This is Progress?

The Nationals hired Dusty Baker as manager yesterday, a move that prompted MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to declare how “encouraging” this was because “the best person for the job turned out to be African American.”  Well, maybe.

But what about Willie Randolph?  He did pretty well with the Mets, and he’s said he wants another shot at it.  Ex-Cub Derrek Lee always struck me as a pretty smart guy.  Did anyone ask him?  Barry Larkin got into the HOF as a shortstop, and that’s a brainy position.  How could he do any worse than Baker, who blew a World Series in 2002 and topped himself a year later with the Cubs?  Forget Steve Bartman in the stands.  You had Dusty Baker comatose in the dugout with his team just five outs from a World Series.

And, if you want to expand the list of minority candidates, consider Raul Ibanez, Sandy Alomar and Dave Martinez.  And what about Ozzie Guillen?  He sounds mellower these days, and he has a Series ring to prove his smarts.

Coincidentally, Clare called this morning, to complain that she misses baseball.  She also she’d been looking at available MLB jobs.  A good thing baseball doesn’t discriminate against women.  Right?     He