That's the word on the street in Cincinnati, as confirmed by both the Cincinnati Enquirer and FOX Sports. Both outlets have sources claiming that Dusty Baker has interviewed with the club and is emerging as one of the top contenders.You really can't argue with his resume: he's a three-time NL Manager of the Year and has had playoff success, even if he doesn't have a World Series ring to show for it. Plus, the Reds have a stable of promising young pitchers just waiting to have their arms destroyed. (Unsolicited fantasy advice: if you're in a keeper league, start taking offers now for Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey ...)
I kind of feel bad for Pete Mackanin, who did an admirable job as interim manager after Jerry Narron was canned halfway through the year. Granted, the Reds still finished the year in fifth place, but they went a respectable 41-39 under Mackanin. If he could get the Reds to perform like that over a full season, they'd be within sniffing distance of a playoff berth (remember, this is the NL Central that we're talking about).
If Mackanin doesn't get the gig (he's still technically a candidate), what happens to him? It'd be a tough break if he landed back in the minors, where he managed 13 years before getting his break. He's already served as an interim manager twice (the first time was a 12-14 stint with the Pirates in 2005) and hasn't done all that bad, especially given what he's had to work with. He doesn't have the name value that a guy like Baker or Tony La Russa or Joe Torre does, but he's got to get a chance at some point, right?
Random side note I couldn't shoehorn into the regular post: You know how a lot of people are against kids using metal bats for safety reasons? Apparently Baker is one of the few people
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-12-2007 @ 8:03AM
Bill Marini said...
Good news...Bad news
Bad news for the Reds: #1: Dusty doesn't handle pitching staffs well at all. #2: Dusty doesn't deal with young players well at all.
Good news: For the rest of the NL Central.
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10-12-2007 @ 10:38AM
PostmanE said...
Resume or not, having at one point coined "Walks clog the bases" should disqualify one from ever managing a baseball team again.
A real-world equivalent would be having the greatest resume at your investment firm and then also casually dropping that you've recently picked up heroin as a habit. Thanks ... but no thanks.
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10-12-2007 @ 11:45AM
Pat Lackey said...
If Baker is hired over Mackanin, everyone involved with the decision should be fire immediately from the Reds organization, for all of the reasons mentioned in the two comments above.
Also, if this happens Homer Bailey should just go ahead and have Tommy John surgery now as a preemptive strike.
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10-12-2007 @ 11:58AM
vurelsr said...
dusty would make the team a good manager, the reds need to get him before some other team get him remember his is a great man to rebuild a team.
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10-12-2007 @ 3:24PM
kj said...
As a cub fan I will say please hire him reds. It will help out the central. I don't care what his resume says, the guy is not the answer for the reds. If he has a good veteran team he will be loved by players but beings the reds don't have that he will move the organization backwards. Your young players will not get a real chance to play there. he will use journeymen type players ahead of kids. When kids come up with him they get a couple of at bats in a week and then get sent down. Baker while in Chicago destroyed numerous arms, over worked guys in the bullpen, told us that Matt Murton could only play LF, (which was wrong)stated that he didn't know if Theriot had ever played SS in his career (check out LSU's NCAA team that had Ryan at SS and another cub Mike Fontenot at 2B)
Veteran cub players talked about how Lou Pinella made this past spring training more of a spring training than Dusty ever did. Bsics were worked on much more than the previous years.
Reds fans fight for a mgr that is much better at working with younger players. Get a guy like Girardi or someone along that lines. A veteran as a bench coach would be more logiacal.
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10-12-2007 @ 4:32PM
GreatR said...
Take a lesson form the Cubs.....He can't win and he can't develop young talent. On second, thought if the Reds would like to go 100 years before they win again....hire this Cancer.
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