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At least one of Fredi Gonzalez’s former employers stood behind him Wednesday.

Braves manager Bobby Cox used his pregame media session in Chicago to rip Florida owner Jeffrey Loria for firing Gonzalez, who was a coach for four years under Cox before taking the Marlins’ job.

"They’ve gone down to the end [contending for the playoffs] every year, playing their [butts] off," Cox told reporters, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "[Loria] doesn’t appreciate anything. He’s one of those guys that thinks you change [just for the sake of change]. He’s always wanting to fire the coaches. Always. That’s his history. He lost a good one there."

Gonzalez, 46, has long been considered a possible successor to Cox, who is retiring after this season. The speculation is only expected to increase now that Gonzalez is available, though Gonzalez still has a year remaining on his Florida contract, the AJC reported. Gonzalez still has a home in the Atlanta area.

"As I have said from the beginning of the season, we won’t comment on the manager situation till after Bobby has managed his last game with us," Braves general manager Frank Wren told the AJC in an e-mail Wednesday. "As it pertains to Fredi Gonzalez, in light of what happened this morning, we all have high regard for Fredi but we won’t have any further comment."

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who might follow Cox into retirement this year, is a Gonzalez booster.

"I think everybody in here would love to have Fredi back," Jones said. "He coached third base here for a few years, learned a lot from Bobby. He knows how things work around here. All the guys love him. I think he’d be a great fit. In what capacity, that remains to be seen. But some puzzle pieces would certainly fit [if Gonzalez was hired]."

Sporting News Audio is a weekly series of conversations with Sporting News experts during the MLB season. In this installment, Ryan Fagan talks about his weekly power poll in Sporting News Today, and which teams are rising and which are falling.

Mets ace Johan Santana was accused of sexual battery last year, but prosecutors dropped the case due to lack of evidence, TMZ reports.

The website obtained a copy of a report filed by a woman with the Lee County, Fla., sheriff’s office on Oct. 28. In the report, the woman tells officials Santana sexually assaulted her when they were walking on a Fort Myers golf course the day before.

TMZ reports sheriff’s detectives met several times with the prosecutor from the State’s Attorney’s Office to review the case. Ultimately, "DNA evidence did prove there was intercourse, but, according to a Sheriff’s document, the prosecutor concluded, ‘There was not enough evidence to prove lack of consent, the alleged victim’s statement is not consistent with other witnesses.’ "

The case was closed out on Dec. 8.

"Johan denied the charges and was never charged with anything," a Santana representative tells the website. "As far as the law enforcement side of this goes, the case is closed."

BALTIMORE — Fredi Gonzalez was fired as manager of the Florida Marlins on Wednesday, with the team owner saying "we can do better and be better."

The Marlins are 34-36 following a win over Baltimore on Tuesday night. Florida began the day in fourth place in the NL East, 7 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta.

Edwin Rodriguez, who has spent the past 1 1/2 seasons as manager of Triple-A New Orleans, takes over as manager on an interim basis.

Also fired were bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Jim Presley. They were replaced on an interim basis by Brandon Hyde and John Mallee.

"We owe it to our fans to put this team in the best possible position to win," owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Everyone knows how I feel about winning. That’s the reason we’re making this change."

Gonzalez did not immediately return a phone call or a text message seeking comment.

In three-plus seasons as the Marlins’ manager, Gonzalez was 276-279. Before the 2009 season, he received a contract extension through 2011.

Gonzalez is the third manager to lose his job this season. The others are Dave Trembley at Baltimore and Trey Hillman at Kansas City.

When last season ended, Gonzalez’s job was considered in jeopardy because Loria was upset that the Marlins failed to make the playoffs, although they finished 12 games above .500 with the smallest payroll in baseball. Several times this year Loria denied Gonzalez should be worried about his job security, most recently at the start of a trip May 7 in Washington.

But at the start of spring training, Loria had made it clear he had high hopes this season.

"I expect us to make the playoffs," he said. "We’ve got all the ammunition we need."

That comment ratcheted up expectations for a team that outscored opponents by six runs last season and made no major offseason additions. Payroll this season is about $45 million, the highest since 2005 but still third-lowest in the NL.

The firing could add to speculation that Gonzalez will be on the list of possible sucessors in Atlanta for Bobby Cox, who plans to retire after the season. Gonzalez was Atlanta’s third-base coach under Cox before getting hired by the Marlins, and remains very close with the longtime Braves’ skipper.

Gonzalez has kept his ties to Atlanta; his family still makes its year-round home in a suburb not far from the Braves’ ballpark.

Loria replaced Jeff Torborg with Jack McKeon in May 2003, when the Marlins began an improbable run to the World Series title. In 2006, Gonzalez was hired to replace Joe Girardi, fired after only one season shortly before he was chosen NL manager of the year.

Girardi brought a drill-sergeant approach to the job, while Gonzalez’s low-key personality made him more of a players’ manager. One possible replacement, Bobby Valentine, would be another drill sergeant.

In 2009, Valentine ended a six-year run as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League. He managed the Texas Rangers when Loria owned that organization’s Triple-A team in Oklahoma in 1989-92.

Valentine led the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000, where they lost to the Yankees. He reached the postseason twice in 15 years with the Rangers and Mets. His career record is 1,117-1,072. He’s currently working for ESPN.

Rodriguez is in his eighth season with the Marlins’ organization. Before his stay in New Orleans, he spent two years as manager of Single-A Greensboro and two seasons as manager of the GCL Marlins. He also was the hitting coach for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats.

While the Marlins seemed upbeat following their first two-game winning streak since June 10-11, second baseman Dan Uggla said the team is still coming together.

"We’re not necessarily concerned with the .500 mark because once we do get back to it we need to keep going," Uggla said after Tuesday night’s game. "Right now we’re all about winning and coming together as a team. We can’t waste any more time. We have to make a move."

The move came Wednesday, with Loria optimistic his Marlins, who missed the playoffs last year after finishing 12 games over .500 with the league’s smallest payroll, can make a run at the postseason.

"We still have a very long season in front of us, and plenty of time to turn things around," Loria said. "Everyone – our fans, our team, our organization, and myself – wants us to win. That continues to be, and will always be, the goal."

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has overtaken Phillies second baseman Chase Utley for first place among National League vote-getters in fan balloting for this year’s All-Star Game.

Results released Tuesday show Pujols with a lead of more than 200,000 votes over Utley.

The All-Star Game will be held July 13 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.

First Base

1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals, 2,622,123
2. Ryan Howard, Phillies, 1,137,058
3. Prince Fielder, Brewers, 789,526
4. Troy Glaus, Braves, 753,249
5. Joey Votto, Reds, 691,075

Second Base

1. Chase Utley, Phillies, 2,409,027
2. Martin Prado, Braves, 1,170,897
3. Dan Uggla, Marlins, 775,319
4. Rickie Weeks, Brewers, 656,405
5. Brandon Phillips, Reds, 631,737

Third Base

1. Placido Polanco, Phillies, 1,157,196
2. David Wright, Mets, 1,026,658
3. Chipper Jones, Braves, 871,375
4. Casey McGehee, Brewers, 833,959
5. Scott Rolen, Reds, 812,450

Shortstop

1. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, 1,501,056
2. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies, 1,205,832
3. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, 936,338
4. Jose Reyes, Mets, 681,774
5. Orlando Cabrera, Reds, 641,759

Catcher

1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals, 1,322,095
2. Brian McCann, Braves, 1,201,920
3. Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals, 1,084,146
4. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies, 902,790
5. Rod Barajas, Mets, 673,328

Outfield

1. Ryan Braun, Brewers, 1,816,052
2. Jason Heyward, Braves, 1,786,786
3. Andre Ethier, Dodgers, 1,723,266
4. Jayson Werth, Phillies, 1,345,798
5. Shane Victorino, Phillies, 1,252,792
6. Matt Holliday, Cardinals, 1,187,686
7. Matt Kemp, Dodgers, 943,962
8. Jason Bay, Mets, 868,059
9. Raul Ibanez, Phillies, 846,395
10. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, 828,369
11. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, 725,614
12. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks, 583,445
13. Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals, 564,005
14. Jonny Gomes, Reds, 547,681
15. Colby Rasmus, Cardinals, 537,126

Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez has talked to manager Jerry Manuel and pitching coach Dan Warthen about the team’s revolving door when it comes to the eight-inning setup situation, according to the New York Daily News.

"It is tough because in preparation, you don’t know if you have to prepare for coming into the game with one out in the eighth or you may have to get two outs in the eighth to go into the ninth," Rodriguez said. "It’s a lot easier when you already know what’s going to be your guys. Who’s going to be the guy in front of you and you go by the game plan after that."

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton tells a Dallas radio station that he won’t take part in this year’s Home Run Derby the night before the All-Star Game.

"I ain’t going to mess with it this year if I get voted in," Hamilton tells ESPN 103.3 FM.

He gained national attention with his first-round power display in the 2008 Derby at Yankee Stadium. 

Hamilton (.337 average, 16 homers, 52 RBIs) is third in the latest AL fan voting for the July 13 game.

Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran (knee) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.

At that point, the Mets will have 20 days to activate him from the disabled list.

After watching Beltran work out in Florida over the weekend, Mets general manager Omar Minaya told the team’s website that he was impressed. "I had not been here for a while, and we had been getting reports, but watching him, the leg seems to be getting stronger," Minaya said. "I can tell you that I’m pleased. Talking to the staff, watching him run and watching him run the bases, he was getting after it."

Beltran had arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome right knee in January, has progressed slowly and has yet to play for the Mets this season.