The search for coaches has already
begun. After Jim Leyland announces his withdrawal from the Tigers’
organization, the news switches to the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds fired Dusty Baker right
after the Reds lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild-Card Game. Baker led
the Red to three 90-win series, and three playoff appearances in the last four
years, but Cincy bounced out of the playoffs in the first round each time.
At first it was just embarrassing that
they were in the playoffs, as the Philadelphia Phillies swept while Roy
Halladay threw a no-hitter, but then they were up two games against the San
Francisco Giants before losing the next three. Finally, the Reds organization
had enough when the Pirates killed the Reds in the wild card game. Johnny Cueto just sums it up here.
Baker is a very experienced manager,
and a very questionable one. He led the Giants to the 2002 World Series, and
the Cubs to the 2003 NLCS, but then left the Cubs in ruin once he was fired. It
is still a question on who to blame for the injuries of Kerry Wood and Mark
Prior, but many point it on Baker.
But what Baker always had was a
dominant pitching staff. The Reds finished with the 4th best ERA in
the MLB (3.38), the best WHIP (1.17), and the best BAA (.236). He also had
former MVP Joey Votto and a savior to the lead-off spot, Shin-Soo Choo.
So the Reds decided to keep that
pitching-focused team in order to get back in the playoffs. They stayed
in-house in their decision, and hired pitching coach Bryan Price to a
three-year deal to lead.
Price was a lefty pitcher for six
years in the minors, and ending his career with elbow surgery. He started
coaching in the Seattle Mariners’ farm system and became their big league pitching
coach from 2000-05. He became the Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitching coach from
2006-09, then was hired with the Reds.
Price is also known for his ability
to speak Spanish to help communicate with Latino players, which is always a
great addition to have.
He will enter the 2014 with most likely not having Choo or star second baseman Brandon Phillips, but he will have future star Billy Hamilton in the outfield, as well as a dominant rotation.
I think it’s a great move by the
Reds. Yes, you can attribute as much as you want to Baker, but Price revamped this
pitching organization tremendously. I think he can make it the best pitching
roster by far.
A better question is not how the
Reds will do with Price, but where Baker will end up. Opening spots for a
manager are the Tigers, Cubs, Nationals, and potentially the Angels. We know
that he will definitely not end up in Chicago. The Tigers want someone young,
and just lost one of the best coaches that they’ve ever had, so I don’t think
they’ll immediately look at Baker for an answer.
The Nats are looking at guys like
Matt Williams, Brad Ausmus, and Cal Ripken, all three notable veterans of the
game and Ripken a member of the hall-of-fame. Dusty Baker isn’t a bad choice
for them, but they have not shown any interest.
Honestly, Baker might not go anywhere.
Yes, he has expressed deep interest in the Tigers, and has a resume larger than
almost any other manager, but he’s 64 years old now, and the Tigers have yet to
show any interest. If he goes anywhere, it’ll be there, but he might just
retire.
I really like the Reds’
decision, and I hope he can be like John Farrell, who, though had no previous
coaching experience, has managed the Red Sox into the World Series. As for
Baker, it’s just a matter of time before we figure out where he will go.
Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any
questions/comments/concerns.
-Evan Boyd
No comments:
Post a Comment