On Thursday, the Cubs announced the hiring of Mark Riggins as their new Minor League pitching coordinator. For the past 29 years, Riggins has worked for the Cardinals organization, mostly in their minor league system.

In 1995, however, Riggins was Major League pitching coach in St. Louis under Joe Torre and Mike Jorgensen. That's the Joe Torre who formerly managed the Yankees and the post-season-challenged Alex Rodriguez, who will NOT be joining the Cubs in Mesa this spring or ever.

Among Riggins's credits is the vital role he played in helping to rehabilitate the big league career of pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel, who, according to the New York Daily News this summer, received a massive supply of human growth hormone from a Florida clinic in 2004.

Ankiel denied then and he denies now that he knowingly broke any baseball rules...much like somebody else whose watermelon-sized head has been all over my television tonight and will surely continue to be, for weeks and weeks and weeks.