MLB Bullets Needs A Day Off

So my time in charge comes to an end, thankfully. I turn this blog back over to Al. Welcome back, Yellon. The Sweathogs are all yours.

• The Cubs aren't the only team looking for a new manager, and the Nationals are reportedly seriously considering Cal Ripken Jr. for the job. OK, the report comes from Jim Bowden, which normally would make it suspect. But Bowden used to be the GM in Washington, so it makes sense that he might have some contacts there. Plus, if it weren't true, the Nats front office would have leaked something shooting it down by now. In case you've forgotten, Nats outfielder Jayson Werth has publicly campaigned for Ripken to get the job.
• Ripken, for his part, sounds like he would like the job very much but isn't going to say so publicly. He does say that he has the "itch" to return to baseball.
• Richard Justice says that Ripken would make a great manager. He admits that we won't know how he'll do until after he gets hired (hey, that sounds familiar) but that Ripken has the necessary skills despite not having coached before.
• Thomas Boswell thinks that Cal Ripken shouldn't just be handed the Nats managerial job. He thinks he should have to prove himself the best man for the job before getting a chance to manage. Now Boswell does think that Ripken could prove himself the best man for the job, but he thinks it's important that Ripken shows his drive and desire by fighting for the job.
• Seriously. Could you imagine asking for a day off as a player if Cal Ripken were your manager? Heck, you wouldn't even tell him you needed a day off because they took your appendix out last night. Ripken would have to overcome that problem immediately.
• The Orioles aren't the only team considering an ex-star with no managerial experience. The Reds are reportedly considering Paul O'Neill for their vacant manager spot. Or they're not. Depends on who you believe.
• Speaking of the Reds job, Joe Posnanski says that Dusty Baker's mortal sin was that he never won the World Series.
• The Cubs aren't the only team not getting their first choice to manage the team. The Mariners first choice was reportedly Lou Piniella, and they did everything they could to get him to come out of retirement. Sweet Lou still said no.
• Ken Rosenthal predicts that while the Mariners might not get Lou Piniella, he predicts they'll land free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
• He may have led the team to the NLCS, but the Dodgers are only "leaning" towards bringing Don Mattingly back next season. Ouch. They won't decide either way until the Dodgers season is over.
• The Rockies owner said they will sign their manager Walt Weiss to a new, multi-year deal in the next week.
• He also said they have no plans to trade Troy Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez.
• So you've probably heard that Joe Girardi is going to manage the Yankees next season. But the Cubs (and other teams) interest in him forced the Yankees to do something they had never done before: give their manager a four-year contract.
• The Yankees are also close to coming to terms with a contract extension for their pitching coach, Larry Rothschild. You're probably familiar with him.
• Marc Normandin wonders if Joe Girardi made a mistake in not leaving the Yankees for the Cubs. He believes bright times are ahead on the North Side, whereas the Yankees are looking at a lean year or two. However, he does believe that the Yankees wealth will not allow them to be down for long, so Girardi couldn't have made a bad choice either way.
• Mike Bauman takes the time to praise Cardinals manager Mike Matheny.
• Will Leitch, on the other hand, wants to praise fat ballplayers. In particular, Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams. He gets kudos from bringing up the David Letterman/Terry Forster incident from 1985, however. I remember watching Letterman the night he first ripped into Forster for being "a fat tub of goo."
• Adam Wainwright is deservedly getting a reputation for being a pitcher that dominates in the post-season.
• Michael Wacha doesn't like it, but he's being a good sport about his Fozzie Bear connection. As I always say "Wacha Wacha."
• Here's the most bizarre story of the week and it's been getting a lot of play. Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers is upset that his pitchers aren't hitting more batters, saying "an eye for an eye." This lack of bloodthirstiness is apparently one reason why pitching coach Charles Nagy was fired.
• Rob Neyer is highly critical of Towers and points out that the Diamondbacks pitchers hit more batters than D-Backs hitters were hit. He also wonders about Towers comment that pitchers who won't "protect" the Diamondbacks hitters might have to be traded.
• Towers later said his comments were misconstrued and that he only meant that Arizona pitchers need to pitch inside more.
• Eric Nusman wonders how in the world "an eye for an eye" could be misconstrued. But he is willing to give Towers the benefit of the doubt and say that it was probably just his frustration over the season talking and that he didn't really mean it.
• Personal rant: Towers needs to be fined and the Diamondbacks pitchers need to be under extra scrutiny next season. Probably the Braves pitchers too. Headhunting cannot be tolerated in the game. I don't expect Bud Selig to do any of that. Although I'll admit that if he did, he wouldn't tell anyone about it.
• Ted Berg says that despite their exit from the playoffs, there are lots of reasons for hope in Pittsburgh.
• Andrew McCutchen stepped up and replaced the uniforms of a youth softball team in Florida who had paid $2000 for uniforms they never received. MVP, MVP.
• The Tigers bounced the Athletics out of the playoffs last night. Michael Rosenberg calls the Athletics "snakebit" and he wrote that before Game 5.
• Gwen Knapp examines the Athletics terrible postseason record and wonders if there is something about "Moneyball" that actively makes a team bad in the playoffs. Her conclusion? Nope, they're just snakebit.
• Danny Knobler says the Tigers may trade Max Scherzer this offseason. Craig Calcaterra ain't buying it.
• Tom Verducci uses one word to describe the Red Sox: relentless.
• The Mets are willing to spend money, but it doesn't make sense for them to pursue Robinson Cano or Jose Abreu.
• Rob Neyer finds an article in Foreign Policy that looks at the decline of baseball in Panama.
• Mike Trout wants to follow the example set by his father. Except for that whole "never play above Double-A" thing, but he's already kind of blown that. His dad is no doubt disappointed.
• David Brown is impressed with the job Mark DeRosa is doing for the MLB Network. DeRosa isn't ready to retire yet and join the media. But I have no doubt he will one day soon.
• Manny Machado will have knee surgery and will be out 4 to 6 months. The Orioles better hope it's closer to four than six.
• An interesting article about how digital technology is changing scouting.
• Finally, a report to Uni Watch said that MLB is going to change from their New Era caps to ones like their batting practice caps in 2014. MLB is apparently upset that New Era is making baseball caps exactly like MLB caps for the NFL now. MLB has (sort of) denied the rumor, but they do admit they are "in negotiations" with New Era for beyond 2014. Nike is also reportedly making a big pitch to win MLB's cap contract.