Krivsky Backs Narron Once Again--Flips Out On Fay

[reds44]

Krivsky on Narron: "It's not going to happen"

Wayne Krivsky said in the strongest -- I mean strongest -- terms possible that manager Jerry Narron's job is safe after Reds' 9-4 loss to the Indians.

Krivsky took exception to a response I made to a question from Marty Brennaman during our second inning chat. Marty asked if I thought Narron was safe if the team continued to play the way it is. I said no, or words to that effect. "It's not going to happen," Krivsky said after the game. "Get off of it." I did three radio interviews today. I was asked about it in all three. I answered the same way: I don't think it's Narron's fault. But managers tend to take the blame. The old you-can't-fire-the-players thing. So unless the Reds turn it around, my guess is, Narron will take the fall at some point.

-Fay

Hurray. :rolleyes:

And why the heck is Krivsky listening to radio interviews? Also, Narron's job is so safe, why is Krivsky concerned about what people are saying about it?

[REDblooded]

Narron must have a picture of Kriv and Bob C wearing leather pants and laying on top of each other. Only explanation.

[fearofpopvol1]

Narron must have a picture of Kriv and Bob C wearing leather pants and laying on top of each other. Only explanation.

:D

Hilarious.

[WMR]

ALL IS WELL. REMAIN CALM. ALL WILL BE ASSIMILATED IN DUE COURSE. DO NOT QUESTION OUR METHODS, MERE EARTHLINGS.

:rolleyes:

[edabbs44]

I agree with Fay. This roster is a mess. Narron will have to answer at some point, but I'd like Wayne to start getting some questions asked of him.

[savafan]

I gotta believe Wayne is getting some heat from above. His reaction to a simple radio interview shows that he's under a lot of stress.

[TeamBoone]

I agree with Fay too, at least in theory... that the manager's job SHOULD be in jeopardy. But I also think he should respect that WK said it isn't.

I can see WK's side of it. He's repeatedly said JN's job is not in jeopardy (whether it should be or not is actually beside the point), yet Fay insists on saying it is. I think I might be a bit irritated by his persistence if I had blatantly said NO, IT ISN'T!

[M2]

The manager's job is never in jeopardy until it is ... and then he's gone within a few days.

[MartyFan]

Narron must have a picture of Kriv and Bob C wearing leather pants and laying on top of each other. Only explanation.

Gee, that is original....YAWN:rolleyes:

[MartyFan]

I think maybe the reason Special K reacted in such a way is because he doesn't play any of his transactions out in the media and probably doesn't appreciate this one being played out there.

That said, Narron and his brother are the influencers of Josh Hamilton...there could be some strings to letting him/them go...

[KronoRed]

I agree with Fay. This roster is a mess. Narron will have to answer at some point, but I'd like Wayne to start getting some questions asked of him.

Krivsky built this pitching staff, IMO he's just as much at fault as Narron.

[AtomicDumpling]

Narron's days are numbered despite what Krivsky says publicly.

On the other hand it always amuses me when newspaper geeks like Fay think they have any effect whatsoever on what decisions the team makes. Same goes for the poofy-haired fancy boy. They can whine all they want but it doesn't matter one bit.

[Eric_Davis]

[QUOTE=reds44;1352529]-
And why the heck is Krivsky listening to radio interviews? [QUOTE]

In here is why Ozzie Guillen listens to radio shows:

CHICAGO (AP) - White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen unleashed a profanity-laced outburst on a radio show Friday morning after the host questioned why starting catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn't in the lineup for the interleague opener against the Cubs.

Pierzynski had been on the show earlier, saying he was disappointed to be left out of the lineup as the White Sox started backup catcher Toby Hall.
Hall's first appearance of the season wasn't a good one. After coming off the disabled list Thursday, he made two errors and had a crucial passed ball in the White Sox's 6-3 loss.

"Ozzie called up and after he swore the first time, I asked him nicely to take it easy. He swore again and that's when it blew up," WSCR-AM host Mike North said.

Pierzynski met with both Guillen and general manager Ken Williams before the game.

After Pierzynski went on the air and said he was disappointed to be sitting, North said there was no excuse for Pierzynski - a weekly guest on the show - to be sitting.

Guillen, on the way to Wrigley Field, phoned from his car and launched into North. North began responding angrily and Guillen subsequently hung up. North later went to Guillen's office and brought him some fudge.

Before the game, Guillen acknowledged he was very angry but did not apologize for his choice of words on the air.

"No. I already did it. It's too late," Guillen said. "No, I don't regret it."

"I should have been talking to my kids in the car. Every time we play the series, I like to listen what the fans say about the series and what's going on," Guillen said. "It's a funny thing because at 9 in the morning I always sleep. I was mad at the way they were saying stuff."

Guillen said he doesn't have to explain his lineup to anyone, except Williams. And he said Pierzynski is not going to be in a platoon situation with Hall.

"If he thinks he going to be a backup player, he should come to me and not go to the radio. Do I have anything against him? No, he's going to be my catcher tomorrow and my catcher the next day and every day until I make the lineup when Toby Hall is in the lineup," Guillen said.

Moments later, he and Pierzynski met near the first-base line and then gave each other a hug.

"Ozzie and I are fine. That's the biggest thing. That Ozzie and I know where we stand with each other, and I have nothing but respect for Ozzie and what happened this morning was just a misunderstanding," Pierzynski said.

Williams didn't seemed overly concerned about his talkative manager's latest controversy.

"Am I OK with it? No, I don't like the use of the language. But in talking with Ozzie, he was surprised when I informed him he used a few choice words that are really not acceptable for the radio," Williams said.

"He was shocked that he actually used a couple of them to the extent that he did. So that was pure and raw anger that was coming out."

[Always Red]

Pierzynski can bring out the worst in anyone, eh?

http://hitlesswanderings.mlblogs.com/photos/uncategorized/barrett.jpg

[Always Red]

Narron's days are numbered despite what Krivsky says publicly.

On the other hand it always amuses me when newspaper geeks like Fay think they have any effect whatsoever on what decisions the team makes. Same goes for the poofy-haired fancy boy. They can whine all they want but it doesn't matter one bit.

Fay (and Rosecrans, too) actually do have some effect by stirring up the public opinion. I would say that it really does matter one bit, because we're talking about what John Fay said right now, just like we did this spring when he decided to write about Junior allegedly sulking over moving to RF.

I read it in the paper, I read it on the 'net and I hear Lance talking non-stop, all about what an idiot Jerry Narron is. All that writing, talking and listening has some effect on those who care to listen or read, which are most Reds fans. Most fans who care about Reds baseball pay attention to what is written or said about the team in the media.

I think Narron's an OK manager. I cannot blame him for the pitching, that's on WK. I do blame him for the lineup construction. Did anyone look at that lineup last night and think the Reds had a chance to win? I may be the biggest Juan Castro fan on this site, but Juan simply should not be starting at 3B, or pinch hitting for anyone, ever. It's time for WK to bring EE back up, and put him at 3B, if Ryan Freel is not going to play there. Even if you platoon EE, and start him only against LH, this is a better team than with Castro as your starting 3B.

If this team continues to tank, JN will be fired, no question. I think this team has quit on him; you could see it on his face last night when he was pulling Lohse out of the game; he just stood there, head down, muttering something, shaking his head.

Apparently infield/outfield practice was not well received by some on the team- Fay pointed this out in his blog as well, and good for him for doing so.

This team should have a burning desire to win, and to play better defense, and certainly shouldn't balk at extra fielding drills like a pack of petulant children. They apparently perceived it as punishment, and Narron is just trying to improve them. And look at how they kicked the ball around again last night!

I think Fay's right. And I think it showed in Krivsky's anger, just how close Fay is to being right. Someone has to take the blame. You just can't keep throwing the same club, same players, same manager and coaches out there day after day and expect different results.

Since July 1, 2006, this team is 52-72 (.419). That's not a slump; that's just bad baseball.

Something needs to change.

I really thought this was a better team than the Reds have had in the recent past. Other than the SP being better, it's not. The corner IF positions and catching are substandard, the bench is anemic, slow and old, and the relief pitching is well documented elsewhere.

I can't blame Narron for that, either.

Something has to change. I can't see Castellini, who fancies himself a man of action, sitting on his hands night after night, watching this train wreck.

A big change of some sort needs to happen; what will it be?

As for me, I'd cut out the dead weight right now- prune it. This season is lost. Get rid of the old, bloated contracts that run through this year only, and start bringing up the AAA guys and find out what you've got. Playing Juan Castro at 3B doesn't win you any ball games, and just keeps the younger guys from advancing.

[redsmetz]

On the other hand it always amuses me when newspaper geeks like Fay think they have any effect whatsoever on what decisions the team makes. Same goes for the poofy-haired fancy boy. They can whine all they want but it doesn't matter one bit.

I think that's precisely what Krivsky is reacting to. Somehow John Fay has appointed himself "savior of the Reds". I know I've tired of it - he's taken on some serious self-importance and is mostly full of it.

[Strikes Out Looking]

I think that's precisely what Krivsky is reacting to. Somehow John Fay has appointed himself "savior of the Reds". I know I've tired of it - he's taken on some serious self-importance and is mostly full of it.

Someone has to be savior of the Reds--it isn't Jerry Narron or Wayne Krivsky, or many of the players on the 25 man roster.

Fay and C-Trent aren't stirring up the public, the Reds woeful play is. These guys stink. They can't pitch, hit or catch.

[DTCromer]

Narron's days are numbered despite what Krivsky says publicly.

On the other hand it always amuses me when newspaper geeks like Fay think they have any effect whatsoever on what decisions the team makes. Same goes for the poofy-haired fancy boy. They can whine all they want but it doesn't matter one bit.


Are you serious? It's Fay's job to report stuff that is going on. Fay doesn't think he's going to have any serious effect on the decisions going on. . . the same with Marty. I think they've been around long enough to know how things work with this organization.

Making assinine allegations like this is really what amuses me most from fans.

What else amuses me is that when WK or BC make comments like these and fans take them to heart. Isn't the "vote of confidence" usually considered the "kiss of death" for a manager? I think everyone knows Narron is close to being out of here. It also amuses me when fans get all bent out of shape with these comments.

[Reds Fanatic]

Wayne should know the reason he is asked about it in every interview is it is obvious to everyone but Wayne there is a problem here. Is Narron the only problem? No. But it is obvious this team has pretty much quit on Narron. There needs to be a change just to wake this team up.

[Degenerate39]

Wait doesn't Bob C. have a say in this?

[hebroncougar]

I think that's precisely what Krivsky is reacting to. Somehow John Fay has appointed himself "savior of the Reds". I know I've tired of it - he's taken on some serious self-importance and is mostly full of it.

You do realize it is his JOB as the Reds beat writer to convey what he thinks is going on with the team? What's wrong with saying the manager's job should be in jeopardy? That's what about 99% of Reds fans think.

[Spring~Fields]

Sounds like the kitchen is getting a little too hot for the Reds management team.

Perhaps they should implement solutions that actually work or accept responsibility for the results of their work to date. The next time that they sell a product to the media and their consumers, it might be a good idea to actually have the product.

[Falls City Beer]

Not a big fan of the "piss-off" tone that Krivsky's taking with the wussified media of Cincinnati. Imagine if he were being pressed by a nails-tough journalist?

Donald Rumsfeld anyone? This happens all the time with certain "types" of people who come in great-guns; when the going gets tough, they start lashing out. I'd have much more respect if Wayne, even symbolically, showed a bit more of a stiff upper lip about this situation they've created.

[redsmetz]

You do realize it is his JOB as the Reds beat writer to convey what he thinks is going on with the team? What's wrong with saying the manager's job should be in jeopardy? That's what about 99% of Reds fans think.

There used to be a difference between a reporter and a columnist. A columnist writes the story with opinion, the reporter should rarely ever use the word "I" in a story unless he's quoting someone else. I understand, at times, now John Fay gets to wrap the mantle of "analyst" on some of his writing and heaven knows with blogging and personal interview spots on the radio broadcast, all sorts of editorializing goes on, but as the beat reporter, it's his job to report independently, not try to shape the story himself. It's really the sorry state of much journalism today.

[Spring~Fields]

Not a big fan of the "piss-off" tone that Krivsky's taking with the wussified media of Cincinnati. Imagine if he were being pressed by a nails-tough journalist?

Donald Rumsfeld anyone? This happens all the time with certain "types" of people who come in great-guns; when the going gets tough, they start lashing out. I'd have much more respect if Wayne, even symbolically, showed a bit more of a stiff upper lip about this situation they've created.

Well he can’t kill the messenger so maybe he can stifle the messenger.

As the general manager of operations, Narron, the coaches, the players, are his manager, his coaches, his players, his bullpen, his starting pitching, his lineup, his fielders etc. So the messenger is stepping hard into "his kitchen" and he is getting defensive because those human resources aforementioned were his answers to the problem that he took on to resolve and his resources and answers aren’t working. Krivsky knows the results can be measured and compared and the trail will eventually lead back to him and his managment team.

[KronoRed]

Wait doesn't Bob C. have a say in this?

He should, and if Krivsky wants to down with the sinking ship called Narron then more power to him.

[4256 Hits]

When the team is on pace to lose 100 games it is expected that the manager will get fired and a good chance that the GM is on his way out also.

Wayne going off on Fay just makes himself look like a jackass.

[jmcclain19]

I guess again I don't understand what exactly firing Narron will accomplish.

Will the team seriously be any better? The Reds will likely still have the same players & likely the same outcomes as before.

My blame starts at the top. At Bob C & Wayne Krivsky for using the tease of last year's phony 'pennant race' as an excuse to do nothing.

This team hasn't had good starting pitching in who knows how long. They finally have it and the team is awful. Great work guys.

[Falls City Beer]

This team hasn't had good starting pitching in who knows how long. They finally have it and the team is awful. Great work guys.

The starting pitching isn't good, though. A big chunk of the problem is that the Reds bought into the month and a half of good pitching that Lohse gave them last year and decided he was a #3; also, they believed they had a closer in Coffey and good setup cast in Weathers and Stanton. Most things aren't that simple, but I believe that is the crux of this team's problems going forward--they totally blew the estimations of the potential basement of these pitchers while having enormous faith in their ceilings--and their ability to reach their ceiling.

[savafan]

Bob Boone=Dave Miley=Jerry Narron

It's just more of the same, over and over and over again.

[KronoRed]

DanO=Krivksy? ;)

[dsmith421]

I think maybe the reason Special K reacted in such a way is because he doesn't play any of his transactions out in the media and probably doesn't appreciate this one being played out there.

"Special K" is one of the worst GMs in baseball and the roster he's constructed is an absolute joke. He ought to be taking crap from all sides right now, including Castellini.

And keeping a boob like Narron just because his brother has a special relationship with one of your players (who has played a grand total of 1/4 season in the bigs) demonstrates the commitment to sub-mediocrity we've come to expect from the local nine.

[savafan]

DanO=Krivksy? ;)

Not really. DanO really did very little to shape the ballclub, while Krivsky has tried to do too much, and done it all wrong. I think that both would be excellent scouting directors, but neither are very good general managers.

[WMR]

"Special K" is one of the worst GMs in baseball and the roster he's constructed is an absolute joke. He ought to be taking crap from all sides right now, including Castellini.

And keeping a boob like Narron just because his brother has a special relationship with one of your players (who has played a grand total of 1/4 season in the bigs) demonstrates the commitment to sub-mediocrity we've come to expect from the local nine.

:clap:

[Matt700wlw]

Wayne getting pissy....getting fired up.


Too bad his manager and team aren't.

[cincinnati chili]

Guillen, on the way to Wrigley Field, phoned from his car and launched into North. North began responding angrily and Guillen subsequently hung up. North later went to Guillen's office and brought him some fudge


Why is this amusing to me?

[redsmetz]

So I guess John Fay is coming around to the position of Krivsky & Castellini - from this morning's Enquirer:


Would change do any good?
History says midyear firings don't pay off

CEO Bob Castellini and general manager Wayne Krivsky have been adamant that Jerry Narron's job is safe.

"In baseball, you can't overreact," Castellini said last week.

To fire Narron would be reacting, or overreacting, to what fans want. That's not a good way to run a franchise, i.e., fans also want $1 beers and free parking.

But here's a better reason to keep Narron in charge: Changing managers in midseason hasn't turned a bad season into a good one any of the last five times the Reds tried it.

Remember when Pete Rose took over for Vern Rapp? The move was applauded as one that revitalized the franchise. It did ultimately. But Rose was 19-22 after taking over for Rapp in 1984.

Jim Bowden's move to fire Tony Perez after 44 games is considered one of the dark moments in franchise history. But, on paper, it looked like a great move. Perez was replaced with Davey Johnson, he of the 1986 World Champion New York Mets.

But the Reds went 53-65 under Johnson in 1993.

Like Rose, Johnson eventually turned it around. The Reds finished first in 1994 - the year the strike wiped out the playoffs - and 1995.

But it's difficult for even the most accomplished manager to turn a bad team into a good one at midseason. That hasn't prevented the Reds from trying - three of the club's last four managers got their jobs in midseason.

Marge Schott ran off Johnson after '95 in favor of Ray Knight.

It came apart quickly for Knight. He was fired in July 1997.

Jack McKeon replaced him. McKeon is the one midseason replacement since the Rose move to get the club above .500 after taking over. The Reds went 33-30 under McKeon.

They slipped to 77-85 the next year. But he went 96-67 in 1999 and 85-77 in 2000.

Bob Boone replaced him. Dave Miley replaced Boone in a midseason move. Miley went 22-35 after Boone got the axe.

That brings us up to Narron. He replaced Miley on June 21, 2005. The Reds went 46-46 after the move.

Narron took the club to an 80-82 record last year in his first full season with the team.

The Reds were playing well enough in June of last year that Castellini extended Narron's contract through the 2008 season. He's the same guy now that he was then. He's never going to be fiery or emotional, but that's not a prerequisite for success.

The trend recently has been away from quick firings. No National League club fired a manager in midseason last year. Only two - the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates - did in 2005.

The problem with making a midseason change is you won't likely be able to get the guy you want. The bigger names tend to be available at season's end.

There have been recent cases of a midseason change working. McKeon took over for Jeff Torborg in Florida after 38 games in 2003. The Marlins went 75-49 under McKeon and ended up winning the World Series. The Marlins were fined, however, for hiring McKeon without interviewing minorities for the job.

McKeon had the advantage of having two rookies named Miguel Cabrera and Josh Beckett. (Cabrera was once the Reds' to sign, but that's a different column).

Phil Garner took over for Jimy Williams after 88 games in 2004. He led the Astros to a 48-26 record and to the NLCS. But the Astros were .500 when he took over and had Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt in their rotation.

The case most like the Reds recently is that of the Milwaukee Brewers. Ned Yost led the Brewers to an unexpectedly good year in 2005 when the club went 81-81 after two straight 94-loss seasons.

Ownership stuck with Yost even though the team slipped to 75-87 last year.

The Brewers are winning again this year. Patience seems to have paid in that case.

Will it for the Reds? Krivsky and Castellini adamantly say we're going to find out.

[alloverjr]

So I guess John Fay is coming around to the position of Krivsky & Castellini - from this morning's Enquirer:

Not really. I get the impression that Krivsky and Castellini think having Narron at the helm is a good idea. Fay on the other hand is implying only that you may as well wait until the end of the season to fire him. As for me, I don't mind keeping Narron around, but I'd ditch the GM immediately.

[mth123]

If the Reds are contemplating a change for 2008, then the reason to change now is to allow the new guy time to size things up heading into the offseason (or even the July deadline). I don't think many are naive enough (maybe Fay is or maybe he's just writing down to the average banana phone fan) to think that changing managers is intended to impact the record this year. Its happened, but its rare.

[ChatterRed]

Management's plan is to get through this season, ride out Milton's, Dunn's, and Griffey's contracts and then take that $30-$35 million and spend it more wisely. They are riding out the mismanagement by Jim Bowden & Dan O'Brien, and the care-less attitude of Carl Lindner.

[redsmetz]

Management's plan is to get through this season, ride out Milton's, Dunn's, and Griffey's contracts and then take that $30-$35 million and spend it more wisely. They are riding out the mismanagement by Jim Bowden & Dan O'Brien, and the care-less attitude of Carl Lindner.

I think your take is correct. Far too many folks on RZ assume that the Reds management is stupid. Castellini strikes me as a fairly astute business owner. They've got to get unsaddled from the big contracts (Milton & Griffey, although Griffey is performing reasonably well), and continue to rebuild the system. That takes time, something modern day fans generally don't care to give.

Regarding the other poster who said Fay assumes a managerial will be next year; I'll grant he probably does. I still don't believe Jerry Narron's the problem entirely. The players the Reds intended for this year weren't a terrible lot, despite protestations to the contrary here on RedsZone. But it is showing to be a considerably thin group with no margin for error. And poor starts and injuries etc. left us high and dry.

That said, I'm just a guy typing and I have no say so in the matter and I have no backroom insight in to inner sanctums of the Reds front office. But I think you've stated what they're trying to do for this year. Unfortunately the team thus far has proven to be not competitive on the field. I still like our long term.

[WMR]

Except they've handed out some extremely asinine 2 year contracts which will tie up dollars through next season... something a smart GM following the plan that you're describing wouldn't do...

[WMR]

"Special K" is one of the worst GMs in baseball and the roster he's constructed is an absolute joke. He ought to be taking crap from all sides right now, including Castellini.

And keeping a boob like Narron just because his brother has a special relationship with one of your players (who has played a grand total of 1/4 season in the bigs) demonstrates the commitment to sub-mediocrity we've come to expect from the local nine.

I just want to repeat that I have some serious "MAN LOVE" for this post.

[Matt700wlw]

I love Fay's references to Rose and Perez's early records.....which have nothing to do with the current situation



Narron's record isn't early....it's a trend. They say a baseball player will eventually play to "the back of his baseball card." Jerry's done that...he's managed to "the back of his baseball card."

He is what he is.....and it isn't flattering.

[Matt700wlw]

Would change do any good?

Is standing pat?

[pedro]

IMO "the trade" is used by a lot of folks as justification for why every other thing Krivsky does is stupid and why they themselves are so brilliant. It constantly amazes me that people underestimate the difficulty of being the general manager of a business with an overall budget approaching 100 million dollars and with hundreds of employees. Now, it's perfectly possible that Krivsky might end up being a bad GM, the jury is still out on that IMO, but to act like this can be judged definitively from the outside in a period of roughly 15 months is a little dubious IMO, considering the wide range of responsibilities that major league GM's have in their job descriptions.

I do think it's perfectly natural to have some doubts at this point, Krivsky has made some questionable moves (and some really good ones), and the Reds are playing very poorly right now, but IMO anybody who thinks that Krivsky should have built the Reds into a winner by now is severely underestimating the size and difficulty of the project.

[I(heart)Freel]

There used to be a difference between a reporter and a columnist. A columnist writes the story with opinion, the reporter should rarely ever use the word "I" in a story unless he's quoting someone else. I understand, at times, now John Fay gets to wrap the mantle of "analyst" on some of his writing and heaven knows with blogging and personal interview spots on the radio broadcast, all sorts of editorializing goes on, but as the beat reporter, it's his job to report independently, not try to shape the story himself. It's really the sorry state of much journalism today.


I am NO fan of the Enquirer. Believe you me. But Fay became a part of the story so using the first person reference there is completely legit.

He didn't try to shape the story. WK made him a part of it. In an ideal world, the other Reds beat writer for the ENQ would have covered this, to keep Fay out of it. But the ENQ doesn't really have another beat writer.

[Always Red]

...justification for why every other thing Krivsky does is stupid and why they themselves are so brilliant...

This is why I tend to discount about 80% of what I read here. Every thread that starts with how stupid either Narron or Krivsky is, well, I just don't read them.

It's OK to disagree with them, especially if you state why and how you propose to fix the problem. After all, that's really why a site like this exists at all!

But there is no doubt in my mind that both of these guys know way more about baseball than I do. For me, it's a serious hobby. For them, it's literally a life or death business. OK, not literally ;), but if they fail, they don't eat.

I watched the game today, and listened to Brantley, whom I am really starting to like. I don't see that managing mistakes are losing most of the games. Some, certainly; I don't agree with everything JN does, by any stretch of the imagination. But it's not his fault the Reds are in dead last place.

And staying pat is not an option, either. I've gone back a couple of times and added up the Reds record since 7/1/06, and it's about 52-72 by now. That's just bad baseball, not bad luck or a slump.

Wk has done some very good, and he has done some very bad, too. My main beef with him is the 2 year contracts that he gives to vets. I think he does this mostly to reduce what the cost would be for a one year contract, but then it locks him in. It's too early to fire WK, he's only been on the job now for 15 months now, after all....

Some of this is just damn bad luck, too. Coffey and Stanton have never pitched this poorly before- who'd have known this would happen? I know, some here did predict it, FCB for one (kudos). Who'd have thought EE would not progress from where he finished last year? In ST, it looked as if he was a serious All-Star candidate. Really.

So that leaves Cast, and the players. I'm not ready to give up on Bob Castellini just yet- he's shown more spunk (can I say that on this forum?:D) and desire to win since any owner since Marge. OK, Marge was Marge, and Bob is not Marge. It makes sense to me, so we'll go on from here...

So, it's the players, at least in my very humble opinion.:p:

We need to weed out the chaff, get rid of the older guys who are not in the futre plans, and go from there. Stanton, Santos, Hatte, Conine, Castro, Valentin, Ross and Moeller (yeah, this team needs to start from scratch in the catching dept), Lohse (trade bait), Milty (I'm so sorry it didn't work out, Milty:cry:) all need to go. Soon. Now. Today... yeah, I know, it's not going to happen.

I'd keep the good guys and fill in from there. EE back at 3B. Dunn, maybe at 1B, or at least in LF. Freel back at supersub. Votto, and Bailey up by the ASB. Who gives a crap about starting clocks and all, lets win some friggin' games and build a team, eh!? Janisch maybe the answer at SS, in a year or two?? Tommy Herr's kid knocks the stink out of the ball in AAA, why isn't he on anyone's list? I've never seen Aaron Herr's name on this site, but I don't go to the minor league forum, maybe I need to spend mroe time there.

Blow it up, but be selective. Junior, Dunn, Phillips, Harang, Arroyo; I think you hang onto these guys, for various and sundry reasons. Mosty, because they're the only guys who can hit or pitch on this team!! Coffey, Burton, Salmon, McBeth, give them all a shot from here on out- let's see what they've got.

I really like Norris Hopper. He can be a back-up OF on my team anyday. The guy knows how to get on base, and he's from the school of hard knocks- he plays like he might be out of the game tomorrow.

OK, I'm done rambling for now. Back to the Blue Moon (a really good summer beer- and I do love Canadian brews!:thumbup:), with apologies to vp; I heard Tracy Jones today on the radio (Matt were you the producer today??), and he actually talked about baseball and wasn't too bad. OK, it was a good show today. I know, I know... Tracy knows baseball- but when he's serious, he really does know the game. :cry: I was really tempted to call in, in the spirit of vaticanplum, but chickened out and sat in my hot tub and listened instead. :beerme: yes, and had a few brews.

OK, I'm done....:all_cohol

Fire away!

[jimbo]

But there is no doubt in my mind that both of these guys know way more about baseball than I do. For me, it's a serious hobby. For them, it's literally a life or death business. OK, not literally ;), but if they fail, they don't eat.


Wow, a redszoner who isn't absolutely full of himself. They really do exist. :D

Excellent post. Rational and level-headed. Great change of pace. :beerme:

[Always Red]

Wow, a redszoner who isn't absolutely full of himself. They really do exist. :D

Excellent post. Rational and level-headed. Great change of pace. :beerme:

Ahh...thanks Jimbo! I need another Blue Moon....