RON OESTER fired

[RFS62]

Oester fired from job in minors

Naehring says 'fit' was wrong

By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

ATLANTA - It seemed like a perfect fit when Ron Oester, a tough player bred in the old-school Reds tradition, was hired to lead the on-field minor-league operation. It didn't work out that way.

Oester was relieved of his duties last week, just as he was about to depart for the Instructional League.

"I guess I wasn't enough of a yes man," Oester said.

Oester said he was shocked by the move and wasn't sure who was behind it.

Reds director of player development Tim Naehring said it simply wasn't working out.

"Hindsight is 20-20," Naehring said. "Obviously, Ronnie Oester is a good person and a good baseball man. But the demands of the on-field coordinator are time-consuming. With organizing the schedule and everything else, it's a difficult job. It wasn't a good fit."

The Reds hired Oester Dec. 31. The move was big news because Oester had left the Reds in 2001 after 27 years in the organization, a year after the manager's job was taken out from under him in a misunderstanding with then-general manager Jim Bowden.

Oester was working in the Philadelphia Phillies' player development department when the Reds wooed him to a position created under new GM Dan O'Brien.

"I wanted to help the club get back to the way it used to be," Oester said. "I thought I was doing that. I guess I didn't kiss enough (butt).

"The puzzling thing to me is the same guys survive year after year and the organization doesn't get any better."

Naehring said the job will be filled.

"We don't have anyone in mind," Naehring said. "I'm going to sit down with Dan and talk about it. I want to make sure whoever it is is 100 percent comfortable with the way we do things."

Oester has no immediate plans. He said he'll consider his options for a few weeks.


http://reds.enquirer.com/2004/09/22/red1nte.html

[RedsBaron]

I can't say I'm a big fan of Oester, but I'm not all that thrilled by the management that fired him either. Of the management charged with building the Reds into a winner, about the only guy I'd give a passing grade to right now would be Chris Chambliss.

[Hoosier Red]

I'd take anything Ronnie O says with a grain of salt right now. He is clearly very bitter.
That said, I wish there was more damning evidence to fire a guy than "he wasn't a good fit."

[ODERED]

I'd take anything Ronnie O says with a grain of salt right now. He is clearly very bitter.
That said, I wish there was more damning evidence to fire a guy than "he wasn't a good fit."

Well, Chambliss has only been with the organization for one year, so he deserves more time. Gullett does need to go, with all the pitchers he's had come through, very few of them really improved under him.

It's not always what you do with talent, it's also how much you improve those that supposedly don't have much talent. I'd also send the third base coach on his way.

Not that he's cost them a lot of wins, but some of his decisions have been downright stupidfying. Some of them were, IIRC, at a moment when the Reds were hanging on for dear life.

[RFS62]

Well, there had to be a lot more to it than the "good fit" line, but not for public consumption.

[letsgojunior]

I guess we can't blame this one on Jim Bowden.

[SandyD]

"We don't have anyone in mind," Naehring said. "I'm going to sit down with Dan and talk about it. I want to make sure whoever it is is 100 percent comfortable with the way we do things."

Must have been some kind of conflict.

[Krusty]

Oester needs to quit being a cowboy and doing things his way. You work for a company and you do it the company's way or you're out the door. It's that plain and simple.

But to come out and say that the Reds want nothing but "yes men", well.......what's that say about Ron Oester? Oester should be thankful he was able to come back to the Reds. New GM and new direction the organization was taking after canning Jim Bowden. Instead, maybe the problem was all Jim Bowden but alittle of Ronnie Oester too.

[Chip R]

Oester needs to quit being a cowboy and doing things his way. You work for a company and you do it the company's way or you're out the door. It's that plain and simple.

But to come out and say that the Reds want nothing but "yes men", well.......what's that say about Ron Oester? Oester should be thankful he was able to come back to the Reds. New GM and new direction the organization was taking after canning Jim Bowden. Instead, maybe the problem was all Jim Bowden but alittle of Ronnie Oester too.

Agreed. When Oester gets to run his own organization he can do things however he wants. But when you are working for someone else, you need to do things their way or else suffer the consequences.

[kxblue]

Oester needs to quit being a cowboy and doing things his way. You work for a company and you do it the company's way or you're out the door. It's that plain and simple.

Many people have brought this point up, but if Oester was working to change some things maybe thats not such a bad thing. Companies need to be successful and clearly the Reds aren't. Personally, I think the Reds need to change their ways, as what they're doing isn't working right now.

[Ravenlord]

man, i'd love to be anywhere in the FO right now...

[ODERED]

Where will Ronnie end up next?

[smith288]

"I wanted to help the club get back to the way it used to be," Oester said. "I thought I was doing that. I guess I didn't kiss enough (butt).

No offense, Ron, but what did you do to add to the team to make it "what it used to be"?

I respect him as a baseball man but as a team player, he appears to lack the skill. You get paid, you follow direction. Thats how working works.

[zombie-a-go-go]

"The puzzling thing to me is the same guys survive year after year and the organization doesn't get any better."

Ditto.

[traderumor]

Ditto.

Ronnie has had two stints himself during this period of losing.