It was just a small note in the transaction column in the paper this week: Jackie Moore would not be back at bench coach with Texas next season under Ron Washington. Why did this catch my attention? Well, back in 1967, Jackie Moore was a catcher with the Red Sox AAA farm club, the old Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League. It was his final year of pro ball, but its where Jackie Moore went from there that is really significant. He went on to spend over 40 years managing and coaching in the Majors and through various minor league outposts. In 1977, he became a coach on Roy Hartsfields staff with the original Blue Jays. Just the other day, he was the final member of that staff to leave a Major League job. Moore got his first Major League coaching job in 1969 with the Seattle Pilots and went with them when they moved to Milwaukee one season later and became the Brewers. He also worked for six other organizations over the years, including the Rangers (four stints,) Expos, Rockies and Astros. In 1990, he was on the staff of Lou Piniellas World Series Champion Cincinnati Reds. He also spent one full season and parts of two others as manager of the Oakland As (1984-86.) He was a bench coach at Houston in 2007 and finished off with Texas this season as a bench coach. Jackie Moore is 74 years old. To my recollection, he is one of the oldest to ever stick around this long in the game. I know Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia As until he was 88, but he owned the team. The late Jimmie Reese, also coached with the Angels hitting Fungoes into his 80s. There may be others, but Jackie Moore is in an exclusive group. There are still four of the Blue Jays original coaches with us. In addition to Moore, Harry Warner is now 85 years old and Don Leppert is 82. But the truly amazing story is that of the Jays original batting coach, Bobby Doerr. The Red Sox legendary second baseman was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 and is still alive and living in Oregon at age 95. He is the oldest living Hall of Famer. The Blue Jays first pitching coach, Bob Miller, died in a car accident in 1993 at age 54. while Hartsfield passed away in 2011 due to complications from liver cancer at age 85. Another odd coincidence about Jackie Moore: In his lone season in the Majors with the 1965 Tigers, he was third string catcher behind Bill Freehan and John Sullivan. Yes, that is the same John Sullivan who coached with the Blue Jays from 1982 through 1993 and under three managers - Bobby Cox, who brought him to Toronto, Jimy Williams and Cito Gaston. "Sully" retired after the 1993 World Series title and I can still see him on stage at the, then, SkyDome with Cito Gaston, as Sullivan pulled the string to unfurl the 1993 World Series championship banner. Its a moment I will never forget. It hasnt been a great year for managers in terms of job security: Five skippers were either ousted or left on their own accord, so far, and at least two more are question marks. Charlie Manuel left the Phillies by mutual agreement after a great run with the club. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg replaced him. Washingtons Davey Johnson is retiring, while the Reds Dusty Baker and the Dale Sveum of the Cubs got fired. Sveum has already landed a coaching job with the Royals. In the American League, Eric Wedge of the Mariners resigned and there are still questions as to whether Joe Girardi will re-up with the Yankees and whether Jim Leyland will be back with the Tigers. If Detroit were to make it to the World Series and be defeated, Leyland would become one of just a handful of managers to lose three "Fall Classics" with the same organization. The Tigers lost in 2006 to St. Louis and last year to the Giants. Jonathan Lucroy Jersey ... as usual. 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Mickey Morandini Jersey .J. -- The NHL reduced its penalty against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday for signing Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010.NEW YORK -- Big league pitchers might feel safer on the mound this season. Major League Baseball has approved a protective cap for pitchers, hoping to reduce the damage from line drives to head that have brought some terrifying and bloody scenes in the last few years. The heavier and bigger new hat was introduced Tuesday and will be available for testing during spring training on a voluntary basis. Major leaguers and minor leaguers wont be required to wear it -- comfort is likely to be a primary concern. "Obviously, itd be a change," two-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers told the MLB Network. "Im definitely not opposed to it." "I think itd take a lot of getting used to," he said. "You dont look very cool, Ill be honest." The safety plates made by isoBLOX are sewn into the hat and custom fitted. They weigh an extra six to seven ounces -- a baseball weighs about five ounces, by comparison -- and offer protection to the forehead, temples and sides of the head. Theyll make the hats about a half-inch thicker in the front and around an inch wider on the sides. Several pitchers have been hit in the head by line drives in the recent seasons. Brandon McCarthy sustained a brain contusion and skull fracture after being struck in 2012 and Doug Fister was hit during the World Series that October. Torontos J.A. Happ and Tampa Bays Alex Cobb were sidelined after being hit last year. McCarthy tweeted that he had already tried out the fortified cap and that it was "headed in right direction but not game ready." Said Arizona reliever Brad Ziegler: "I think theyre on the right track, but the hat they approved isnt remotely close to comfortable enough to wear in games." In an email to The Associated Press, he said, "If youre not 100 per cent focused on executing your pitches, you have almost no chance of success. And that hat is uncomfortable enough that it would be a big distraction to wear it." "We talked to a lot of guys who had been through this, and they provided a wealth of information to help us," said Bruce Foster, CEO of the 4Licensing Corporation, parent company of isoBLOX. "We went through a myriad of different designs to develop this." Foster said the cap went through extensive testing and provided protection from line drives up to 90 mph in the front of the head and 85 mph on the side. Line drives in the majors have been clocked at even faster rates. While the hat is "slightly bigger" than a regular baseball cap, Foster said: "Its not going to be a Gazoo hat." Several years ago, MLB introduced larger batting helmets that offered increased safety. But big leaguers mostly rejected them, saying they looked funny and made them resemble the Great Gazoo, a character on the ";The Flintstones" cartoon series.dddddddddddd In recent seasons, pitchers have said they would try padded caps, provided they werent too cumbersome. "You see guys get hit with line drives. I know in the last couple of years there have been several of them. So it happens. You want to be wary of it," All-Star closer Glen Perkins of the Minnesota Twins said. "Player safety is important. I think finding a solution is good." "But by the sounds of what they have, I dont know if thats entirely feasible to go out there with basically a helmet on your head and pitch. Without seeing it or trying it on, I hate to make a blanket judgment. But just thinking out loud, that seems a little bit much. Just the bulkiness," he said. In December 2012, MLB medical director Dr. Gary Green presented ideas on protective headgear to executives, doctors and trainers. The prototypes under study included some made of Kevlar, the high-impact material often worn by military and law enforcement and NFL players. Several companies tried without success to make a product that would be approved by MLB and the players union. While isoBLOX was first to get the OK, other firms still might submit proposals. Foster said the caps design diffuses the impact of being hit, rather than only absorbing the shock. The technology will be available on the retail market for ballplayers of all ages in a form of a skull cap. A memo from MLB will advise teams that the caps are available in spring training, and pitchers who express interest in testing will be fitted. MLB can require minor leaguers to wear it, but has no plans now to do that. "I think it will be one of those things that people will wear them when they have to wear them. Maybe a guy here or a guy there," Perkins said. Star closer Grant Balfour said, "I am always appreciative of anything that will make the game safer. That being said, I may try it. Just not sure yet until I see it. Has to fit with a cap and be comfortable." MLB didnt make the use of helmets or protective cap inserts mandatory for batters until the National League required them for the 1956 season. Helmets werent required until the 1971 season and, even then, they werent mandatory for players already in the big leagues. An earflap on the side of the head facing the pitcher was required for new players starting in 1983. "Its nice to see any sport take precautions to prevent injury," San Francisco reliever Javier Lopez said. "That being said, I look forward to seeing what the finished product looks like. And if it helps just one pitcher, then its worth it. Its always nice to have safety nets." Added Boston reliever Craig Breslow: "Im not certain how many players will be testing the new equipment, but I think all at least appreciate the effort. " ' ' '