10 hours ago, Jumper_Dad said:

What changes do you feel the front office need to make? I honestly don't follow the teams moves behind the scenes. So I'm curious as to what you and others feel the front office should have done differently the last few years and what you like to see them do going forward?

From a hitting perspective emphasize contact over power.  From pitching perspective emphasize the art of pitching versus throwing.  Jeff Brantley talks about it all the time on broadcasts.

Agree on the pitching but in a ballpark like GABP you have to evaluate power to a degree.  It's a bandbox.

26 minutes ago, DanvilleFan said:

Agree on the pitching but in a ballpark like GABP you have to evaluate power to a degree.  It's a bandbox.

Well if you have guys consistently in the top of the league in strikeouts, homers mean very little when it comes to winning games.

 

1 hour ago, Jack of all Trades said:

Well if you have guys consistently in the top of the league in strikeouts, homers mean very little when it comes to winning games.

Granted but an all-contact team won't work in this park either.  And honestly, the Reds didn't have that much power in the lineup this year.  That needs to be upgraded.  All about balance IMO.  We've got a lot of speed guys but need to get on base more however we get there!

7 hours ago, Jack of all Trades said:

From a hitting perspective emphasize contact over power.  From pitching perspective emphasize the art of pitching versus throwing.  Jeff Brantley talks about it all the time on broadcasts.

That's a philosophy.

I can say hitters need to strike out less and make more contact or have pitchers that paint the corners instead of power pitchers, but which players that have been available did they not get, that they could have? 

I'm not picking at your answer, it's just I see poster after poster make comments about the front office without offering what actually should have been done. I'm just curious as to the mistakes made signing or more importantly not signing players that would have made the team better.

On 9/23/2024 at 7:07 AM, Voice of Reason said:

 

If you have decided to fire him, why wait?

Because nothing is to be accomplished other than diverting the poor performance away from the front office and publicly emasculating Bell.  

42 minutes ago, Oldercoach said:

Because nothing is to be accomplished other than diverting the poor performance away from the front office and publicly emasculating Bell.  

I think we are seeing now several other good reasons for firing him when they did, in addition to the ones I posted above. Mainly getting a head start on hiring a replacement. Or, talking with the players and coaches before the season ends and they are gone to hear their views on what worked,didn't work and what they would like to see.

I can think of a lot of good reasons to let him go when they did and can't think of any reasons why you would keep him when you know you are going to fire him.

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

I think we are seeing now several other good reasons for firing him when they did, in addition to the ones I posted above. Mainly getting a head start on hiring a replacement. Or, talking with the players and coaches before the season ends and they are gone to hear their views on what worked,didn't work and what they would like to see.

I can think of a lot of good reasons to let him go when they did and can't think of any reasons why you would keep him when you know you are going to fire him.

Sorry to disagree on this one VoR.  5 days only embarrasses Bell and throws the players into a state of loss.  Candidly I think the pitching coach, batting coach, 3rd base coach and Bell all need to be replaced.  Normal end of season exit interviews I would expect would be conducted with each player and coach and then the separation would take place in a professional fashion.  No need to try to get a leg up in timing of major league hiring of managers.  I do not see this parallel to the college coaching carousel.  Very limited opportunities with tons of qualified assistants on MLB teams scrambling for a shot.  

^ I agree.  The only reason he lasted so long in Cincinnati was that his name was Bell  He was a milk toast manager who playacted most of the time, and often seemed to be going through the motions.

I thought that Jason Williams' comments in the Enquirer yesterday were totally off base.  Managers and Coaches need to be held accountable.  When you tolerate mediocrity year after year, something needs to change, if not simply for showing a desire to improve yourself.  I doubt anyone wants him.

I've hated us washing 70 players through the clubhouse year after year, and I think that eventually they are going to have to form a nucleus of a team, stick with it and build around it. 

Being the Number 43 Media Market in the US, and being owned by a vegetable salesman does not help.

I also blame the press and media who raise unrealistic expectations year after year.  It is what they are paid to do, BUT Cincinnati fans tend to believe them, which leads to one disappointing season after another.  Why can't we just let the team earn our adulations, and not bestow it on them before they have accomplished anything. 

I still have not heard anyone explain how keeping Bell one more week would be good for the team or the organization when the decision to fire him has been made.

41 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

I still have not heard anyone explain how keeping Bell one more week would be good for the team or the organization when the decision to fire him has been made.

It would serve no purpose. 

18 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

I still have not heard anyone explain how keeping Bell one more week would be good for the team or the organization when the decision to fire him has been made.

Unfortunately, having to terminate multiple people over 5 decades of business life, the actual event has multiple objectives.  First the message to the employee in the kindest fashion leaving them dignity, a feeling of worth and appreciation for their efforts.  Sometimes business results dictate a change is needed and that message can be delivered in a fashion that doesn’t emasculate the one being terminated.  Every one terminated I took as my failure in either their hiring or my failure to lead them to successful performance.  Secondly, and critically the timing of the departure to create as little disruption to the remaining staff and subordinates while generating an environment of trust in my leadership their future.  Ready….fire….aim almost always results in a missed target.

Bell’s firing 5 games left in the season accomplishes nothing except sucking the energy out of the team, assuring no 5 game winning streak to produce a .500 season (potentially camouflaging a disastrous season), and diverting blame from Krall/ownership to 100% on Bell.  Yes, this coaching staff needs to go; but, they deserved to finish the season.

3 hours ago, Oldercoach said:

Unfortunately, having to terminate multiple people over 5 decades of business life, the actual event has multiple objectives.  First the message to the employee in the kindest fashion leaving them dignity, a feeling of worth and appreciation for their efforts.  Sometimes business results dictate a change is needed and that message can be delivered in a fashion that doesn’t emasculate the one being terminated.  Every one terminated I took as my failure in either their hiring or my failure to lead them to successful performance.  Secondly, and critically the timing of the departure to create as little disruption to the remaining staff and subordinates while generating an environment of trust in my leadership their future.  Ready….fire….aim almost always results in a missed target.

Bell’s firing 5 games left in the season accomplishes nothing except sucking the energy out of the team, assuring no 5 game winning streak to produce a .500 season (potentially camouflaging a disastrous season), and diverting blame from Krall/ownership to 100% on Bell.  Yes, this coaching staff needs to go; but, they deserved to finish the season.

The only point in your post I see as having some value for the team and organization is - someone has to manage the team, you keep the coaching staff so why not let the manager finish the season also.

Everything else is the same 5 days before the season ends or at the end of the season. With a week left and no hopes of the playoffs, I don't care if the team finishes at .500 or 5 games under. 

The thing that is odd for me about the early firing is that the coaches left behind have got to believe that they have a better than 90% chance of being let go themselves after Sunday.  The new guy will want his own people (granted, with maybe one exception or two).