Slim Pickings

They’re dropping like flies. The candidates for the Nationals’ managerial position that is. First Lou Piniella takes the Cubs job. Then Joe Girardi withdraws. Then Dusty Baker says he hasn’t heard anything, so he’s assuming he’s out. Cecil Cooper and Joey Cora have also supposed been eliminated. And now Terry Pendleton has withdrawn from consideration. That leaves, among the publicly identified candidates anyway, Manny Acta and Tony Pena (Pena recently said he only talked to the Nationals once, by phone). Supposedly the Nationals also want to talk to some coaches of teams still in the World Series, but I’m not sure who. Feel free to browse the names of the Tigers and Cardinals coaches.