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JohnU
Aristocratic Hoosier
I think the rebuilding concept is probably an ongoing story, but there are so many components to it as to render it an academic discussion.
Among them:
Among them:
- Finding MLB-ready guys who want to play in Cincy ... hitters might, pitchers might not. The key phrase here is "MLB-ready." We can say that about every pitcher on the staff, including Gregg.
- Finding players who "fit" the system. My ongoing madness after 2013 was listening to experts wondering how "Dusty" would use Billy Hamilton, even though nobody had considered how "somebody else" might use Hamilton. You can NOT build a roster around a manager. You build a roster around the ballpark and find a manager who can make that work. If you ain't got the horses, you are not in the dogfight.
- Finding a manager. Price is making mistakes but they are only mistakes when the decisions end up beating the team. The most famous "mistake" in Reds history is letting Billy Bates pinch-hit in the 1990 World Series. Price can't win with this team, but Castellini doesn't appear anxious to hire a Piniella-type guy. Not sure that sort of manager is the right idea anyhow. As fans, we all know what worked in Cincy and what didn't. But we don't know any more about it than that.
- What are the expectations? Being a contender is often good enough. Having a dynamo team that is odds-on to win it ... it ain't ever gonna happen again for the mid-market franchises.