FanHouse TerryPendleton

I find it amazing that on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website, a story about Dale Murphy's son taking batting practice is more popular than stories about Chik-Fil-A changing their menu or Jason Giambi's gold thong. Okay, maybe not the last one, but still, it shows just how much of a heroic cult figure Dale is in Atlanta baseball lore.

So when the younger Murphy showed up for a tryout with the Braves and took cuts in the batting cage, you better believe that the greater Atlanta area got pretty excited about the prospect of him becoming a Brave -- even if it's a few years away.

Jake Murphy, 6-foot-4, 220 pound high school senior, signed a letter of intent to play football at Brigham Young but is still holding out hope he'll get drafted to play professional baseball like his father, perhaps by the same organization.

[...]He plays shortstop and third base, wide receiver and defensive back in football. He took a few turns in the cage and played some catch with his dad, who at 52, in jeans and an oxford, still looks like he would be at home in a baseball uniform.

Murphy, Jr., is a Braves fan and said it would be a "dream come true" if he got to play for the organization in a professional capacity. Terry Pendleton said that he had a "lot of potential" but quickly calmed down anyone that wanted to directly compare him to his father, someone that Pendleton repeatedly mentioned as "special".

Braves fans probably shouldn't get their hopes up, as Murphy Junes has said that the only way he's turning down football is if he's assured an early round pick, and based on what Pendleton said versus his guarantee at BYU, that seems pretty unlikely. Still exciting though.

With the surprising news of Buddy Bell's resignation earlier this week, the speculation as to who would replace Bell has already begun. A lot of people think that Dayton Moore will rely on those Atlanta Braves roots of his and hire Terry Pendleton to take over.

If Pendleton took over for Bell, it would be a good move, but should Moore look within the Royals organization first? There are a couple of Royals greats who may be interested in the job.

Moore, though, would be wise to touch base with a couple of Royals icons first - George Brett, who had an interest in managing the Royals when Bell was given the job for the 2005 season, and Frank White. White's commitment to becoming a manager was serious enough that when Tony Peña was hired as manager and White was told he wasn't interviewed because of lack of experience, White took a job managing in the Royals' minor league system.

This is a tough call for Moore. While it would be a surefire public relations hit if the Royals hired George Brett to manage the team, would it really be the best move? The Royals next season are going to be in the same spot they've found themselves in for like the last 15 years.

Young, and not expected to contend.

Given the fact that Brett has no experience managing a baseball team, I'm not sure he'll know how to handle a young team such as this. So if the Royals were going to hire a former player, Frank White would be the best choice of the two. Not only has he been a manager in the Royals minor league system for a while now, but he's also managed a lot of the young players that currently make up the Royals roster.

All that said, I've felt Pendleton has been deserving of a job for a while now, and I would like to see him finally get the opportunity. Be it in Kansas City or anywhere else.

Previously at FanHouse:
Buddy Bell Will Resign After the Season