A few weeks ago, asked about Eddie Murray's touch with Los Angeles Dodgers hitters who ranged from the greenest of rookies to the grayest of veterans, one of those veterans sighed and shook his head.

He liked Murray. He valued Murray's Hall-of-Fame credentials. He assumed Murray could probably teach hitting to someone.

The problem, he said, was Murray could be difficult to approach, particularly for a young player. And Murray, he said, didn't do enough of approaching of his own.

"He's trying, I think," the veteran said. "He's better this year than he was last year."

On Thursday morning, after a series in which the Dodgers outscored the New York Mets, 18-5, Murray was fired as hitting coach from his second organization in two years. Then, the Cleveland Indians were said to be unhappy with Murray's ability – or willingness – to communicate. It appears the Dodgers arrived at the same conclusion in less than a season and a half, eight months after they finished fourth in the National League in runs despite hitting the second-fewest home runs.

They were, as of Murray's final game this season, seventh in the league in runs, again not hitting home runs, and too often taking poor at-bats at critical times. From last season, they'd slipped in many key categories (some, granted, due to J.D. Drew's departure and Juan Pierre's slow start), including on-base percentage.

So, at a point where they are feathering in at-bats for the likes of Matt Kemp and James Loney while trying to fan productive seasons out of Jeff Kent and Nomar Garciaparra, the Dodgers hired the anti-Murray in the easy-going Bill Mueller, who had been a special assistant to general manager Ned Colletti and now will be interim hitting coach.

Mueller hit .291 and won a batting title in 11 seasons. He's pleasant, accessible and attentive to detail, and maybe that will work.

FIVE …

• Though he apparently is healthy, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson has not played since Saturday, coming to the ballpark for the three games since to find Jose Castillo at his position. Wilson, who signed a three-year, $20.2-million extension in February, hit .211 in May and was batting .250 in June when the run of DNPs began. Jim Tracy says he's simply riding Castillo's hot glove and bat, and the Pirates indeed have won two of the three games and scored 28 runs while Castillo has gone 5 for 10. Out of curiosity, I asked an American League baseball operations man what kind of interest there would be in Wilson in a trade. His report: "Wilson is a solid everyday shortstop who's got value, especially defensively. He and Castillo are not even close."

• Remember, it's a boys' game. In Chicago, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Hill have had dugout episodes with catcher Michael Barrett, one of which ultimately left Barrett with two black eyes and stitches in his lip. In Texas, Kevin Millwood had to step between manager Ron Washington and catcher Gerald Laird. And, last night in Houston, reliever Dan Wheeler shoved starter Chris Sampson. Considering Wheeler had just undone in two-thirds of an inning all that Sampson had put together in seven against the Oakland Athletics, there seemed to be some confusion of roles. "Bad timing on my part," Sampson told writers in Houston.

• And that's probably that for Edwin Jackson. At a time when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays had won seven of nine, believed they should have won nine of nine, and needed Jackson to stand up to San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy, Jackson no-showed last night. He lasted an entire out, took his eighth loss without a win and stressed a bullpen that is stressed enough without having to go 8 2/3 innings. In 12 starts, Jackson has pitched 3 1/3 innings or fewer in five of them.

• Speaking of the Devil Rays' bullpen, it recently added Jay Witasick, whom manager Joe Maddon has slotted into the seventh inning. Closer Al Reyes has been perfect in 15 save attempts and Gary Glover has pitched well since May 6. He's got the eighth inning. I'm not making this up: Witasick is engaged to marry the daughter of one Yotsie Novotnak, second baseman for the Hazleton (Pa.) High School Cougars 35 years ago. The shortstop on that team: Joe Maddon.

• The Kansas City Royals, who have played about .500 ball for a month, lost their DH (Mike Sweeney) and a reliever (Brandon Duckworth) to back ailments last night against the St. Louis Cardinals. Duckworth probably goes to the DL and Sweeney looks like he's going to carry that balky back right to the end of his contract.

… AND FLY

Trying to decide which surprises me more:
A) The New York Yankees gaining six games on the Boston Red Sox in two weeks to pull within 8½ games in the AL East.
B) The Washington Nationals gaining 4½ games on the Mets in eight days to pull within 8½ games in the NL East.

Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis apparently would vote B. He had this to say to the Boston Herald on the charging Yankees: "Do you think we care what they are doing? They have to win every day to catch us. They have to win and we have to lose."

Sort of sounds like he cares.