Ex-Phils manager Larry Bowa put in an appearance on ESPN's Baseball Tonight yesterday and then appeared in the Forgetable-Corporate-Sponsor Hot Seat also on ESPN.

My guess is that in an effort to hasten the dumbing down of the network, ESPN is attempting to co-opt the entire staff of the most poorly run franchise in baseball. It started with former broadcaster John Kruk, who has been the bane of BT all season and may soon remain the only writer on ESPN.com that one can read for free. Now Bowa, who says that a managerial job will be hard to get by next season, makes a cameo on BT and may Bobby V into a position there next season.

One can only hope in this attempt to subsume, and I use the term loosely, the Phil's braintrust, that ESPN soon corrals both GM Ed Wade and president Dave Montgomery so that the franchise overhaul can soon be completed and more competent individuals can fill their enormous shoes.