Opinion: Baker is gone; who is next to manage the Cincinnati Reds?
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Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
It is now time to say goodbye to one Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker as manager of the Cincinnati Reds and time to figure out who is best to lead them to where they ultimately want to be, and that is hoisting the World Series trophy at the end of a season.
The Reds have last won a World Series championship in 1990 and have since won just one postseason series in 1995. They have shown improvement the past few seasons with postseason trips three of the past four years, including NL Central titles in 2010 and '12.
Baker finishes up his six-year tenure in Cincinnati with a record of 509-463. The Reds won 90-plus games each year they made the postseason with Baker as manager, including 97 wins in '12. They also won 91 games in '10 and 90 games this season. He also had three seasons of under 80 wins with the Reds.
In a release by the Reds, general manager Walt Jocketty said, "This was a very difficult decision to make. Dusty played an important role in the recent success of this organization, and we thank him for his contributions during his time here."
I like Baker. He's one of the nicest men I've met in the game of baseball. He's polite, will talk to you no matter who you are and is an all-around genuine person.
Yes, Baker did well as Reds manager; he led them to the postseason for the first time in 15 seasons, won two division titles and helped put Reds baseball back on the map as being meaningful.
That's what Baker can do for teams. He did that for the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs, but when the games became must-win in the postseason, at least with the Cubs and the Reds, his teams failed to make the World Series.
Last year, the Reds had a 2-0 lead on the Giants in the NLDS, and the Reds failed to win a single game at Great American Ball Park to advance to the next round. This season, in the past couple weeks, the Reds failed to play inspired baseball, and they ended their year with six straight losses and a quick exit from the postseason in the Wild Card game. There was no urgency.
A 90-win season all for naught.
CBS Sports Baseball Insider Jon Heyman reported Baker "challenged" Walt Jocketty, as the general manager of the Reds wanted to fire hitting coach Brook Jacoby.
"I wasn't testing anyone,' Baker said to Heyman. "I was just doing what I thought was right. … Sometimes it gets to the point where you're always blame the teacher (meaning Jacoby). Sometimes it's the pupils."
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Reds owner Bob Castellini has denied Heyman's report.
"That's somebody's imagination," Castellini told the Enquirer. "If he had that discussion with somebody, it wasn't me. That's No. 1. No. 2, that would never enter into a decision whether you would fire Dusty or not. That has never come up. We have never discussed Brook as far as next year or the year after. Those discussions come."
With those thoughts and comments, this is a good split for both parties involved. It needed to happen. It had to happen.
[[In-content Ad]]Now, the fun part: who will become the 61st manager of the Reds?
Right now is the time to throw out many names. Pick a name, any name.
Today, the bee's knees of names as the favorites to become the next manager are Jim Riggleman, Bryan Price and David Bell, as Enquirer beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans suggested. Mix in speculation of Tony LaRussa and farfetched ideas of Joe Torre and Ozzie Guillen, and we have a fun offseason ahead until the Reds select a new skipper.
Currently, Riggleman is the manager of the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A Reds minor league affiliate. This season, Bell was a third base coach of the Cubs.
The choice better be the right one, because another season of a 100-million-plus payroll and not a postseason series win will probably, most likely, make for an unhappy Mr. Castellini. That's my guess, anyway.
I like Price. I'm not super-high on Riggleman and LaRussa is the hope, but unlikely. As for Ozzie Guillen, I'm just a fan of his, and he's won a World Series in Chicago, but I don't see that ever happening, so we'll leave it at that.
Joe Torre seems happy working for MLB and has nothing else to prove, but again, you never know with former baseball managers.
What I do know is the Reds can't lose Price. He's one of the better pitching coaches in baseball, and overall, his staff of pitchers have been more than productive.
If Price is selected, that is a good, solid choice. If they do so, I'm guessing there will be a new hitting coach, since that is one of the factors that got us on the topic of a new manager to begin with.
But I question if the Reds should go out of the organization for their next manager. Should they? I'm just asking.
Riggleman has a losing record as a manager in the big leagues (662-824), with stints at the helm of the San Diego Padres (three years), the Chicago Cubs (five years), the Seattle Mariners (90 games) and the Washington Nationals (three years).
Remember, Riggleman resigned as the Nationals manager following a win because of personal contract issues. The Reds need a leader, and I just don't see it with Riggleman.
His quote on that June day in 2011: “I’m 58. I’m too old to be disrespected.”
OK, so I say, next on the list.
Price is a solid pick. He joined the Reds in Oct. 2009, and from 2010-12, his pitching staffs were in the Top 12 in ERA. This season, the Reds were fourth at 3.38, giving the Reds two consecutive years of a team ERA ranking in the Top 4. In '12, they were fourth at 3.34.
Let me state this again. Price needs to stay with the Reds in some way, shape or form, and if that means being the manager, I'm OK with it.
LaRussa is the wild card here.
Any team would love to have a three-time World Series champion manager swoop in and save the day, right?
LaRussa seems to be happy being retired (he has 17 cats at his home), and he, like Torre, has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone in baseball.
There is always the what-if factor with managers, and we've seen a few lately who we thought were done (or on a break), only to return and have success, like Terry Francona in Cleveland, who took a season off, Buck Showalter in Baltimore or Davey Johnson in Washington, who just wrapped up his final season as skipper.
I think LaRussa is one of the greatest managers to ever fill out a lineup card. He's a proven winner for every team he's managed, but this is a long shot to happen, even if he's pals with Jocketty.
Then there is his relationship with some of the better players on the Reds, and you know how that has gone, e.g.: Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips.
Another long shot is Joe Girardi, as he'll either stay with the New York Yankees or manage in the NL Central and fill the vacant spot of the Cubs.
Some want to see "The Captain" Barry Larkin back in the Reds dugout, or even Joe Morgan, but as of today, I can't pick either one of them.
With all of that said, the Reds have a very important decision to make. Jocketty has a decision that could define his entire tenure as GM of the Reds. If it is the right one, the Reds could have a lot of future success. If it is the wrong one, I wouldn't want to have to answer to Mr. Castellini.
This is going to be an memorable offseason, to say the least.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
The Reds have last won a World Series championship in 1990 and have since won just one postseason series in 1995. They have shown improvement the past few seasons with postseason trips three of the past four years, including NL Central titles in 2010 and '12.
Baker finishes up his six-year tenure in Cincinnati with a record of 509-463. The Reds won 90-plus games each year they made the postseason with Baker as manager, including 97 wins in '12. They also won 91 games in '10 and 90 games this season. He also had three seasons of under 80 wins with the Reds.
In a release by the Reds, general manager Walt Jocketty said, "This was a very difficult decision to make. Dusty played an important role in the recent success of this organization, and we thank him for his contributions during his time here."
I like Baker. He's one of the nicest men I've met in the game of baseball. He's polite, will talk to you no matter who you are and is an all-around genuine person.
Yes, Baker did well as Reds manager; he led them to the postseason for the first time in 15 seasons, won two division titles and helped put Reds baseball back on the map as being meaningful.
That's what Baker can do for teams. He did that for the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs, but when the games became must-win in the postseason, at least with the Cubs and the Reds, his teams failed to make the World Series.
Last year, the Reds had a 2-0 lead on the Giants in the NLDS, and the Reds failed to win a single game at Great American Ball Park to advance to the next round. This season, in the past couple weeks, the Reds failed to play inspired baseball, and they ended their year with six straight losses and a quick exit from the postseason in the Wild Card game. There was no urgency.
A 90-win season all for naught.
CBS Sports Baseball Insider Jon Heyman reported Baker "challenged" Walt Jocketty, as the general manager of the Reds wanted to fire hitting coach Brook Jacoby.
"I wasn't testing anyone,' Baker said to Heyman. "I was just doing what I thought was right. … Sometimes it gets to the point where you're always blame the teacher (meaning Jacoby). Sometimes it's the pupils."
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Reds owner Bob Castellini has denied Heyman's report.
"That's somebody's imagination," Castellini told the Enquirer. "If he had that discussion with somebody, it wasn't me. That's No. 1. No. 2, that would never enter into a decision whether you would fire Dusty or not. That has never come up. We have never discussed Brook as far as next year or the year after. Those discussions come."
With those thoughts and comments, this is a good split for both parties involved. It needed to happen. It had to happen.
[[In-content Ad]]Now, the fun part: who will become the 61st manager of the Reds?
Right now is the time to throw out many names. Pick a name, any name.
Today, the bee's knees of names as the favorites to become the next manager are Jim Riggleman, Bryan Price and David Bell, as Enquirer beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans suggested. Mix in speculation of Tony LaRussa and farfetched ideas of Joe Torre and Ozzie Guillen, and we have a fun offseason ahead until the Reds select a new skipper.
Currently, Riggleman is the manager of the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A Reds minor league affiliate. This season, Bell was a third base coach of the Cubs.
The choice better be the right one, because another season of a 100-million-plus payroll and not a postseason series win will probably, most likely, make for an unhappy Mr. Castellini. That's my guess, anyway.
I like Price. I'm not super-high on Riggleman and LaRussa is the hope, but unlikely. As for Ozzie Guillen, I'm just a fan of his, and he's won a World Series in Chicago, but I don't see that ever happening, so we'll leave it at that.
Joe Torre seems happy working for MLB and has nothing else to prove, but again, you never know with former baseball managers.
What I do know is the Reds can't lose Price. He's one of the better pitching coaches in baseball, and overall, his staff of pitchers have been more than productive.
If Price is selected, that is a good, solid choice. If they do so, I'm guessing there will be a new hitting coach, since that is one of the factors that got us on the topic of a new manager to begin with.
But I question if the Reds should go out of the organization for their next manager. Should they? I'm just asking.
Riggleman has a losing record as a manager in the big leagues (662-824), with stints at the helm of the San Diego Padres (three years), the Chicago Cubs (five years), the Seattle Mariners (90 games) and the Washington Nationals (three years).
Remember, Riggleman resigned as the Nationals manager following a win because of personal contract issues. The Reds need a leader, and I just don't see it with Riggleman.
His quote on that June day in 2011: “I’m 58. I’m too old to be disrespected.”
OK, so I say, next on the list.
Price is a solid pick. He joined the Reds in Oct. 2009, and from 2010-12, his pitching staffs were in the Top 12 in ERA. This season, the Reds were fourth at 3.38, giving the Reds two consecutive years of a team ERA ranking in the Top 4. In '12, they were fourth at 3.34.
Let me state this again. Price needs to stay with the Reds in some way, shape or form, and if that means being the manager, I'm OK with it.
LaRussa is the wild card here.
Any team would love to have a three-time World Series champion manager swoop in and save the day, right?
LaRussa seems to be happy being retired (he has 17 cats at his home), and he, like Torre, has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone in baseball.
There is always the what-if factor with managers, and we've seen a few lately who we thought were done (or on a break), only to return and have success, like Terry Francona in Cleveland, who took a season off, Buck Showalter in Baltimore or Davey Johnson in Washington, who just wrapped up his final season as skipper.
I think LaRussa is one of the greatest managers to ever fill out a lineup card. He's a proven winner for every team he's managed, but this is a long shot to happen, even if he's pals with Jocketty.
Then there is his relationship with some of the better players on the Reds, and you know how that has gone, e.g.: Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips.
Another long shot is Joe Girardi, as he'll either stay with the New York Yankees or manage in the NL Central and fill the vacant spot of the Cubs.
Some want to see "The Captain" Barry Larkin back in the Reds dugout, or even Joe Morgan, but as of today, I can't pick either one of them.
With all of that said, the Reds have a very important decision to make. Jocketty has a decision that could define his entire tenure as GM of the Reds. If it is the right one, the Reds could have a lot of future success. If it is the wrong one, I wouldn't want to have to answer to Mr. Castellini.
This is going to be an memorable offseason, to say the least.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.