Walt J

[EMAW]

I do not live in Cincy so I do not hear talk radio, etc. Only what I hear at Royals games, etc. I know (as are all message boards) people are critical of the manager and coaches. Are people at all questioning the guy who put this team together? He seems to get a free pass, assembling a crappy roster and letting the manager and coaches take the bullets.

[RedsFan_26]

No... not at all. i think Walt has done a great job, and i think some of the blame does lie on Dusty.. but not all, dusty can't swing the bats for the team all he can do is put them out there. Walt has turned this organization around, and dont listen to the radical lunatics saying he depleted our farm system

[Sir Luke]

Anyone who says Walt is a detriment to the organization is an overly conservative ****** bag.

[brm7675]

Walt has let the game pass him by, it happens with age.

[joshua]

He's done a decent job. Major f-ups include letting Francisco, as the only left handed bat off the bench, go to Atlanta for a reliever that we're not even using on our major league lineup.

But many winnable games have been lost by Dusty. Don't think he's blameless...there's a reason why fans in every city he's managed talk about him way less than favorably. He's served his purpose, time to move on.

[EMAW]

He's done a decent job. Major f-ups include letting Francisco, as the only left handed bat off the bench, go to Atlanta for a reliever that we're not even using on our major league lineup.

But many winnable games have been lost by Dusty. Don't think he's blameless...there's a reason why fans in every city he's managed talk about him way less than favorably. He's served his purpose, time to move on.

Maybe so, if he goes somewhere else he will win and take a team to post season. At this age and with his son, do think this will be his last gig.

[BluegrassRedleg]

Anyone who says Walt is a detriment to the organization is an overly conservative ****** bag.

He's certainly no detriment, and the thing I like most about him is he seems to be an active GM that TRIES to fix problems.

That being said, this organization hasn't had a legit leadoff hitter since BIP F. ROBERTS, it has no protection for Votto, it has a third baseman who's always a step away from breaking down, it has no left fielder and no center fielder. Those are all things that aren't changing this season, without major moves.

[Stray]

There are so many things going wrong at the moment that we're kinda forced to roll with what we have and hope things get better. Although there are some moves that are no brainers and could get a couple of new faces up here, I'm thinking we'll see those soon.

[Mutaman]

Madsen, Latos, Harris. Not exactly a sterling off season.

My biggest problem with Walt is that for two years now he has put together a roster with only two left handed hitters. This is the second year in a row that we are just getting killed by even mediocre right handed pitching. This is not rocket science. We don't need Ryan Ludwick, we need a left handed hitter.

[Mutaman]

He's done a decent job. Major f-ups include letting Francisco, as the only left handed bat off the bench, go to Atlanta for a reliever that we're not even using on our major league lineup.


I wonder about Francisco. it seems like such a brainless move considering the major flaw of this team that you have to assume that Francisco really was such a stiff with the weight and the injuries that everybody just wanted him out of here.

On the other hand you would think that getting or keeping a left handed bat would be such a priority, yet Walt just seems not to recognize this weakness. It just seems so basic.

[texasdave]

You never hear Dusty criticize a player in public. But he kinda dogged Francisco. I think there may be something to just wanting to get rid of him.

[joshua]

I wonder about Francisco. it seems like such a brainless move considering the major flaw of this team that you have to assume that Francisco really was such a stiff with the weight and the injuries that everybody just wanted him out of here.

On the other hand you would think that getting or keeping a left handed bat would be such a priority, yet Walt just seems not to recognize this weakness. It just seems so basic.

True. Francisco isn't great...he K's a lot. But he's the perfect left handed bat off the bench without breaking the bank. If we needed relievers so bad, why is Hoover not up here right now? That's my question.

And I don't know who we could've picked up to help this team. Beltran wanted to go to St. Louis. We couldn't afford Pujols or Fielder. There was no way we were paying what the Marlins paid for Reyes. There was simply no one out there we could've grabbed to improve the club.

That first game in St. Louis was absolutely winnable. But instead of bringing in our clutch arms, we brought in LeCure (who is usually solid) and Bray. We rode that out expecting extra innings and that's what we got. Chapman coming in and dominating the Cards could've given our team the confidence we needed. And that strike out, throw out double play was the DUMBEST managerial move I've witnessed in a long time. Why have Mesoraco attempt for second when we had one out? If BP would've K'd we have a man on and Cozart and Votto coming up. That was a completely winnable game and Dusty absolutely blew it.

If we could've won that, we would've had momentum going into today and who knows what could've happened. Instead we're 1-5 on this road trip and will probably end up getting swept and already being 6 games out of first place only 15 days into the season.

[Sir Luke]

He's done a decent job. Major f-ups include letting Francisco, as the only left handed bat off the bench, go to Atlanta for a reliever that we're not even using on our major league lineup.

But many winnable games have been lost by Dusty. Don't think he's blameless...there's a reason why fans in every city he's managed talk about him way less than favorably. He's served his purpose, time to move on.

Fransisco came to camp 30 pounds overweight and pissed-off about being third on the depth chart. It was time to trade him in for something of value.

[swaisuc]

If you think this roster is crappy, I have to wonder where you were from 1996-2009.

We can debate all the individual moves and pieces, but the bottom line is this is a playoff roster and if we don't make it the manager won't be back.

[joshua]

Fransisco came to camp 30 pounds overweight and pissed-off about being third on the depth chart. It was time to trade him in for something of value.

True. But trading him and having only two lefty bats above AA (Bruce and Votto) and filling his production with Harris is such a head scratching move...I rarely complain about what Walt does, but he failed with letting Francisco go and replacing him with Harris.

I also think that, while we totally bolstered our pitching staff and we're in much better shape, the offense is not going to be as good as it has been the last two years. Ramon Hernandez was such an important part of our lineups and it's going to be some time before Mes is consistent enough to make up for it. But I think he will. Hopefully he'll be our regular 4 hole hitter by the end of July. If he can hit about .270 and hit about 20 homers, that'd be perfect. All depends on how much playing time he gets though...

[fielder's choice]

this is a playoff roster

No it is not. This is the worst offense I've ever seen, and there's nothing Dusty can do about that. Jocketty has failed miserably, and he deserves the blame for this terrible product we are witnessing.

[brm7675]

No it is not. This is the worst offense I've ever seen, and there's nothing Dusty can do about that. Jocketty has failed miserably, and he deserves the blame for this terrible product we are witnessing.

How do you explain the run production of these players over the past couple of seasons then?

[brm7675]

Madsen, Latos, Harris. Not exactly a sterling off season.

My biggest problem with Walt is that for two years now he has put together a roster with only two left handed hitters. This is the second year in a row that we are just getting killed by even mediocre right handed pitching. This is not rocket science. We don't need Ryan Ludwick, we need a left handed hitter.

okay...who?

[Sir Luke]

True. But trading him and having only two lefty bats above AA (Bruce and Votto) and filling his production with Harris is such a head scratching move...I rarely complain about what Walt does, but he failed with letting Francisco go and replacing him with Harris.

I also think that, while we totally bolstered our pitching staff and we're in much better shape, the offense is not going to be as good as it has been the last two years. Ramon Hernandez was such an important part of our lineups and it's going to be some time before Mes is consistent enough to make up for it. But I think he will. Hopefully he'll be our regular 4 hole hitter by the end of July. If he can hit about .270 and hit about 20 homers, that'd be perfect. All depends on how much playing time he gets though...

Francisco had nowhere to be placed. He is too slow and fat for anywhere but third or first. First is obviously not available and his glove has so unstable he couldn't last at third. He was a lefty bat but had nowhere to be put. And Harris is not his replacement, I view him as a pick-up that happens to be able to play third and hit from the same side of the dish. As for M, he has large shoes to fill but he will over time. I can see him as the much sought after clean up hitter we need at some point.
Cashing in Fransisco was right.

[fielder's choice]

How do you explain the run production of these players over the past couple of seasons then?

Luck is the obvious one. Also, Rolen used to be able to hit a little bit. Also playing in the most hitter friendly park helps. In this lineup, you know what you're gonna get with Votto, and to a lesser extent Phillips. But after that you have a lot unknown, unproven commodities, and so far, a whole lot of outs.

[Kingspoint]

The REDS' G.M. has been nothing short of "Excellent" since he's been here. He has far exceeded any expectations anyone could have possibly had in a G.M.

I'd like to see someone post just three things he did that wouldn't be considered "excellent", things that have had a negative effect on the organization. Keep in mind, that Dusty Baker has a lot of power with the owner of this franchise, and that Walt has had to work under that influence.