going to have their own routines," said Dattola, comparing Atlantic League players to the Can-Am League players he'd previously worked with.

"They're going to know what works for them and what doesn't, for the most part."

The Road Warriors, back for another season after the Atlantic City Surf's departure, remain the only team in the league without a manager. According to Atlantic League Executive Director Joe Klein, last season's manager, Jeff Scott, could return for the 2007 season.

After the stunning firing of the popular Bill Masse, the Trenton Thunder were forced to find a new leader.

Tony Franklin became the eighth manager in Thunder history, and the team's first African-American skipper since DeMarlo Hale in 1999.

Franklin has extensive minor league managerial experience, entering the 2007 season just eight wins shy of 600 for his career.

"It’s great to be a Yankee," Franklin said from his home in Los Angeles, CA. "I’ve been in baseball for 38 years and have always thought the Yankees would be an exciting organization to be a part of and I’m glad Trenton is where I’ll get that chance."

Also new to the Thunder will be former Patriots and big league hurler Scott Aldred as pitching coach and ex-Mets catcher Tom Wilson as hitting coach.

As for Masse, he quickly landed with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Toronto's Eastern League affiliate. It's no coincidence that Rick Brenner, the president of the Fisher Cats, was the Thunder's General Manager when Masse was originally hired back in 2005.

New Hampshire's first appearance in Trenton will be May 1st, and it'll be very interesting to see if there's a rivalry in the making between these two teams.

Off-Season Notes: The Somerset Patriots will be holding auditions for national anthem singers at Menlo Park Pall on February 24th from 12PM to 5PM. Ten people each from five counties, including Hunterdon, will be allowed to sign up. The team will select five people to perform the national anthem before select Somerset home games during the 2007 season...Quite a few Patriots signed with affiliated clubs in the off-season; Fernando Lunar (Braves), Jeff Urban (Giants), Justin Wechsler (White Sox), Tommy Rojas (Nationals) and Brad King (Twins) were among a handful of players to get a second chance...In addition to the bobbleheads previously announced by the Trenton Thunder, the team will also give away a Hideki Matsui release to commemorate his rehab stint with the team last year.