Reds extend manager Dusty Baker's contract for 2 seasons, through 2014.

[reds44]

97 wins, clearly the 3 game sample size in October is grounds to not bring him back.

/saidnobodyever

[mattfeet]

People on Facebook are freaking out commenting on the MLBTR announcement.

[mdccclxix]

Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

This topic has been discussed a lot. Dusty has a lot more influence regarding which players are on the roster than you think. Jocketty isn't forcing Dusty to use players he doesn't want on the roster. Those guys are there because Dusty wants them there.

Maybe you missed Dusty's effort to trade Stubbs this summer? He and Walt are about on the same exact page on that one.

Didn't Walt sign that 2 year deal with Cairo?

What we saw when it was available was that Dusty had Phillips leading off, the preferred leadoff guy for most Reds fans. Batting Hanigan 2nd was the only option that wasn't ever tried that would indict Dusty's lineups. Oh darn.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Dusty's fine ... I don't really even have a problem with his in-game decisions, because a lot of the head-scratchers ultimately do work. But it's his reluctance or downright unwillingness to part with pieces (player/coaches) that are clearly holding the team back. He's too close with his guys and that results in his overplaying them, trying to play them out of extended slumps, etc.

[AtomicDumpling]

Originally Posted by I(heart)Freel

Curious: who would have been an upgrade?

It seems beyond argument that Dusty was a great clubhouse manager. In the other hand, his in-game management is extremely debatable.

But who on the market is slam-dunk good at both aspects? And why aren't they managing right now?

That's a good question. Dave Martinez and John Farrell would be my two top choices. Martinez is waiting for the perfect opportunity to come along (Reds would likely qualify) and Farrell is the Blue Jays' manager whom other teams are chasing right now.

It shouldn't be that hard to upgrade the Reds at manager. Dusty makes a lot of big mistakes that have cost the team some wins, especially with regard to the offense.

Dusty might be a good clubhouse manager, but from what I have seen and heard he spends most of his time in his office and really doesn't interact all that much with the players. He is a hands-off manager who let's the players do their thing without a lot of in-your-face college football-style coaching. I think most MLB managers are like that, which is fine. Dusty's handling of the players off the field is his strong suit.

It is the in-game strategy and lineup construction that proves to a lot of people that Dusty simply doesn't know what he is doing as a modern manager. Something as ultra-basic as his batting order shows that he hasn't been paying attention to statistical developments that have become proven facts in the information age and are now fundamental concepts of successful managing.

Dusty is the same guy that led the Reds to a losing record last year with a playoff-caliber roster.

The addition of 5 very good players (Latos, Ludwick, Frazier, Cozart and Marshall) to the team this year has convinced a lot of people with short memories that Dusty is a great manager all of a sudden.

The strength of the team is the pitching staff led by Bryan Price. Of course Dusty has the final word on all decisions, but by all reports Dusty has entrusted Bryan Price to run the pitching staff as he sees fit, and that is exactly what he should have done so Dusty made the right call there. Price is a fantastic pitching coach and I have said that the Reds should make it their highest priority to sign Price to a long-term contract. I don't blame Dusty when there are situations late in games when it is a tough call whether or not to make a pitching change. Some people give him grief for that, but I don't. Those decisions are made by Bryan Price.

[AtomicDumpling]

Originally Posted by redsfan30

Two division championships in three years.

Took a team that was one of the laughing stocks of sports and turned them into yearly contenders.

His team would take a bullet for him.

97 wins with half of Votto or no Votto at all for half the season.

I snicker at anyone who would snicker at this.

If you think Dusty Baker is the reason the Reds won 97 games you aren't paying attention.

If you think the only criteria for judging a manager is the win total, why didn't they fire him after last year's collapse from a playoff team to a losing record? Same manager managing the same way. Proof positive that Dusty Baker isn't a great manager.

[SirFelixCat]

Originally Posted by I(heart)Freel

After perusing the "next manager" threads and being completely underwhelmed with the options, I am not opposed to this agreement at all.

Take some bad fruit off his plate and he'll be hard-pressed to eat them. That's on Walt.

Pretty much my take. Walt, help Dusty help us, please.

[lollipopcurve]

He deserves it. Hope he can hold up and be a little more adaptable than he has been. The challenge for a team that will have this much continuity is not to get stale. Dusty has to bring something new to the table, just like Jocketty does on the roster side.

[medford]

I'm sure fans in Pittsburgh are snickering over this extension.

Love Dusty or hate dusty, Dusty is part of the equation that got Votto, Cueto, Bruce & Phillips to sign extensions.

[redsmetz]

Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

Looks like Castellini overruled Jocketty... No surprise there.

Going to be plenty of snickers around the league over this one.

Hopefully Walt and the research staff can have better luck teaching Dusty the importance of On-Base Percentage and Run Expectancy tables this year. Somehow I doubt it.

This was a blown opportunity to improve the team by upgrading at manager. I guess the Reds chose to concentrate on public relations instead of improving the product on the field. Its a shame, but the Reds will still be fine even with the strategically-challenged manager.

Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

This topic has been discussed a lot. Dusty has a lot more influence regarding which players are on the roster than you think. Jocketty isn't forcing Dusty to use players he doesn't want on the roster. Those guys are there because Dusty wants them there.

Just out of curiosity, how is it that you're so omniscient regarding the inner workings of the Reds front office?

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Originally Posted by medford

I'm sure fans in Pittsburgh are snickering over this extension.

Love Dusty or hate dusty, Dusty is part of the equation that got Votto, Cueto, Bruce & Phillips to sign extensions.

I'm not sure fans in Pittsburgh have the right to snicker over anything, considering their team's epic futility.

[MartyFan]

I don't love this move (or stillness) and I don't hate it.

I don't love this because of all the players I ever saw play, Dusty Baker was one of my least favorite players EVER...goes back to when he was with the Dodgers and he and Concepcion got in a mix up.

When he managed the Giants, I was ok with that because it was the Giants...a west coast team and not in our division (anymore) when he took the gig as the Cubs manager, it sealed the deal with me...

1) One of my LEAST favorite players of all time...
2) Managing my second most hated team...

Since he became the manager of the Reds, I've been neutral on him (aside from my "Fire Dusty Now" thread earlier this seaso) even though it kills me to hear his name mentioned alongside of other legendary Reds Managers.

The players love him and play hard for him.

He has not been an embarrassment to the team or organization.

I like him as a human being and find him interesting but Ihate him being the manager of my baseball team.

Ahh, the conflicted life and mind of being MartyFan!

[medford]

Originally Posted by Reds/Flyers Fan

I'm not sure fans in Pittsburgh have the right to snicker over anything, considering their team's epic futility.

That was my point, someone said there would be snickering all over the league, when in reality over half of MLB would be happy to have the Reds track record over Dusty's tenure.

[alloverjr]

Never really thought anything different would happen. I don't really care if he's the manager or not - which I don't know if that's a plus or a minus.

If the entirety of the coaching staff comes back, I'll feel much differently.

[MartyFan]

Originally Posted by medford

I'm sure fans in Pittsburgh are snickering over this extension.

Love Dusty or hate dusty, Dusty is part of the equation that got Votto, Cueto, Bruce & Phillips to sign extensions.

ummmm....maybe a part of the equation but certainly all those numbers to the left of the decimal point were the real influence.

Votto said he wanted to be the highest paid athlete in Canada...the reds made it happen.

Phillips signing his extension was a result of his own PR campaign...I absolutely think the Reds would have let him walk if he were not such a high profile media entity of his own creation.