(Nick Wass/AP)

I know some of our loyal commenters are already tiring of Cal Ripken-to-the-Nats???? coverage, finding it tiresome and media-driven.

And while I get that, to them I’d say:

1) The team’s highly paid veteran leader already said Ripken is his first choice.

2) In response, Ripken said he’s starting to get an itch to come back to baseball.

3) Ripken remains a hugely popular figure in this city, which offers by far the closest managerial opening to his home. That makes it good reading, regardless of whether anything happens.

4) The team’s former GM, Jim Bowden, said this week that the Lerners have long talked about hiring Ripken in some capacity.

“I think the interesting news that I learned today is that the Washington Nationals are giving SERIOUS consideration to our MLB Network Radio colleague Cal Ripken Jr.,” Bowden said on his SiriusXM MLB Network Radio show on Wednesday. “Which I think would be fascinating. I know, for the years that I was in Washington, how much the Lerner family respected Cal. Even back then, I remember them saying how great would it be if Cal Ripken decided to join the Washington Nationals, with all he could bring to the table.

“And Cal’s professionalism, the way he carries himself, certainly he’s a special guy. And the other thing that I found interesting, I remember the last time [we] were covering the Cardinals in St. Louis in the World Series, I had a conversation with Cal and asked Cal if he would have interest in managing. And he told me yeah, if it was the right situation, he would. Probably his dream job would have been with the Orioles, but we know Buck Showalter’s got five more years left on his deal, and that’s not happening.

“But right down the street in Washington, that is a World Series-caliber team, that if Cal was given the opportunity, it would be a TREMENDOUS one, a job that doesn’t usually come open. You don’t usually see World Series caliber teams open up. And now that Joe Girardi’s done in New York, all eyes right now going to Washington, Cincinnati, Seattle and Chicago, the final four teams that still have openings. And I find it fascinating that there could be mutual interest in both Cal Ripken and the Washington Nationals for that job.”

Plus,

5) If I wasn’t writing about this, you know dang well what I’d be writing about instead.

(You can listen to Bowden’s thoughts here.)