I have a healthy distaste for Toothpick and was disappointed to see him re-sign, but no rational person who knows anything about baseball can place the blame soley on him. The players gagged in monumental fashion and it was sickening to watch. That being said, DB's playoff record is not an aberration either. He has a history of not being able to close and that's unacceptable. After the regular season the Reds had this year, getting beat like they did is nothing short of a total team failure.
I think total post season success is a monkey on his back rather than something he'll never achieve. There are many greats who have never won a championship and teams much worse than the Reds who have. Call it Dusty ball, but it almost worked this year. Who knows what could have been had Cueto not been hurt. We didn't get steamrolled like we did against the Phillies, instead it came down to the 270th out of the NLDS to decide who's going to the next round, and we almost came through.
I'm no pessimist but also don't deal in "could haves" and "almosts". I almost broke 80 on the golf course yesterday but in reality I made double bogey on 18 and shot 81. I could have broken 80 on several occasions this year but I didn't make the putts I needed to make.
"Do or do not. There is no try." - I heard that somewhere.
Dusty batted Stubbs late in the order, had Latos pitch twice, moved Phillips to leadoff, etc. His lineup scored 9 runs on the road during a shutout, which I believe is the norm and the lack of runs in game 3 was the fluke. Baker "did" what some were losing sleep over but it still didn't please.
He also went with experience on the mound in Bronson in game 2 and threw a red hot Bailey in game 3. I don't have enough hard drive space to assemble all posts about how so many people thought those moves would be our demise. Dusty's decisions bear fruits as well. Too much emphasis was put on what didn't happen and not enough credit was given to what did happen.
Castellini, the brothers Wiliams, and Walt have a great resume considering they've worked together for years. Recently what comes to mind are landing Chapman, acquiring Latos and Broxton, signing Ludwick, signing Votto, Phillips, and Bruce long term are all successes that were at one point second guessed. Although Walt might not have as big of an influence in the staffing department as the others, at what point will people start trusting the executive decisions, and in this case, keeping the current manager?
I'm fine with it, cant think of who would be better here at this point that is available.
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im fine with it. I would just like more clarity of his future before the 2014 season starts. It would be nice when that season comes he says this will be his last go around in the big leagues.
Dusty walks out on his terms and there is no guess work of if he should go or stay. It would let the incumbent manager walkin to a positive siuation.
If the reds let dusty walk i do worry how that would affect the players b/c they do love him alot.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. See 2012 Boston Red Sox
Why does there have to be a devil at all? The 2013 Red Sox may get that opportunity since they weren't afraid to admit that Bobby V. was the wrong choice and go a different direction.
If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.
If just making the playoffs is the ultimate goal, then DB is your guy. If you want to actually win something, he's had his chance(s).
Ron Washington has a very similar resume to Dusty Baker, "managing style" aside:
2 WS appearances to Dusty's 1
.535 Winning % to Dutsy's .525 (And Dusty managed the Cubs for 4 years)
Both have been given 2 year contract extensions through 2014
Neither have won a World Series
Dusty has managed in over 3x as many games, however.
Each manager and his respective team had a heartbreaking season, feeling like they were knocked out way too early. One could argue that Ron Washington "fails" as a manager because his teams can't win the big one, be he receives virtually no angst compared to what Dusty gets. In fact, he's gotten nothing but praise. Fingers are pointed at Hamilton cooling off, the Team "choking" to Oakland and Baltimore, etc.
Well I guess it doesn't matter what anyone thinks now. As long as Dusty is in a Reds uniform I'll hope for the best, but in true Cincinnati fan form I'll prepare for the worst.
I've said all winter — they talk about this team winning the division — and my comment is, they won't win it because, at the end of the day, they still are the Chicago Cubs, and they will figure out a way to screw this whole thing up. - Marty Brennaman
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