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^ Shouts to MvP for the sick sig. GFX TEAM BACK
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This is what happens when you bat Ryan Ludwick second.
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Dusty is a good man and takes a bad rap because he's (supposedly) bad at things fans can "see", like lineups.
A separate but kind of related rant, but its funny how we heard for years that lineups don't really matter, and even though mountains of data support that, the new trendy line of thought is that lineups are SUPER IMPORTANT, and you have to go get that extra .00002 runs per game with lineup optimization. Meh. I'll never care enough to wrapped up in it. I think making sure players are comfortable where they bat is more important than chasing fractions of runs according to a calculator. If Joey Votto likes batting third, i'm not batting him second because Joe Sheehan thinks it's a good idea.
Anyway, obviously I like Dusty. I don't think it's his fault the Reds haven't advanced in the playoffs. Dusty didn't bobble a routine grounder to third in Game 3 last year, Dusty didn't fail to score runs when Homer Bailey threw a 7 innings of 1-hit, 10 K baseball in the same game. But he sac bunted in some game in May, so it's obviously all his fault.
I do think he had a lot to do with getting the Reds to the playoffs 3 out of 4 years, which is something this franchise hadn't seen in 40 years. While I personally would have let him finish his final year (2014) and evaluated at that point, i'm indifferent to this change. He's been there a long time. I'd give him a B+ overall. Hopefully they keep Bryan Price around.Comment
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It's funny, Reds fans have been calling for Larkin for two years, but if you listen to him on ESPN, he's always talking about the importance of bunting, hitting the other way, guys in the middle of the order driving in runs, and all of those other old schooly things that supposedly make Baker a dunce.
Be careful what you wish for.Comment
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Same fans who cried about Dusty for years, are clamoring for JOE MORGAN. lol. I don't even have words for that. C'mon people, pay attention.
Fans.Comment
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Reds general manager Walt Jocketty in a year-end hash-out session about the team's dissatisfying season told Baker he was intending to fire hitting coach Brook Jacoby, according to a person familiar with the situation. And that was all Baker had to hear.
Baker wasn't the one who brought in Jacoby, but he also knew it wasn't Jacoby's fault. So Baker took the bold step that led to Jocketty ousting him as Reds manager.
"If you want to fire someone, fire me,'' Baker told Jocketty.
Baker went down backing up hitting coach Brook Jacoby.
To me, stuff like this is more important than where Brandon Phillips bats in the lineup. And this is why Baker wins. Not everything can be quantified with a number.Comment
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Don't think Dusty deserved this fate, but maybe fresh blood was in order. These things are kind of hard to determine.
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I dont think he really deserved it either but at the end of the day managers are relatively worthless. So who knows, maybe the new guy they bring in gives them an extra few wins, they get into the playoffs again and hit/field better... that's just the way it is in baseball.Comment
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Baker was the man in dugout when this team became relevant again, but perhaps it was time to move on. Baker spoke of death threats and racially charged mail he was getting lately, and said that it wasn't fun anymore taking the blame for every loss from the media. Sounds like this was best for everyone involved.
The upside to this as a Reds fan, is that consistent 90 win seasons and playoffs 3 out of 4 years is no longer considered good enough for the current regime. This is a far cry from the pre-Baker days when the goal was to go .500 & hope Griffey stays healthy enough to hit #500. Bob Castellini & Walt Jocketty want more, and the word out of Cincy on the heels of this is that Castellini is going to allow Jocketty to be as aggressive as he needs to be in the offseason.
Just please do not hire Jim Riggleman.Comment
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