Allen says O'Brien to return, says "He's done a good job"

[CincyRedsFan30]

Wednesday, September 21, 2005
O'Brien to return
Allen: 'He's done a good job'

By John Fay

Enquirer staff writer

General manager Dan O’Brien will be back next season, Reds chief operating officer John Allen said today.

“Dan’s done everything we’ve asked of him,” Allen said. “He’s done a good job.”

Next year will be the final year of O’Brien’s three-year contract. Going into tonight’s game, the Reds were 146-166 under O’Brien.

Some of O’Brien’s major moves – trading reliever Chris Reitsma and signing pitcher Eric Milton – have not gone well.

O’Brien was brought in with a mandate to rebuild the team’s player development and scouting departments.

“We’re moving along with that,” Allen said.

There is uncertainty about the team’s future. Reds minority owners Louise Nippert, George Strike and Gannett Co. Inc. – The Enquirer’s owner – in March said they would combine to sell 51.5 percent of the team.

The team’s ownership agreement gives Reds chief executive officer Carl Lindner operating control for life, so day-to-day management of the team is not expected to change with the sale.

But any potential buyer is expected to try to negotiate a deal with Lindner for a transition and in the long term would control the team’s ownership.

Allen would not comment on the sale.

“But it’s business as usual,” he said. “Mr. Lindner is the controlling partner. We’re moving forward.”

[CincyRedsFan30]

Maybe it's just me but something seems really suspicious about Allen suddenly making this announcement before the season ends. Why wouldn't he wait another 12 or so games until the season ends? I think Allen might know he could be gone and is trying to establish some supposed "order" in a last ditch effort to save himself.

[Reds_fan_4_life]

^

and if thats not the case... I can't stand another year with O Brien!!! why cincinnati why not the Cardinals.. We need some changes because its gone down hill ever since he's been here. I wouldn't mind Allen getting the Boot too.

[griffeyfan3]

HAHAH hes done a great job...lol

[missionhockey21]

Other than Allen's comments being a joke (like himself), hopefully we'll be rid of both him and O'Brien when we get new ownership. I mean I don't follow every team closely, but do you ever hear of other team's COO being THAT influential with a team? I am so sick and tired of this current regime it's not even funny.

The only thing I can give Dan O some credit for is wisely holding onto the core (unless a knock out deal came his way) and drafting SOME quality prospects. But the draft process has more than just him involved. To seek homer happy pitchers for a ballpark that is known to give them up pretty easily just goes to show how inept his overall skills are.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Hopefully new owners will take over and dump both Allen and O'Brien. I imagine if Lindner sells his shares that the new owners will want to clean the house and will dump them both.

[Reds_fan_4_life]

i say we bring Pinella back??? maybe he'll come back all i know is that he wont be a TB manager next year so perhaps its worth a shot.

Piniella out in 2006

[Geki Ace]

Lou would be a great manager for this team. He'd kick some ass and actually defend the players, both of which we need.

As for O'Brien...

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[Slyder]

BRING BACK LOU. He wants to win and the ownership (as is right now) has shown that it is willing to spend SOME money. Plus Graves Contract off the books (thats what 6 mil), DJs (another 2 mil). Plus all hed have to do is flash the ring a couple times and that should pretty much garner all the respect fo the players. Plus you know Griffey will get behind him cause he like all other players especially wants to rid the mantra "never been to the big one".

[Wally Mo Pena]

I think the article was pretty clear that the new ownership group isn't going to change anything when they come in. They're going to try to get a transition of power negotiated so that they can take control eventually when lindner is ready to give it up, but it's his as long as he wants it.

Allen has always been Lindner's man, and i can't see that changing anytime soon either. Maybe you guys know something i don't, but my guess would be that the organization has been feeling the heat from the newspapers and the radio shows constantly calling for Narron to be given a contract. O'brien probably told them that he couldn't make a decision on who should manage until he knew he what his deal was, so they made it official.

Now DanO can ddecide who should manage. I think it will be Narron, but as long as we're throwing fantasies out there, what about this. If the yankees miss the postseason, torre gets the axe and pinella goes to new york. Then Torre comes to the Nati. he's got family here, i think his wife is from here, and has always said he likes the city a lot. This is just the type of team he would like too, i'm sure that he's getting really tired of all the celebrity personalities there, he could turn this club into a winner pretty quickly.

[Wally Mo Pena]

This is the lancaster blog today:

John Allen said today that the Reds hope to have someone in place "sooner than later," for what that's worth. We'll see how things play out, though I agree with John Fay's argument that they should go ahead and give the job to Narron right now if they're going to hire him as the full-time guy.

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again, i think the FO wants the manager thing decided now, and the DanO stuff is just the first step.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I wouldn't count out new ownership coming in and dumping O'Brien and Allen, because I've heard a couple of reports where that might happen. Lindner could sell his shares. Notice how Allen wouldn't comment specifically on that question.

[Geki Ace]

I don't really want Joe Torre to come here. He shuffles line-ups even more than Narron, and he'll kill the good arms in our bullpen.

[Wally Mo Pena]

he wasn't known for shuffling lineups before this year when his 200million team was 10 games below .500, but it seems to have worked, what with them in first place and all. Not that it's worth discussing really, since it would never happen, but you can't knock Torre.