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Originally Posted by WVRedsFan
That is my hope also. I won't argue that Larkin is the superior of every infielder we have when he is healthy. I won't argue that keeping Juan Castro and giving the boot to Larkin (for essentially the same money) is way stupid. Almost criminal.
I will say that sometimes you have to understand that when it's time to go, you need to do it when you are on top. My father retired young and when asked why, he always said, "because I'm still productive. I don't want anyone talking behind my back on how that old fart is losing it."
I wish so much that this FO had the ability to manage public relations with the general public and the players, but they do not. The ideal thing would have been to give Larkin some position with the Reds, but instead, they chose to not communicate with him, so Barry communicated for them. There should have been a way to have ended this thing without the bloodshed. These guys are so clueless it defies explanation.
But I hope Barry does the right thing and hangs it up, but I doubt there is any chance in that happening. He's been wounded by this organization. He has something to prove.
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Even the press couldn't find where the Reds dropped the ball on this one. Not sure what they did wrong. The World Series hasn't even started and they already made a decision and let him know their intentions. They said that contract talks would occur in the offseason, this is the offseason. Give him a front office position? When he is still going to pursue playing? Not sure what more the Reds could do.
Let's review. They sign him up for one more year after he said he wanted to play more one year, the Reds (Linder says uncle after Reik sits on him after Barry sits on him) buckled. They set up a party for him, he eventually says ok, but then "thanks, but no thanks." Fine, they cancel the party. The handwriting is on the wall late in the year. We're out of the race, Lopez is finally showing promise (Daugherty calls him a suspect? Does he go to games? Did he see him play the last half of the season? Anyway, I digress), and they want to see what Machado has to offer. So Larkin gets his panties in a bunch because they want to see the young guys on a regular basis AND COMMUNICATE THAT TO HIM. He didn't like what he heard, so he stuck his bottom lip out and started talking.
Yea, I can certainly see where the Reds screwed Barry on this one
And I can certainly see why folks would expect him to accept that role more gracefully next season. Sort of like expecting John Kerry to keep his "plan."