Pros and Cons of having Dusty Baker as manager.

[saint4]

Okay we tear a lot of threads apart going back and forth on Dusty Baker and some of his moves so I started this thread just to have some discussion on Dusty Baker. Personally I think he is a terrible manager and will be replaced by management when his contract is up regardless of the outcome of this season. I think he is a terrible handler of pitchers both starters and relievers. I hate his Sunday lineup which is usually a day game after a night game in which he will rest as many as 3 starters at one time. What is wrong with giving an older veteran a day off during the week instead of waiting until Sunday to rest them all? I don't think he knows how to play small ball. He rarely starts runners and apparently never instructs hitters to give base stealing threats a couple of pitches to steal a base. I don't know the numbers but I think the Reds hit into an awful lot of double plays especially at the bottom of the order. In Dusty's defense I think that even though there were a lot of runners picked off base earlier in the year they do go first to third better than any team in baseball. Dusty seems to get along great with the players but I think that he let's the inmates run the asylum on occasion. I don't see a consistent amount of hustle from some guys, Gomes and Stubbs excluded.

 

Dusty's fault?

[SSC]

Con-Dusty loves leaving Leake in to hit even though he's coming out of the game anyway. Tonight he has Rolen stretching and ready and the relief pitcher is ready in the bullpen. There are only 10 outs for the Reds left and he doesn't pinch hit but he doesn't have Leake pitch either. I think they have a full bench tonight. How can having Leake hit there make sense?

[RondoRules]

Con-Dusty loves leaving Leake in to hit even though he's coming out of the game anyway. Tonight he has Rolen stretching and ready and the relief pitcher is ready in the bullpen. There are only 10 outs for the Reds left and he doesn't pinch hit but he doesn't have Leake pitch either. I think they have a full bench tonight. How can having Leake hit there make sense?

 

It doesn't unless he honestly thought Leake had a better chance to get a hit than Rolen or any of the other possible pinch hitters on the bench.

[sweet16]

Pro- for St. Louis fans.