With the 2009 season in its waning days, its these few days without games during the post-season that remind me what the off-season will be.  No games to watch, only some lame reality TV to take its place.  Of course there are always some ESPN classics, the fun of which is trying to guess what makes the game a classic.

But for now, there is still plenty to write about.  While we can all speculate for days what happens if the game in the Bronx is rained out tonight, there are some big things happening around baseball.  First, according the Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, Jed Hoyer will be named the new General Manager of the San Diego Padres.  That ends speculation that Kim Ng will be named the first woman GM.  I guess baseball isn’t ready for that.  Hoyer has been a part of  the Boston Red Sox front office since 2002.  What is interesting is that Kevin Towers, the Padres former GM, may reappear as an assistant to Theo Epstein in Boston.  Theo cut his teeth as an assistant to Towers before moving over to Boston.  Larry Lucchino was Padres CEO when Towers joined them, and he is now the Red Sox CEO.  Its an old boy network still.  In effect, Hoyer and Towers could just be trading jobs.

At a speech a couple of weeks ago, I heard Donna Lopiano, former chief executive of the Women’s Sports Foundation say that men are taught to take care of each other from a very young age.  Men are rarely fired, they are simply traded to another team.

The Houston Astro’s are nearing a decision for their next manager.  The team had a long list of potential candidates, and that list has been pared down to Phil Garner, Manny Acta and Brad Mills, according to the Jose de Jesus Ortiz. I do not care how much you like someone who has already you have already fired once from a job, it is a mistake to go back there again, unless a) the person went off and worked elsewhere and gained new experience, or b.) you think you made a mistake by firing them the first time.

I just don’t understand how the players are supposed to think you are really in charge and solid the job if you have already been fired once.  I know managers are hired to be fired one day, but 24 year old players do not know that.  Still, I bet Garner gets the job. And the Astros will pay a severe price.

And finally, the Cleveland Indians are looking at Bobby Valentine to manage their club.  They are also reportedly  considering Manny Acta and Torey Luvollo (AAA Indians manager).  Valentine would be a huge change from Eric Wedge, who really acted as if he was their to protect his players at all costs.  Valentine’s experience in Japan could bring new training methods to an organization that has struggled with injuries the last couple of year, and also is known for thinking outside the box in terms of traditional MLB ways of doing things.  While it may not be Valentine’s dream job, it won’t get the best press coverage and he likes to be in the limelight, it could be a nice way for him to rejoin MLB.   If not Valentine, then expect the Indians to go with Luvollo, who has already managed most of the roster in his years as a minor league manager in the Indians system and knows them better than anyone else.