Tuesday Takes: Banister for manager

Jeff Banister for manager.

I want him to get the Pirates' job because I've long believed in him, both as a baseball man and as a human. But my vote doesn't and shouldn't count, so I'll begin by basing this on how the players themselves feel.

Suffice it to say, without naming the names of those with whom I've communicated the past couple days, that Banister's the overwhelming leader in the clubhouse, so to speak. He's been part of some of these players' lives for years, given his various instructional roles in the minor-league system. He's been a vocal, visible presence in the majors, too, as both a bench coach and special assistant.

As one player told me, "We all know how much Banny knows and…