What did Walt Jocketty do differently?

[GAC]

What he's done the best is gather and collect the jewels from his predecessors and hide under his desk when Cast was looking to stop the losing.

Yep. For the most part, he is simply trying to complete the build process on an engine with parts accumulated by the previous mechanics while adding his own minor tweaks here and there.

Still not sure what kind of race care we're gonna end up with though. Will the engine hold up for the entire race?

[edabbs44]

That reads like you are being more fair now. I can live with that.

I think that this is fairly consistent with my previous postings.

[bucksfan2]

Others were pressured into moves by an impatient owner who didn't trust them to do their job. Walt has not seemed to have had that pressure and there have been no word leaking out about it either.

This is one of the most important aspects of a GM job. You have to have the trust of your owner in order to operate successfully. Walt has earned that trust, not only from working with Bob before, but also for his overall success in building St. Louis into a perennial contender.

While the other two GM's may have laid a nice foundation, Walt has taken over the roll of building upon that foundation. Its like any executive position in America, often it is who build the initial foundation who is successful, it is the person who is able to take that foundation and turn the company into a success. The previous GM's had both their strengths and weaknesses, but they didn't have the track record to come in and run the things exactly the way they wanted.

[BearcatShane]

On January 9th 85% of this forum thought Walt had really done a sub par job as Reds GM. Amazing what a signing of a lefty that can his 100 MPH will do for a GM. That move really sparked a lot of life into the organization.

[Marc D]

I still think we're getting way ahead of ourselves: this team hasn't won a thing yet.

Good point but for the first time in over a decade there is reasonable justification to have hope. Not "Eric Milton won 18 games two years ago" kind of hope, but hope based on things that have a decent chance of actually happening.

After the decade we just went through, hope is enough at this point, at least for me.

BTW as to the question originally posed, I think their different levels of success can be, in part, attributed to how far removed they were from inheriting Jimbo's Frankenstein of a ball club.

[nate]

Good point but for the first time in over a decade there is reasonable justification to have hope. Not "Eric Milton won 18 games two years ago" kind of hope, but hope based on things that have a decent chance of actually happening.

After the decade we just went through, hope is enough at this point, at least for me.

BTW as to the question originally posed, I think their different levels of success can be, in part, attributed to how far removed they were from inheriting Jimbo's Frankenstein of a ball club.

I'll grant that the "talent:rabbit's feet" ratio has squared a bit. However, I think it's perfectly fair as a fan to be cautious going into the season. Ten years is a long time.

[lollipopcurve]

I think their different levels of success can be, in part, attributed to how far removed they were from inheriting Jimbo's Frankenstein of a ball club.

Absolutely. The entire organization was in shambles at the end of Jimbo's tenure.

[Unassisted]

On January 9th 85% of this forum thought Walt had really done a sub par job as Reds GM. Amazing what a signing of a lefty that can his 100 MPH will do for a GM. That move really sparked a lot of life into the organization.

IMO, at that point people were upset that the payroll seemed to be shrinking and the club appeared to be standing pat. Perception changed dramatically once everyone found out what Walt was having Bob save the money for.

[BCubb2003]

So we're saying that Walt Jocketty stood on the shoulders of average-sized men?

[edabbs44]

IMO, at that point people were upset that the payroll seemed to be shrinking and the club appeared to be standing pat. Perception changed dramatically once everyone found out what Walt was having Bob save the money for.

Agreed, I think you are spot on. Many didn't have faith in the guy, almost as if he forgot how to run a winning organization just b/c he changed addresses.

[M2]

almost as if he forgot how to run a winning organization just b/c he changed addresses.

That part remains to be seen. The Reds could be a really awful offensive team. Combine that with average on the run prevention side of things and you've got a losing team.

I suspect what's got people slightly more jazzed about the current version (other than the fact that it's spring and everyone gets giddy when it's spring) isn't the current version so much as the future version. People have visions of Cueto, Chapman, Volquez, Bailey and Leake dancing in their heads. That won't be meaningfully in place until at least 2011, if it ever fully materializes. And that still doesn't put runs on the board.

Yet, from a relatively short time distance, it looks like a foolproof plan. And it's been a long time since Reds fans had that sort of carrot dangling in front of them.

Expect disillusionment with Walt to grow if the current product doesn't deliver once the season starts. Waiting for a near, but not quite here future can be maddening.

[edabbs44]

That part remains to be seen. The Reds could be a really awful offensive team. Combine that with average on the run prevention side of things and you've got a losing team.

I suspect what's got people slightly more jazzed about the current version (other than the fact that it's spring and everyone gets giddy when it's spring) isn't the current version so much as the future version. People have visions of Cueto, Chapman, Volquez, Bailey and Leake dancing in their heads. That won't be meaningfully in place until at least 2011, if it ever fully materializes. And that still doesn't put runs on the board.

Yet, from a relatively short time distance, it looks like a foolproof plan. And it's been a long time since Reds fans had that sort of carrot dangling in front of them.

Expect disillusionment with Walt to grow if the current product doesn't deliver once the season starts. Waiting for a near, but not quite here future can be maddening.

Walt can't change the expectations of certain fans. It is obvious that the team's future is what is going right. Anyone expecting to win anything this year will likely be disappointed. I expect them to be much less embarrassing than the past few years and will be looking for the advancement of the young players. if I see improvement and consistency from the key young guys, I'll be happy.

Fans need to be realistic.

[vaticanplum]

Walt can't change the expectations of certain fans. It is obvious that the team's future is what is going right. Anyone expecting to win anything this year will likely be disappointed. I expect them to be much less embarrassing than the past few years and will be looking for the advancement of the young players. if I see improvement and consistency from the key young guys, I'll be happy.

Fans need to be realistic.

Yes they do, but then it would behoove the Reds to muzzle Castellini when he starts to say things like "the losing stops now!" "I'll eat my ear if the Reds don't make the playoffs!", etc.

As a fan, I'm willing to get behind a strong future 2-3 years down the road if the front office is.

[Spring~Fields]

Walt can't change the expectations of certain fans. It is obvious that the team's future is what is going right. Anyone expecting to win anything this year will likely be disappointed. I expect them to be much less embarrassing than the past few years and will be looking for the advancement of the young players. if I see improvement and consistency from the key young guys, I'll be happy.

Fans need to be realistic.

Are you saying that the fans should not expect a good product?

Or that Walt should be given more time than you have allotted the other gm's?

On some if-come-maybe like we heard from Bowden back in his day of the cry, “we are building for 2003”

While the fans spend their time, energy and money on that?

Why shouldn't we all just come back with our time, energy, interest and money after Walt and the Reds actually have a good product in place?

[Chip R]

Agreed, I think you are spot on. Many didn't have faith in the guy, almost as if he forgot how to run a winning organization just b/c he changed addresses.

I don't know if it was that people didn't have faith in him but more along the lines of he wouldn't have all that attendance revenue he used when he was in StL. If everything else is the same - TV money, etc - when one team is drawing about a million more than the other team, that's quite a bit of revenue to make up. If Brian Cashman or Theo Epstein decided to pull up stakes and take the GM job in PIT or KC, there's no guarantee they would be successful just because they won championships in NY and BOS. Maybe they would but the odds would be against them.

Yes they do, but then it would behoove the Reds to muzzle Castellini when he starts to say things like "the losing stops now!" "I'll eat my ear if the Reds don't make the playoffs!", etc.

I'd pay to see that!