Dusty

[Redsfan1507]

Dusty wants to manage again. Now he's whining Dave Stewart didnt call him back. Seems to be a trend there.

 

[redsfan03]

Perhaps Dave Stewart is a racist against his own race. How else could he pass on Dusty?

 

[Redsfan1507]

There were undertones Stewart responded to- specifically saying Dusty and Washington were great guys that were considered, but just weren't what they were looking for...maybe they wanted a guy that was better for a rebuild, or whatever.

Personally, I think sports may be the most colorblind business in the world. They usually only want to see green.

I definately didnt dislike Dusty because he was black, and I don't think anyone isn't hiring him because he is. I think they don't prefer a guy that's 65 and stubborn on a team of young players.

 

[Redsfan1507]

The trend I referred to was Dusty's comments last year that he had made calls to several teams, and no one even called him back. There were an unusual number of managers hired without MLB managerial experience. In the past, that was deemed to be important, but lately, not so much. I think that really depends on the roster, and the goals of the team.

With the Reds, I saw Dusty as a guy that didnt motivate at all- he had to have a player do that-and didnt put on many plays- did very little other than make out a lineup, that used too many bench veterans too often for my taste. I thought he made a mistake in 2010, 1 week after a Travis Wood (the Reds best SP down the stretch that year) near no-no against the LP weak Phillies lineup, not using Wood against them, getting swept(the Giants shut them down with lefty pitching a series later). He also made gaffes in all 3 home losses in 2012. He downplayed urgency in 2013, and apparently the lifeless Reds followed his lead, losing to some of the worst teams in the NL before getting beat in the 1 game playoff they played themselves down to. I didn't like his refusal to play Bruce and Hamilton as rookies, or his refusal to start Chapman, and his long list of excuses for such, and the fact he never once admitted any failure on his part. How much was players and how much was Dusty is speculation. I just didnt like his approach and lack of accountability or urgency.

 

[JohnU]

I think the newer managers are all going to be metrics-based guys and as the older ones leave the scene, a different type of manager will emerge. As for winning, I think a manager who can keep his team in contention is sufficient but so much of that is out of his control.

If these guys are looking past Dusty, they probably are looking past Riggleman. Looking at the teams that are showing signs of life consistently -- they are all playing the database now. I honestly don't think Price is using the database as much as we would like to think.

Dusty would not use it much, if at all. I think he's a great guy for baseball. I'd like to see him in an administrative role. I wish the Reds had hired him for that. He works great with Aaron and those fellows.

 

[eburg5000]

I think that teams not calling him says a lot. Some of those teams talked about how terrible it was for the Reds to get rid of him, but we don't see those same teams calling him. Why? because they saw the same thing that we, Chicago, and SF saw. and I think he did his worse job with the Reds. Some one might hire him as a bench coach but not much more

 

[WvuDieHard]

Dusty was a worthless piece of shit no matter how you cut it and dice it. He was horrible managing and made some of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in 40 years of watching baseball. The facts don't lie and that is the reason no one wants his stubborn crusty ass sitting on a bench managing their team into the cellar.

 

[chico ruiz]

way to go 1507. nice work.

 

[chico ruiz]

i was wondering where the real & very knowledgeable baseball savvy reds fans had gone.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, what bothers me is the normal learning process doesn't seem to apply with the Reds.

Normally, people learn by good, experienced instruction, or in the absence of such, from looking back at mistakes and finding ways to fix them, or at least avoid them in the future. In a perfect world, when lessons are learned, they are passed down to future generations, more likely to avoid the same problems suffered by their predecessors.

Personnel changes with the Reds, but I still see the same mistakes-from the front office to the batboy, and everywhere in between. I understand periods of time where there just isn't a quality LHSP available, but don't understand passing up opportunities to have one for a decade. I get benefit of having a veteran fill in at LF until a farmhand is ready, but don't get using 4 generations of them. I might not bunt a runner to 3B in the 2nd inning, but not doing so in tie games in the 8th inning, with a capable bunter at the plate, in the middle of a 3 game losing streak, looks like negligence, ignorance or apathy. After 5 consecutive players that require follow up surgery, why do players still let Kremcheck operate on them ? Geez, they replaced a bad 3b coach with one that had more than 2 dozen outs at the plate. We've got another one now the jury is still out on. Why do they steal with 2 strikes or bunt a speedy guy to 2b without trying to steal first ? Hitting coaches ? If you credit them with Mesoraco or Frazier or Cozarts improvement, what about Bruce's dive or the team's complete inability to hit with RISP ?

It's a shame, but it seems like this team's success is overly dependant on other teams playing bad enough to make up for the Reds mistakes, instead of superior play. I think that's how 4th place teams are made.

 

[JohnU]

I don't follow to any degree the rest of the teams in MLB that finish with .490 W-L records so I can't say for sure what beats them or allows them to pursue the "next year" principle of sports. I just have Red imbedded in me and I live and breathe the outcome of their games.

Noticing the game from last night, it was less important that the Reds put up 9 runs than it was to see Votto completely beside himself for having gone 4 games without a hit and being fooled badly on three pitches from some meat-chuckers. In most worlds, winning the game is a priority; individual play is not.

In Votto's case, going 0-for-15 against pitchers who are hardly Hall of Famers should be worrisome.

I am also concerned that Price is doing a Dustyism and moving Cozart into the 2 slot in the order. It doesn't help the offense for Cozart to bat second. It helps the offense for Cozart to hit EIGHTH ...

Byrd is allegedly "seeing" the ball better now. Reminds me of a year or so ago when I went to a batting cage and had great vision watching the ball leave the tube toward me. I was actually surprised I could follow it in to my bat. But my bat speed was so slow (I am 67 years old!) that I could not make contact on a 50-mph machine pitch. Byrd and I share something in common, I fear. He hits 6th in the Reds lineup ....

.... ahead of Bryan Pena who will run out of steam pretty soon, leaving us with Tucker 2-last-names Barnhart and Skip Skipworth, who was called up and told to wait at the airport.

Meanwhile, we now have 2.5 quality pitchers, one of whom will get his innings limit sometime in August.

But we have the most dominant lefthander in MLB since the Big Unit played.

He's closing games ... and basically saving them even with a 7-run lead in the 9th inning.

What I also notice is Phillips has finally gotten his first extra-base hit ... not bad for a cleanup hitter ... and Bruce is on pace to shatter the team strikeout record, if Byrd doesn't get there first.

I also notice that our reserves, when they play, are a touch below replacement level.

But Hamilton sure is fast!

 

[Redsfan1507]

Lol. I think you've already just about got it figured out, John.

A similar combination of unpreparedness, misconceived engineering, desperation, panic and random individual reaction contributed to the Titanic's fame.

I heard last night Pena has lost 12 lbs. They said he stopped eating rice and beans. I'd say going to work twice as much as he ever has might have been a factor, too. I like Pena, but this would be a better team if he wasn't needed as much.