season marks the 50th anniversary of the Pacers franchise.

In Miami, Barry Bonds leans against the batting cage every afternoon, working his hitting-coach magic. In San Diego, Mark McGwire has climbed the coaching ladder all the way to bench coach.In Chicago, Manny Ramirez is an official Cubs hitting consultant. In Houston, Roger Clemens is a special assistant and occasional Astros pitching instructor. In Colorado, Jason Giambi got a long look when the Rockies were searching for a manager four years ago.And then, well, theres A-Rod, the most cherished Yankees special adviser and instructor of them all. (Or something like that.)Once, people called them pariahs. Now its beginning to occur to us that not too far down the road, we may be calling them something else:Managers.Wait. Could that really happen?Heck, yeah. Of course it could. If those fabled members of the PED gang are so radioactive, how did they get hired to do these jobs? So what makes anyone think there would be some sort of stigma preventing them from getting a managing job?I think were past that, said an official of one American League club. Weve let them in as coaches, right?Uh, right. So I did another one of my famous surveys of 14 executives across baseball last week and asked them whether they foresaw any of the six men above managing in the big leagues. Just three of them said no way. So while the writers continue to work to keep these men out of Cooperstown, the folks who run baseball arent even keeping them out of the clubhouse.Rightly or wrongly, said a longtime National League executive, the stigma of steroid use is fading.Were a very forgiving society, said another.If these guys want to manage, said a third, the only thing that would stop them is not PEDs. It would be other factors.Other factors? Oh yeah. Them. We heard a lot of talk about those other factors. And lets start with this factor. As yet another longtime exec put it, managing is really hard.Egotistically, these guys might want to do it, he went on. But once they see what the job really is, I dont know that theyd want to.Know what? Hes onto something. That little matter of what the job really is has kept players of their stature -- even ones with no PED ties -- from taking this plunge for years. With research help from ESPN Stats & Informations Sarah Langs, we can tell you all about that:? Four of these six men are in the 500-homer club. They might want to know that only four members of that club have ever managed, none of the four won a World Series, and the most recent (Frank Robinson) retired from playing 40 years ago.? Clemens, of course, is in the 300-win club. Although five 300-game winners have managed, just one of them (Walter Johnson) threw a pitch in the past 100 seasons. None of those five won a World Series either, by the way.? Four of these players on our list are also former MVPs. And at least theres precedent for that. Seven MVPs in the past half-century went on to manage. But the only MVP since 1949 to win a World Series as a manager was Joe Torre. And we should mention that Torre was in his 16th year of managing (and with his fourth team) when he finally won.So thats my question, said one of the execs quoted above. Is someone on your list going to be patient enough to manage three or four different teams for 20 years? I dont think so.And thats not all. Managing in the 21st century means talking to the media twice a day every day for more than seven months. It means handling nonstop second-guessing. It means taking orders from the front office on all sorts of stuff. It means often having no control over the makeup of your roster. And it means constantly dealing with one issue after another.Even the guys who have coached, said the same exec, have it easier than the manager. They dont have to deal with: This guy is late. This guy is ticked. This guys not playing hard. And on and on. As a coach, you dont have to deal with any of that. So who would want to do this? Think about it. Its not like youre asking to be president of the United States. But when youve had the career these guys have had, why would you want to do this?Its an excellent question. And if none of these men ever manage, thats probably the biggest reason. They dont need the aggravation. But lets just say its theoretically possible. Who is most likely, and who is least likely, to manage some day? After conducting this survey, Id rank them this way (from most likely to least):1. Jason GiambiHis former manager in Cleveland, Terry Francona, called him a manager in waiting. And of the execs I spoke with who know him, they were unanimous that he has the personality, people skills, media skills and love of the daily grind to do it. One exec also spoke of his humility, which comes in handy in this line of work. And if managing the human beings in the local clubhouse is a priority for the next team that interviews him, Giambi just might get hired.Remember, said one exec, Cleveland kept him on their team all year a few years ago even though he couldnt play -- just so that he could impact their clubhouse.2. Mark McGwireBig Mac has spent more seasons as a big league coach (seven) than everyone else on this list combined. He was a hitting coach for three years in St. Louis, spent the next three years as the hitting coach in Los Angeles, and now serves as San Diego Padres manager Andy Greens bench coach. For what its worth, Green has been ejected twice this season, so McGwire can say he has 12 action-packed innings of big league managing experience. The one thing people who know him worry about is that he might be too quiet by nature to handle all the media and leadership demands. But he has put in the time. Hes extremely likable. And he has taken ownership of his PED past.Unlike all the others, said one exec who voted for him for this ranking, he has admitted his use and accepted the consequences.3. Barry BondsOK, weve now moved into the portion of these rankings where theres about as likely a chance of a Kardashian sister managing in the big leagues as there is of these next four guys managing. But humor us, all right? Why did I rank Bonds third? Because at least he has coached in the big leagues -- hes in the midst of his first season as the Marlins hitting coach. And one thing he has proved is that hes a really bright man who can teach hitting and command any room he wants to command. But if you asked me if hell even decide he wants to be the hitting coach again in Miami next year, Id say no. And if you asked me to imagine him chatting amiably with the media for 200 hours a season, which is a job requirement of modern managing, Id say hell no.Barry could manage, said one exec. But is he going to want to manage and do everything he has to do to manage? Im amazed hes still the batting coach there, to be honest.4. Alex RodriguezAs recently as this spring, Yankees manager Joe Girardi predicted his man A-Rod would manage someday because I think he likes all the strategy of the game. And you have to admit this guy proved in his postseason TV gig that he has thought a lot about the game and can talk the language of baseball. But ... can he manage a major league baseball team? Wow. Didnt sense a lot of enthusiasm for that idea. Would an owner and GM trust him to say the right thing before and after every game for six months? Would his insecurities bubble over and flood the clubhouse the first time he got second-guessed for some bullpen move that went amiss? And above all, could he deal with all those strong personalities as a manager that he had so much trouble connecting with as a player?I think hed be very good with the young players, said one AL exec. But veteran players have always had a hard time relating to him. Maybe in four or five years, when that whole generation is pretty much out of the game, I could see it. But would he even want to? I have my doubts.5. Roger ClemensIm not sure exactly how I decided to rank the Rocket over Manny. Work ethic, maybe? At least I got a vote from one exec that Clemens would be an outstanding pitching coach. Is there any doubt about his thorough understanding of the art of pitching? Pretty much none. But beyond that? Who would hire him to manage a major league baseball team?Hes the only one on your list, said one AL exec, that I would definitively say wont [manage].6. Manny RamirezWould he remember to show up for work every day? Would he remember to write out the lineup card? Would he run spring training drills that taught his corner outfielders how to make diving cutoffs of throws by their center fielder? Would he teach his base stealers how to lead off second base and then steal first? Would he make it through an entire season without talking to the media? All of which is another way of saying Manny Pacquiao would be a better choice to manage your team than this Manny. But Ill say this: That has nothing to do with PEDs. Hed avoid this job strictly on merit. Kyle Kuzma Jersey . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Michael Cooper Lakers Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. http://www.lakersbasketballshop.com/Elgin-Baylor-Jersey/ . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Kurt Rambis Jersey .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Derek Fisher Jersey . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. INDIANAPOLIS -- Isaiah Thomas fought through an off-shooting night, then came through for the Boston Celtics when it matter most.Thomas scored 23 points, including Bostons final eight, to lead the visiting Celtics past the Indiana Pacers 105-99 on Saturday night.Isaiah did a lot for our team tonight even though he wasnt shooting well, Avery Bradley said of his teammates 12-point fourth quarter. Thats what the game is all about, the fourth quarter.Thomas had just four points through 34 minutes before scoring 19 over the final 14 minutes. He hit several clutch shots to keep Indiana at bay and sealed the win at the foul line in the final 30 seconds.With all-star Paul George sitting out the game with a sprained left ankle, the Pacers needed the help Thomas was affording them. After starting hot, the Pacers looked as if they wouldnt miss their leading scorer.In the first half, Indiana was crisp on offense, moving the ball, spacing the floor and getting the shots they wanted. But after halftime, they cooled off from the field and looked scattered at times on both ends of the floor.Boston lingered, and all they needed was Thomas to get involved.With his team struggling to seize control of a tight contest, Thomas surged in the fourth quarter. Nursing a 91-89 lead with 4:04 left, Thomas calmly hit a floater in the lane. After Monta Ellis hit a free throw to pull Indiana within 97-94 with 1:31 left, Thomas hit a pair of free throws, scored on a fastbreak layup with a minute left, and then added four free throws to seal Bostons second road win of the year.Pacers coach Nate McMillan said his team didnt challenge Boston in the final minutes to play to Indianas strengths.We want to make teams defend, get to our second, third, fourth option, McMillen said. You dont win games when you dont make plays down the stretch.Kelly Olynyk scored 16 for the Celtics, who were playing the first of two straight road games. Amir Johnson scored 14 and grabbed nine rebouunds, while Bradley had 13 points and five assists.dddddddddddd.Jeff Teague led Indiana with 20 points and 4 assists. Myles Turner scored 17 and had 8 rebounds. Ellis notched 15 points in the Pacers first home loss of the season.TIP-INSBoston: Al Horford sat out for the fifth straight game due to NBA concussion protocol but did travel with the team on its two-game road trip ... Saturdays win was Bostons second in a row after losing three straight. ... Terry Rozier had a career-high 11 points. ... Isaiah Thomas went 14-for-15 from the foul line.Indiana: Rodney Stuckey sat out for the ninth time in 10 games with a strained right hamstring. ... The Pacers honored their teams of the 1960s during halftime. This season marks the 50th anniversary of the Pacers franchise. ... After hitting 13 of their first 23 shots in the first quarter, the Pacers shot just 36.5 percent over the final three quarters. ... Indiana was held to less than 100 points for just the second time this season.PG SITS BUT SPEAKSGeorge offered his assessment of the teams disappointing loss at home. It was really frustrating, especially at home against a good team, he said of sitting out the game Saturday. I thought our problems were much of the same thing. We were real stagnant on offense once again.YOUNG SPARKJames Young got hot at different junctures of Saturdays game and proved to be a key in Bostons win. He scored 12 points in 16 minutes off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. In his five appearances before Saturday, Young hadnt scored in the 18 minutes of action hed seen. His dunk and 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter helped Boston take a 79-76 lead into the final period.UP NEXT:Boston: visits New Orleans on Monday to complete a 2-game road trip.Indiana: is home against Orlando on Monday in the second of four straight home games. ' ' '