CINCINNATI -- In 24 hours, Ron Oester went from elation to shock.

One day after the Cincinnati Reds congratulated him on being their next manager, the third-base coach found out in a telephone call from a team spokesman that someone else got the job.

When Oester asked for more money, the club turned to Bob Boone, who was introduced Friday morning at a news conference. A stunned Oester drove to the stadium and quickly cleaned out his dressing cubicle, unsure whether he wanted to stay with his hometown team.

"It's a little tough to take," Oester said during a telephone interview. "The thing that's tough is I've spent my whole career here and I gave everything I could as a player and a coach. To be treated like this is disappointing. It's upsetting."

Oester, 44, grew up in Cincinnati and spent his entire 17-year career with the Reds organization, playing second base in the majors from 1978 through 1990.

He was first-base coach for Tony Perez in 1993 and spent the last four seasons as a coach for Ray Knight and Jack McKeon, who was fired the day after the season ended. Oester was a candidate for the job.

After giving Yankees third-base coach Willie Randolph a second interview on Wednesday night, general manager Jim Bowden called Oester into the team's offices Thursday morning, shook his hand and offered the job.

"He congratulated me on being manager," Oester said. "I was ecstatic. I thanked him and told him I was really looking forward to it."

When he spoke to chief operating officer John Allen about a contract, Oester realized there was a problem. The Reds offered a two-year deal for $300,000 and $350,000, substantially below market value.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, who had a payroll about $4 million less than the Reds' last season, gave rookie manager Lloyd McClendon a three-year deal averaging $500,000.

Oester asked for more money and Allen said he would discuss it with owner Carl Lindner, who wouldn't budge. The Reds asked Oester for an answer by noon Thursday, and Oester said he wouldn't take it on those terms.

"I called back and said I really want this job. I need a little bit more money," Oester said.

Oester said that Bowden reminded him how he took the GM job at a low salary after the 1992 season, when Marge Schott owned the team.

"I said I was in the organization when Marge cut my insurance and I made $20,000 as an infield instructor," Oester said. "It's not a money deal, it's a principle, what I think is fair for both sides.

"Jim agreed with me. So I was told, 'Hey, just sit on it, we'll get back with Carl.' I was led to believe they'd get back to me. Then I got the call this morning."

Bowden denied telling Oester to wait to see if Lindner would increase the offer. Bowden said that once Oester rejected the offer, the Reds started looking for someone else.

"That was kind of the end of the discussion," Bowden said. "We hung up, and I called John (Allen) and said we didn't make any headway. The big thing was the 12 o'clock deadline and when that came and went, it was over."

At that point, the Reds decided to contact Randolph about the job. He also wasn't interested in the contract terms being discussed.

The Reds then turned to Boone, offering the job Friday morning. Oester, who was under the impression the club was still considering his salary request, said a team spokesman called to inform him about the news conference to introduce Boone.

"I was shocked this morning," Oester said. "It's tough for me. It's hard on my kids. The problem I have is they never got back to me. I don't understand it."

Oester is under contract as a coach for one more year. He wasn't sure whether he would stay with the Reds.

"I don't know what I'll do yet," he said, shortly before leaving to take his children to the Cincinnati Zoo. "I've got a lot of thinking to do."