Dusty Baker is back at it (Latest: Patterson leading off?... reply #63)

[homer]

Not to mention, I think a lot of owners simply put all their trust in their GMs - like any good businessman would - to do the right thing and most GMs did not graduate magna *** laude from Yale (although that trend is starting to change).

[Giraldo8]

Reds manager Dusty Baker has already decided he doesn't like Joey Votto's approach at the plate.

 

The approach that led to a .321/.360/.548 line and 17 RBI in 84 at-bats following his callup last season. "He needs to swing some more," Baker said. "I talked to him about that. Strikeouts aren't the only criteria. I'd like to see him more aggressive." Baker doesn't want Votto, Adam Dunn or anyone else taking called third strikes. "I really, really hate the called third strike," Baker said. "I hate that. You're guess and you ain't ready to hit." That Scott Hatteberg rarely strikes out makes Votto a particularly risky pick this year.

 

per rotoworld.com

 

 

I think we can rule out the Reds from contention already.

[Ennder]

As happy as I am to see a divisional rival with these issues it is sad that the Reds which should be an up and coming team are going to stink because of the manager they hired.

[Klements Bratwurst]

But if walked, Votto and Dunn types, certainly will clog the bases, which isn't good!!!

[brewcrew00]

I bet Dusty finds a way to have Harang throw about 3,000 innings this year.

[Oldcity]

I don't understand why he keeps getting managerial jobs.

[TooLiveBrew]

No kidding, Stevo. Lost my first try at this post due to the merger, but I tried to say that this reminds me of Automator's line to jaybird on job-hunting: "If Juan Pierre Dusty Baker can find work, you can find work."

 

Wow. *shakes his head*

 

I genuinely feel sorry for Reds fans. But then again, this is the same Johnnie Baker of the career .278 BA - the 'swing at everything' approach worked so well for him!

 

Votto's put up fantastic numbers over the past two seasons. Has he struck out over 100 times in both? Yes... but his cumulative BA from 2006-2007 is easily over .300, with a great OBP/SLG/OPS.

 

Dusty Baker does not understand baseball. If that isn't clear by now, I don't know how it can possibly become clearer.

 

 

EDIT: Might as well start taking offers on Dunn now. Baker's just going to want to bench him by July, and given that his managerial style should have the Reds well out of contention by then, there'll be no trouble providing the 'we're out of it, so let's play some youngsters' justification.

[logan82]

Maybe we can trade Matt Wise for Dunn.

[endaround]

Of course because the Reds didn't pull the trigger earlier, now he has a no trade clause so he isn't going anywhere without a contract extension. I expect him in a Mets uniform come July given they have the money and are likely to be still dealing with injury problems.

[fondybrewfan]

So in other words it will be impossible to walk once you have a 3-2 count for fear of taking a 3rd strike. What Baker said is just moronic. In terms of Votto, if it aint broke dont fix it. You just get teh feeling that dusty is trying to completely change his players appraoches which will inevitably completely screw them up. Just let them play and let them use the instincts they have.

[cubfan1126]

Well a lot of people have suggested that the Reds may contend this year and they may. But next year their pitchers will have countless arm injuries.

 

I feel sorry for Reds and their fans - no I don't - I've been to Riverfront - their fans are idiots.

[TooLiveBrew]

What Baker said is just moronic. In terms of Votto, if it aint broke dont fix it. You just get teh feeling that dusty is trying to completely change his players appraoches which will inevitably completely screw them up. Just let them play and let them use the instincts they have.

 

I know. If I were one of his players, I'd already know to either ignore anything he said to me, or just do the opposite of whatever Dusty advises. So, to recap, it's not even April, and Cincinnati players already know to ignore what their manager thinks/says. I get the feeling 2008 is not going to go very well for the Reds.

[djgaffer]

Looking at strike 3 is one of the most emotional responses in sports. My wife simply can't stand it. The cliches have been around forever. I was listening to a game that Bob Melvin was doing. Someone took a called strike three and the play by play guy and fans were all over him for "not getting the bat off the shoulder", etc... Melvin said something like:

"That's a close pitch, you can't leave it up to the umpire in that situation, 1/2 the time he'll call it a strike and 1/2 the time he'll call it a ball."

dramatic pause.

 

Melvin again... "Well, I guess if that's the case, he really shouldn't swing at it. He wouldn't hit .500 swinging at that ball."

 

Big "Ah hah" moment. I'm guessing Dusty wasn't watching.

[endaround]

So in other words it will be impossible to walk once you have a 3-2 count for fear of taking a 3rd strike. What Baker said is just moronic. In terms of Votto, if it aint broke dont fix it. You just get teh feeling that dusty is trying to completely change his players appraoches which will inevitably completely screw them up. Just let them play and let them use the instincts they have.

Actually its worse than that, it means to swing at basically everything when you get two strikes otherwise your manager will call you out.

 

[JJHardy7]

"I talked to him about that. Strikeouts aren't the only criteria. I'd like to see him more aggressive."

 

Wasn't this a similar philosophy JJ Hardy had to adjust to once he got into the big leagues? I know he had his shoulder holding him back, but it's still an adjustment he had to make. He only had 84 at-bats so we don't know if the Reds' player is any good and his numbers don't mean a ton because it's such a small sample.

[TooLiveBrew]

He only had 84 at-bats so we don't know if the Reds' player is any good and his numbers don't mean a ton because it's such a small sample.

 

Joey Votto

2006: 508 AB, .319/.408/.547/.955 (AA)

2007: 496 AB, .294/.381/.478/.859 (AAA)

 

 

You are very correct that the MLB time is too small a sample, but we do indeed know that Votto is a very strong offensive player.

[rluzinski]

Actually its worse than that, it means to swing at basically everything when you get two strikes otherwise your manager will call you out.

 

And, of course, pitchers are going to be less apt to even throw a strike at 3-2. If Baker really wants his team to swing more with 2 strikes, the last thing he should do is make that desire publicly known.

[TooLiveBrew]

But it's like striped bass fishing! You have to cloak your intentions!

[GoudaBrew]

Lots of nice Bakerisms in this article. Dusty's planning on plugging Phillips into the cleanup spot.

 

My favorite part...

 

Baker wouldn't mind if Phillips walked a little more, especially considering he isn't a "base clogger"; he stole 32 bases last season. But getting on base -- especially getting on base by a walk -- is clearly secondary to Baker. He wants Phillips to be aggressive. Baker wants him to swing the bat.

 

"If you're supposed to be up there driving in runs ... a run producer, he ain't up there to get his on-base percentage up. He's in there to drive in runs," says Baker. "If you're passing it on to the next hitter, a lot of times, he's not as good of a hitter as you. Otherwise ... he'd be hitting ahead of you."

 

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/john_donovan/03/14/donovan.phillips/index.html?eref=T1

[Ennder]

Just glad at least one team in the division has a worse manager than we do!

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/06c35dab9de482843837c5eb20353a3c0a10ced.pjpg

 

 

[Gobias Industries]

"If you're supposed to be up there driving in runs ... a run producer, he ain't up there to get his on-base percentage up. He's in there to drive in runs," says Baker. "If you're passing it on to the next hitter, a lot of times, he's not as good of a hitter as you. Otherwise ... he'd be hitting ahead of you."

I love it. Each of his quotes are funnier than the one before it.

[tommyboy42609]

man i love dusty quotes..i think i will have a new signature quote by the end of the year i mean month

[RyDogg66]

I just realized that in one fantasy baseball league I have stupidly ended up with Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Forgetting that Dusty was the manager, or least not worrying about it. I now have to either release them or trade them as there is no way Dusty plays them ahead of Corey Patterson or Dave Ross.

[Thurston Fluff]

I tend to think Dusty's message sounds differant to us than it does to his players. We get sound bits and quotes a reporter feels like adding to his story. It sometimes get's used without added clarification given to the context of the comment. If Baker means he wants his players being more aggressive with close pitches because he'd rather the person who is presently batting to try and drive in the runs vs leave it to the next guy who may not be as good a hitter I don't really see the problem with what he's saying. It is fun to mock the dude because some of the quotes that gets filtered through really do sound stupid. If one wants to understand what he really means or what message his players are actually taking from him we'd have to know the entire converstation not just what reporters cut up for public consumption.

[Ennder]

Action speaks louder than words. He has consistently misplaced OBP in his lineups and picked the wrong players to start. I'm not buying that he is just misunderstood.