Nunnally the new Hitting Coach, Rule V Thursday

Good morning. I'm making it quick this morning as I've got some finals to work on before I go to to take them. Yeah. Finals at noon and then work after, with work tomorrow, so this is my window.

Because work is tomorrow, I'll be not present for the Rule V draft, unlike last year when I watched the entire damn thing.

It only figures that this year there is a chance the Indians actually select someone.

Let's talk first about the Indians that are on the block.

Believe it or not, the names that I've heard come up around the web the most don't include Matt McBride and Chuck Lofgren, the two names I was expecting to be prominently brought up. I'm going to shoot and say McBride is just far away enough for teams to not bite, or he isn't as well known (maybe like Jordan Brown last year).

The names that seem to be coming up the most... Yohan Pino and Jason Grilli.

Yep..

Because he is not on the 40 man roster and signed to a Minor League deal, Grilli is Rule V eligible. Grilli has mentioned this several times in tweets and I sort of just laughed it off, but Castrovince said that there "is a good chance" that he gets taken in the draft.

Amazing..

The other name is Yohan Pino, that seems to come up very frequently on blogs and sites evaluating the prospects out there. He's on many many lists, so if these bloggers are taking notice of him, I have to imagine teams are. Maybe his former team in Minnesota would like to get him back. They did just designate Boof Bonser to make room for Carl Pavano, who accepted salary arbitration, so I don't know if they have room or need, but hey.

Anyway it seems to be that those two Indians are generating the most buzz around the web and according to Castrovince, at the meetings with Grilli's name going around.

Pino is number three on Tony Lastoria's top ten players that can generate the most interest. Number one is interestingly enough, Neil Wagner.

Switching to the Tribe side real quick. Castrovince said the Indians may be thinking of taking someone in the Rule V draft. With an open spot and some needs that can be filled on the cheap, the situation first and foremost, presents itself this year. Mark Shapiro, speak.

"We're definitely talking about it. In the past, we've felt we wanted to protect our own players. But we were able to create some roster flexibility this year."

Shapiro said they are "spending time on it" probably because they aren't spending time on anything else. Indians news is completely DEAD. Even with the hustle and bustle of the Witner Meetings, there is zip, zilch, nada in concerns to the Indians. They're going to float Kerry Wood's name around this winter, just to get a base (reference). But they are not dealing him this winter. I mean, a team could overwhelm them, but that won't happen, so let's not even consider it. This is basically the period for Shapiro to go around and say, "Hey, in-season if your closer goes down. I have this guy named Kerry Wood. Call me first."

The big news is that Manny Acta rocked the Fedora during his first day at the Winter Meetings. I've got visual evidence that this has been done before.

So we've got a manager that has some style and, not only that, can pull of a Fedora.

I envy that. I can barely pull off those knit caps with the brim. I have an Indians one that's black and gray to go with my winter coat, because a blue and red knit cap without the brim would look weird.

Okay I swear I'm not that stylish but. Hey. Manny, congrats to you for pulling off the fedora.

Look at him with the jeans and the jacket. I mean damn. I love that he loves hats though. That is one thing we now share. A love of hats.

Anyway, Acta spoke with the media and provided a few nuggets. Including one about Grady Sizemore's Hudgen's moment. He took my advice and didn't look at them and his reason was very compelling.

"Why would I want to see them?"

Exactly!!! Because if you did, you have to look him in the eye for 180 some days a year and be like, YEAHHH SAW YOU NAKED BOY!!!

More importantly, Acta tackled a few more important issues, which you can read on the CastroTurf link posted above or in Hoynes wrap up here. They also have audio at the bottom of the article.

Acta was able to nationally put out some of the things he said to us for the past few months. You've all heard the song and dance if you've read this blog since he was hired. It's the same old stuff for us, but probably new to the national media.

We've also got some more quotes from people, like former general manager Jim Bowden. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but more people than him have given Acta an endorsement for me to feel better.

This guy is a character! Wearing fedoras, rubbing pepsi cans that Tony LaRussa drank out of on his sleeve so he can "get a little bit of him on me."

This guy rocks!

Okay two more items.. The biggest one is that Jon Nunnally will be named as the Cleveland Indians hitting coach today, officially.

Nunnally was the right choice if you ask me. Hafner gave him an endorsement after spending time in Columbus on rehab and he's worked with a select number of these players and has even turned them right. Asdrubal Cabrera, Luis Valbuena, all of the catchers, Matt LaPorta, Andy Marte, Michael Brantley.

He's got a relationship and after this guy turned around ANDY MARTE of all people, I say he deserves it.

Columbus is now completely decimated. Mike Sarbaugh will be heading an entirely new staff next season in Columbus. New manager, new trainer, new hitting coach, new pitching coach.

Nunnally beat out Dave Hudgens (no relation to Vanessa, we think), who is the Indians minor league field coordinator. Hudgens once was the hitting coach for the Athletics, so he had major league experience.

Let's hope Nunnally has Leo Mazzone type magic.

Finally.... A few people are ticked that Shapiro told Mike Hargrove that they wanted to get away from the past when telling him they weren't interested in his services as manager for the Cleveland Indians.

I was dead set against Mike Hargrove from the very beginning and we all should know why. Shapiro is right. The Indians do not need to be making hires just to appease people who want to see the past. As I said with Sandy Alomar Jr., it needs to make sense, but if the connection there, it is a bonus. Sandy Alomar Jr.'s connection is a bonus, not the reason he was hired.

So it may have ticked Mike Hargrove off, but Shapiro did what he had to do and if people are upset because of it, they need to get oveerrrrr it. Hargrove understands the reasoning, but... It ticked him off.. It ticked him off, he understands it..

So it must be true?

Why else would someone understand it but be ticked off about it?

He knew Shapiro was right.

And that's it.. I'll leave it at that. Rule V tomorrow, I'll try and tweet between working and my final if something happens, which I feel will. Be it losing someone or gaining someone. I have a feeling this will be a year in which the Indians are part of the Rule V in some way, since they won't be involved in the Winter Meetings in any other instance.