I'm glad this guy isn't running the reds

[medford]

or at least their minor league system, though it is a sometimes debated topic..

http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayto...en-167773.html

By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
12:49 AM Thursday, June 18, 2009
Second-guessing is so much fun when you can do it without any consequences, but the Reds knew they weren’t stocking the Dragons with a highly talented team right from the start this season.

Of course, they refused — and continued to refuse — to admit that, hiding behind the idea they thought this team could win because most of the players were on a winning team at rookie-level Billings, Mont., last season.

Actually, some of the Dragons would be a lot better if they were playing alongside a couple of top-level prospects who could protect them in the lineup.

However, this new Reds regime under General Manager Walt Jocketty wants to move players through the system a little faster, so third baseman Neftali Soto (.253 with 5 homers and 18 RBIs) and shortstop Alex Buchholz (.250, 2, 16) are at “high” Class A Sarasota, Fla., even though at least a half season at Dayton might have served them better.

Oh, and catcher Devin Mesoraco is slogging along with a .204 batting average at Sarasota as well.

I know all the excuses of why those assignments were made, but it’s not like the Reds have had a long history of success at the minor-league level while changing general managers and farm directors at a rate of about every two years.

The Dragons will have their sixth losing season (in 10) this season, while all the Reds general managers and farm directors repeat the dictum they’re in it to develop players and, by the way, they’d like to win, too.

Well, the Reds have had eight straight losing seasons going in that direction and are tottering just above that level at this moment.

There are seven former Dragons on the current Reds roster (not counting Joey Votto and Edwin Encarnacion on the DL), and only one of them — catcher Ryan Hanigan — played on a winning team in Dayton.

Sure hope the Reds aren’t waiting for some of the current Dragons to help them out 3-4 years from now.

Get a good start

Dragons manager Todd Benzinger said it could be important to get a big hit early in a career.

“I played against Tom Glavine in the minors and hit a homer off him,” Benzinger said. “He pitched me like I was Mickey Mantle the rest of my career.”


Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.

[medford]

ironic part is, the Dragons have the potential to have one of their most talented teams next year depending on the progress of Yorman & Duran, and some of the younger signees from the last 2 draft classes.

[lollipopcurve]

Katz whines about this more and more, like a baby who needs his bottle.

Sounds like he needs a change of scenery.

[traderumor]

I pay little to no attention to our minor league team's records. Just as an example of why, I remember the Indians parading their minor leaguers around the field one day just a few years back because they had won so many games when their system was top ranked in the post-Colon trade days. So far, all it has really produced as far as quality is Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez, and Brandon Phillips playing for someone else.

[OesterPoster]

Katz writes that same article several times every year. His editor really should stop paying him for the recycled trash.

[Mario-Rijo]

Katz writes that same article several times every year. His editor really should stop paying him for the recycled trash.

No doubt I have been expecting this for some weeks now, surprised it took him about 2 months to pout about it again. We should expect at least 1 more article from him on it this season plus a few more references to it in other pieces for the next 2 months.

[medford]

I'm not sure of this, but I got the impression from udpride.com that Katz may have been on a month long sabatical similar to John Fay to help the paper reduce cost. Katz has had 4 or 5 straight days of UD recruiting coverage, telling me he was at least putting together some content while he was gone, waiting until his paid return (assuming my assumption is correct). Could be why we haven't seen the article any earlier.

[OnBaseMachine]

Katz writes that same article several times every year. His editor really should stop paying him for the recycled trash.

I was about to say the same thing. Every year around this time Katz comes out with this same article.

[OesterPoster]

I think that paper (DDN) is in trouble, especially with the local economy going into the tank even further. They have 18 articles on 8 pages in the sports section today. Only 9 of those articles are written by DDN employees. The rest are wire stories.

[redsmetz]

I think that paper (DDN) is in trouble, especially with the local economy going into the tank even further. They have 18 articles on 8 pages in the sports section today. Only 9 of those articles are written by DDN employees. The rest are wire stories.

This is pretty much true of every newspaper in the country.

[dougdirt]

I won't go far into it, but this article has been in the works since Day 1 of the season. Katz has talked about the lack of top 30 prospects on the team all year.

[GIDP]

Is it this time of the year again?

[Mario-Rijo]

I won't go far into it, but this article has been in the works since Day 1 of the season. Katz has talked about the lack of top 30 prospects on the team all year.

Exactly I believe his 1st piece of the season (or somewhere close to it) on the Dragons he complained about it. And did the same last season as well, not to the same extent. But just the whole idea that the Reds are shafting the Dragons by filling the team with mostly non-prospects. Get a grip Katz and while your at it get some perspective.

[redsmetz]

I understand the first priority of a farm system is to develop players for the big club. And yet, each minor league team is a business unto itself and trying to make a profit and see a team that will draw fans. We do know, I think, IIRC, that this was a beef of the Chattanooga owner. I understand it's a delicate balance and I appreciated Walt Krivsky's philosophy of moving players from level to level and I haven't seen Jockety deviate from. While it may be an annual complaint, it's understandable since he's writing to the Dayton market. I'm sure Dragons fans aren't thrilled with the record.

I'm assuming that some of this year's signees will play some time in Dayton. Will that help with this issue?

[OesterPoster]

Based on the games I've been to, you couldn't find more than a handful of Dragons fans who could tell you whether the team won or lost on a given night. Most are there just to be there.