Items and questions

So when is Cliff Lee going to start dialing it up for the postseason? On my list of dream jobs, I'm adding "Cliff Lee's agent." To make room, I'm removing "Aubrey Huff's towel boy." Again, we're onto something here: Name your ideal sports job, and one that you'd find least appealing. I no longer have any interest in airbrushing Brett Favre's photos. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that Zack Greinke has until after the World Series to notify the Royals about the eight-to-10 clubs on the pitcher's no-trade list, which I find interesting because the former Cy Young winner's clause is apparently a secret to his own employer. It's like a game show where Greinke is told that he has one minute to list his teams. The clock's running and the studio audience is shouting out suggestions. "Pirates! Diamondbacks!" OK, who's the wise guy who said, "Royals?" Joe Strauss, my former Sun colleague who writes for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, passes along word from manager Tony La Russa that Mark McGwire is "really torn" about returning next season as the Cardinals' hitting coach. Aren't tears pretty common for guys who...never mind. CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam writes that Paul Konerko is "likely staying put" with the White Sox - just in case anyone here had fingers crossed that the Orioles would sign him. The Marlins re-signed infielder Donnie Murphy, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Murphy, you may recall, competed for a utility job with the Orioles in 2009, didn't hit or impress anyone with his conditioning and was shipped to Triple-A Norfolk, where he barely played before an injury ended his season. Murphy is a super-utility guy who must have super-sized a few meals, because he looked a little heavy in Fort Lauderdale. We never saw the best of him. He's a useful bench player. Today's other question: Which Oriole will have a breakout season in 2011? We could be talking about a player who was on the rise this year or a player who disappointed you. And what makes you think so?