The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Cubs have chosen Lou Piniella to take over for Dusty Baker:

By the end of next week, Lou Piniella is expected to be named the 48th manager in Cubs history.

Told Friday by the Sun-Times that all signs pointed to the job being his, Piniella stepped back, smiled and politely declined to comment during a pivotal day in the process.

So if the fact that the Reds totally jumped the gun in extending Jerry Narron's contract didn't dash your hopes about getting the firebrand, this ought to help.

He ought to be an interesting character to come up against in the series against the Cubs, though. I wonder: will working for the Cubs compel him to make odd personnel decisions and over-love the veterans? Or would he have done that regardless of where he managed in the NLC?

According to Marc (and others by now), the Reds will not be bringing back hitting coach Chris Chambliss next season. Pitching coach Vern Ruhle, who hasn't coached much pitching this year thanks to his ongoing cancer treatment, will be reassigned, probably to something that jibes better with his medical schedule.

Just talked to Wayne Krivsky, who said Chambliss was informed of the decision last week. He declined to specify any reasons for the dismissal.

“We like Chris a lot,” said Krivsky. “He's a consummate pro, a quality person, he knows hitting. I can’t say anything bad about the guy.”

“But I'd like to,” he continued, “because then it would look less like I'm doing this just to displace blame for our late-season collapse from myself.”

Not really, of course. That's just what he said in my imagination.

I also asked who made the final call on the staff changes.

“Ultimately, it's Jerry's call,” said Krivsky. “We talk all the time and Jerry and I don't disagree on much on a serious level. Well, there might be one, but he says all that stuff in jest, anyway.”

Can you count three things that are wrong with this quote? Let's do it together:

1. The irony that Jerry Narron is firing coaches based on the team's performance is too much to bear.

2. Our general manager doesn't disagree with Narron about anything serious, such as benching Edwin Encarnación, pitching Ryan Franklin into the ground, or pinch-hitting with Royce Clayton.

3. Use of the word “ultimately” and the phrase “in jest.” It's like Dan O'Brien never left.

Just when I was bracing myself emotionally to see Rich Aurilia head back to the Giants, columnist Joel Sherman starts throwing Richie's name around as part of The Moves to Make in today's New York Post. Putting our beloved Bad Man at first base (or as a utility infielder) is apparently part of Sherman's “bold offseason plan” for the Yankees.

FIND A FIRST BASEMAN: This is a more likely place to risk taking Aurilia or DeRosa. Jason Giambi must be made a near-regular DH. In addition, the Yanks have to resolve to play Melky Cabrera 3-4 times a week next year and rotate Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu between rest and the DH slot. This means Giambi might play only 120 games. So be it. The Yanks have to think about being a better defensive team.

OK, so that's columnists for the Giants and the Yankees writing about the prospect of bringing Aurilia aboard. Who's next? The Reds??

Per the story Aurilia open for a Giants return from today's San Fransisco Chronicle, Rich Aurilia says he isn't sure whether he'll exercise his half of the $2 million option for 2007 with the Reds. He says he had a lot of fun in San Fransisco and wouldn't mind going back there.

“The Giants are definitely on my list,” Aurilia said. “It's something definitely on my mind. I hope there would be interest. I'm curious to see who they will bring on to manage the team.”

The article goes on to mention how coincidental it is that Aurilia learned to play first, second, and third base in Cincinnati, and those positions just so happen to be question marks for the Giants next season. And despite an earlier comment about making the team younger, managing general partner Peter Magowan isn't prepared to go all youth-movement on us:

“When we say we're going to get younger and healthier, that's' on an overall basis,” Magowan said. “That will not prevent us from signing a player or two that fit the exact profile we have essentially been signing the last four, five years, who are elderly, good players at the tail end of their careers, but we think can have a place on our team. It's one thing to have one or two of those guys. It's another to have seven or eight of them.”

I know this isn't anything worth panicking about, but ACK! I'm panicking! I'd totally miss Richie. What other player's wife could I get to call in to the podcast??

No, not the Indianapolis Indians. The Cleveland ones. Can you believe it?

I can't believe I missed this story in the Beacon Journal on-line edition where the prospect of Royce Clayton filling the Indians' short-term shortstop need is explored:

Two veteran shortstops on the free-agent market who might interest the Tribe are Alex Gonzalez and Royce Clayton. Gonzalez is expected to re-sign with the Boston Red Sox. Clayton will be 37 next year. He's playing short for the Cincinnati Reds, hitting .256 with two home runs and 38 RBI in 132 games this season. Clayton or someone of that type would just be a stop-gap.

Hey, more power to 'em. I wouldn't mind seeing Clayton again only as part of the inter-league rivalry.