I do too. I still think he is a good manager - much better than I expected when he was hired- and I don't want him fired.

 

We agree here VOR, I voted NO as well.

I do too. I still think he is a good manager - much better than I expected when he was hired- and I don't want him fired.

 

Good for what the way he handles young players? He sucks with his lineups. He sucks at handling pitchers. He can't make a split second decision and he doesn't put players in the right position to win close games. So I ask again what is he good at?

I want him gone but not so sure about it right now, during the season. The Reds are still in the picture and I don't know how the team would react, imo it could go either way. They completely fall out of the race or it would light a fire and wake them up.

However, since the question is whether or not to fire him then I will stick to my disgust with the job he does, or is not doing and say Yes.

Don't let the back door hit him where the good Lord split him.....

Good for what the way he handles young players? He sucks with his lineups. He sucks at handling pitchers. He can't make a split second decision and he doesn't put players in the right position to win close games.

 

That pretty much sums it up.

Good for what the way he handles young players? He sucks with his lineups. He sucks at handling pitchers. He can't make a split second decision and he doesn't put players in the right position to win close games. So I ask again what is he good at?

 

Details please. What is wrong with how he has handled young players? What don't you like about his lineups? How is he messing up handling pitchers?

Details please. What is wrong with how he has handled young players? What don't you like about his lineups? How is he messing up handling pitchers?

 

 

Well for starters he is very hard headed in his desire to stick with aging veterans who are not performing when he has a good young player that can do as good if not better job if only given the chance.

 

His lineups are all over the place with different players especially in the leadoff and 2 holes. He relies on career stats for matchups without taking into accord the fact that a player is currently slumping while the guy he sits is playing well. Just about the time you think they might get some cohesiveness in an order he changes it. Sometimes his double switch moves can drive you crazy. He thinks that is the only way you make a change.

 

We have had enough discussion on here with the way he handles pitchers especially using his closer in non-save situations when he knows clearly that he may need him the next day. He is slow to pull the trigger on a pitching change, slow to get the bullpen ready when the starter clearly looks gassed, stubborn about using guys in certain innings. I will say that this last point has changed some lately but probably due to necessity.

 

Now don't get me wrong I know that a lot of what you do as a manager is determined by your personnel and maybe some blame can be thrown on the GM as well but I think he does a lot of things based on stats and doesn't use his "gut" enough. Bottom line is that he is "old-school" with young players and it would be nice to get some young upcoming manager in here that can not only relate to these kids but can let them make mistakes and learn on the go.

 

Oh and by the way I voted "No" because I do not believe that midseason change is always the right way to go. I would rather see a new manager start fresh and get his philosophies and gameplan in place in spring training.

 

His lineups are all over the place with different players especially in the leadoff and 2 holes. He relies on career stats for matchups without taking into accord the fact that a player is currently slumping while the guy he sits is playing well. Just about the time you think they might get some cohesiveness in an order he changes it. Sometimes his double switch moves can drive you crazy. He thinks that is the only way you make a change.

 

We have had enough discussion on here with the way he handles pitchers especially using his closer in non-save situations when he knows clearly that he may need him the next day. He is slow to pull the trigger on a pitching change, slow to get the bullpen ready when the starter clearly looks gassed, stubborn about using guys in certain innings. I will say that this last point has changed some lately but probably due to necessity.

 

 

 

Oh and by the way I voted "No" because I do not believe that midseason change is always the right way to go. I would rather see a new manager start fresh and get his philosophies and gameplan in place in spring training.

 

EZ, your post wasn't to me but I definately agree on the points listed in your post. His complete failure in handling the pitching staff and the constant lineup changes are my main two gripes with toothpick. As for mid season firings, I agree and the only reason that I voted yes is that I want him out, but I don'tthink that mid season is the time for it either.

Lineup changes -- he has no choice. As EZ said, personnel dictates much of this. The Reds don't have a lead off hitter. They don't have a #4 hitter. Last year his lineups were more solid when he knew he could bat Rolen #4 every day. That allowed Phillips to be the #2 hitter. There are only two certainties with the Reds - Votto is the #3 hitter and Phillips needs top be in the top four. Outside of that, the Reds personnel offensively is very young and/or has obvious weaknesses. Dusty looks at the numbers and tries to find matchups in his favor then makes the lineup out. Add in that he is very big on getting the entire roster regular AB's to keep them sharp, and I like that approach a lot, especially on a team like the Reds with so many weaknesses among their offensive regulars. The only place I question Dusty on lineups is how he often will sit a guy the next day after he had a big day at the plate. He does that because of the matchups i.e. the reason the guy had a big day is because it was a good matchup and the pitcher the next day is a bad matchup. But I personally say give the guy who had a good day another day regardless of the matchup unless it is a no brainer.

 

Young players - I am not sure what the problem is here. The Reds are playing a slew of young players every day. Dusty works in the young players when they are ready or have a good match up. Cozart played immediately when he came up, right? Why? Because Cozart has the talent and was ready. Dusty could have put Renteria out there every day and let Cozart watch, right? Heisey wasn't playing because he is a .240 hitter but he has made things happen in the opportunities given so Dusty gave him progressively more playing time. Plus, Dusty has seen that Heisey is his best defensive option in LF and that got him more PT. Alonso is a liability every where except at the plate. I don't think he is in the majors to start. He is with the reds to be their late inning left handed pinch hitter. They even had to pinch run for him the other night after he got a pinch hit. I think Dusty does favor veterans over young players and he should, unless it is obvious that the young player should be out there. I will agree, he does give the veteran too much leeway before going to the young player but for the most part, this has been dictated by personnel and available options. Dusty stuck with Stubbs all last year even when many wanted him sent down. I like what Dusty has done with this young team.

 

Pitchers - The pitchers love how Dusty handles them. You know why? Because he lets them control their own destiny. Everyone knows their role and when they are coming in from the bullpen. Dusty's philosophy is to let the starting pitcher work his way through the game till there is no choice to pull him, either due to game situation or pitch count. He shows confidence in them. Starting pitchers love that. They want the ball in their hands and they want to control the game. Dusty has been very good on pitch counts. Again, the Reds are using a lot of young pitchers and that means inconsistency. But he handles a pitching staff exactly the way I would and the way pitchers want it done.

 

As I have said before, I really did not like the hiring of Dusty. But he has converted me big time as I have watched him here in Cincinnati. To me, he is one of the Reds top five managers in the last 50 years.

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