Run away, Homer. Get out before HE gets you.

[McKain]

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Baker interviews with Reds

Dusty Baker interviewed for the Reds' managerial position.

He could be the leading candidate for the job.

Demand a trade, Homer, demand to be shot, demand anything to keep you from incurring his wrath.

[missionhockey21]

The Good: This means that management and ownership wants to win now, might be prepared to spend to get the needed talent to do so.

The Bad: If this is their ideal choice, they obviously have no clue of how to put together a winner. Dusty has vet-love and will be the angel of death to Homer Bailey, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo and especially poor Johnny Cueto and his small frame. Baker does command a lot of respect from his players, but this is such a disastrous idea for the long haul unless Dusty realizes the error of his ways after destroying Mark Priors future (if that's the case, it would be more tolerable.)

[rockin500]

eh, he didnt kill zambrano and prior killed prior. (wood was a ticking time bomb from the riggleman days)

prior never really recovered from getting hit by the line drive against the rockies (he changed his delivery which actually is more of an indictment on rothschild than baker).

now his love for neifi and guys like macias and goodwin and mulletsworth? that was a problem.

[missionhockey21]

Down the stretch a few years ago he pitched Prior 130 plus in like 6 out of 7 games. I am not saying Prior is blameless to his downfall, but we don't have the Cubs backing to buy pitching to replace a guy like Harang for instance, we're pretty much screwed if that happens. And there has been a strong correlation with Arroyo pitching awful and the pitchers abuse the Reds threw on him.

I still don't get how Macias saw 150 AB's for you guys.

[rockin500]

macias must have had some pictures of dusty or something.

and prior i think only threw 130 pitches in one game down the stretch. He was up near 120 quite a bit, though, thats for sure. you cant blame him though. he was trying to win. and he rode his starters since the bullpen was godawful. His pitching injuries didnt start happening until the compensations from the other injuries (running bases, running into giles, line drive off the elbow).

[missionhockey21]

You're right, Baker does get too much of the blame for Prior, but it was just like adding gasoline to a raging fire... it can't really make it all that much worse, but it certainly doesn't help.

One of the problems I have with Baker is that he really brings an outfielders perspective to the bench. 120 or 130 pitches might not seem like a lot to him, but it is when done consistently. He values the hardwork ethic too much over actual talent. And he is very conventional when it comes to his management techniques. From the players he likes though (and vice versa) he can get a lot out of them and the players generally seem to like him quite a bit... but the Reds need someone who can make the most out of of a little bit and I don't think that is what Baker can do.

[redsrbetter]

Sounds to me like we may be having a major problem on our hands.

I am back guys! Sorry I was away for so long, but times are tough right now. But this news just drove passion back my way and it isn't the kind of passion you get when you just learned a new way to beat the bank. I am passionately upset with the thought of bringing in a known arm killer and a guy who will favor Juan Castro far too much.

I agree with mission and his feelings of hope for the front office in that they are at least looking to better the team. But once again, they are not looking hard enough. Yes Dusty Baker is known, but why is he known? He managed Sammy Sosa in his hey day and he also managed a guy named Barry Bonds. But the biggest talk surrounding him is that he does have a bad effect on a pitcher's arm. I wonder if he is now tired of the talk and wants to make a new name for himself. That is the only way I see him being worth the hire. He better of talked himself away from his past in his interview.

All in all, I truly hope he is just one of a list of available managers interviewed and that Krivsky and company have just gotten started.

Lets get this off season kicked off on the right foot for once.

[rockin500]

All in all, I truly hope he is just one of a list of available managers interviewed and that Krivsky and company have just gotten started.

Lets get this off season kicked off on the right foot for once.

if they want a name for a manager, baker is going to be the type of guy you are going to get. most of the "name" managers are of his ilk. Piniella is actually very similar to him, Larussa? hes got his own baggage in handling a team. Brenly? very similar to baker.

So he rides his pitchers hard at times. But Baker rode the guys who were going to win him games. A manager's job is to win the games and let the future take care of itself.

[redsrbetter]

After some thinking, I would like to know how bad Baker was for the SPs in SF. He had Livan Hernandez all those years and he threw a whole lot of innings. But was he overused? He has always been a workhorse. And what about Zambrano? Post Baker, he is still in the top tier in innings pitched every year. (NL ranked 5th in 2007).

But he still has to answer for Prior and Wood. I don't think he can escape a bit of blame for their tired arm problems. Lets just hope he has learned from his mistakes.

[missionhockey21]

Didn't he run Robb Nen out when he complained to Baker that he couldn't pitch?

[McKain]

That was the rumor, yes.

I have an old post somewhere on here pointing out how many of Baker's guys would be in the top 10 in pitcher abuse points and shit. He wasn't even abusing good dudes some times - why the hell was Shawn Estes one of the most abused pitchers in the league? Ever. Why? Ever. He stunk.

[realmofotalk]

Dusty Baker abused Russ Ortiz's arm so much that when Ortiz was traded to the Braves he stopped throwing 200 innings in a season.

Oh, wait..

[rockin500]

But he still has to answer for Prior and Wood. I don't think he can escape a bit of blame for their tired arm problems. Lets just hope he has learned from his mistakes.

why does he have to answer for wood? Wood only had so much in him and Baker was SMART in riding him so hard down the stretch. Since he was going to get hurt again anyways (due to the abuse from high school the minors and jim riggleman), might as well get max use out of him

i already told you about prior. prior did most of his damage to himself (by goofy baserunning) or by linedrives. baker should shoulder some of the blame, sure. but not as much as prior himself and the pitching coach and bad luck.

[Pronk48]

Wood and Prior couldn't stay healthy if your wrapped them in bubblewrap.

[redsrbetter]

why does he have to answer for wood? Wood only had so much in him and Baker was SMART in riding him so hard down the stretch. Since he was going to get hurt again anyways (due to the abuse from high school the minors and jim riggleman), might as well get max use out of him

i already told you about prior. prior did most of his damage to himself (by goofy baserunning) or by linedrives. baker should shoulder some of the blame, sure. but not as much as prior himself and the pitching coach and bad luck.

I was just saying that he has to take a "bit" of the blame. I just can't justify Wood as someone who "is going to get hurt anyway." I mean, do what you have to do to win a game, but when is enough enough? He got payed the dollars to define that and I would expect better thinking than that from my manager.