Scotty Ball MIGHT be back as coach

[JohnU]

Reds ask Rolen to return as Spring Training instructor

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Former Reds third baseman Scott Rolen spent the 2013 season out of baseball, although he never formally announced his retirement. Manager Bryan Price said the team has reached out to Rolen to see if he would be a spring instructor.

"We want Scott to be part of our organization," Price said Sunday. "His presence is definitely a positive thing. We've got a lot of really good baseball people in our system as it stands -- a lot of iconic Reds former players that are here and help influence our club. Scott would be another outstanding influence."

Rolen spent 17 years in the Majors, including 2009-12 with the Reds. He was viewed as a lead-by-example type of team leader. Leadership was a noticeable void on the team last season.

If Rolen were to return, Price said he would likely have focus on the player development side. Rolen was apparently receptive to the idea, but as a husband and father of two young children, there are scheduling issues to overcome. Rolen has previously said he is not interested in a full-time coaching career.

"I think he appreciates what he's asked his family to go through. He's making a strong commitment to being a dad and a husband," Price said. "I think there's a way to make it work within his schedule and also help influence our players, probably in our player development system."

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think Rolen would be an asset as a coach. I'm more optimistic about Price's coaching staff than Dusty's- I must admit that is primarily because I know what we got rid of, rather than the unknown merits of what we now have. I caught a few tidbits of prior under the breath statements, specifically about Mario Soto and Eric Davis- that the previous dugout staff didnt like them around much because players gravitated toward them and away from the (then) current staff. Should have been a clue, IMO...but maybe vision has improved with Price. I hope so.

 

[JohnU]

Rolen also represents a guy who is only a year away from suiting up, so his presence would be different from some 65-year-old former ballplayer who is 40 years older than the average player.

I've had problems with dragging out these antiques to manage for a long time and it's becoming an era where the Prices and Rolens step up and get jobs in the dugout.

 

[Redsfan1507]

There were several managerial jobs given to guys without managerial experience this year, Price one of them. Time will tell how they are sorted, but all else equal, I think managers need some managerial experience, even in the minors. There are about a thousand things a manager has to thibk about that players and even coaches rarely consider on the job. On the flip side, I do have a problem re-treading MLB managers with a history of mediocrity with better than average talent.

Coaches, not so much... I agree coaches not only need technical expertise, they have to be able to translate it too...and often, the 68 year old dude just doesn't do that well translating to a 22 year old making more in a single season than Coach Alzheimer's made in a career.

 

[JohnU]

Ventura, Price, Mattingly, all get big league jobs without much experience.
Sandberg has some experience.
The new Cubs guy is fairly raw.
Walt Weiss, the same.

These guys know their baseball so it's a question of getting a clubhouse full of guys to listen. Most players are aware that there are starters and there are reserves. To coax them into believing something else is stupid.

The problem, I think, is coming out of camp by announcing that a platoon will exist in LF and behind the plate. That isn't happening this year, even if the LF we have in mind isn't the guy we actually get.

We may wish to have Hanigan back before June, but that blurs the conversation. What we want is for Mesoraco to upgrade his game.

Ludwick has done a nice sales job on his ability, so until he proves otherwise, he-da-man. We may end up with Jason Bourgeois sooner than we think.

But adding somebody like Rolen is a nice idea, if it happens. Scotty Ball is down to earth, has seen the movie and he knows what it's like to play with pain. It's about attitude now with the Reds. The talent has been identified. We know what this team can do.

What they do is between their ears now, not so much between the lines.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I'd like to see our best righty hitter with more offense than a .260 BA and 18 HR. BP dwarfed the RH production of every other righty hitter in the lineup, and that's scary unless fill the rest with lefties like Choo, Votto, Bruce, the Babe, Mickey and Bonds. We only have a couple in that list.

IMO, the Reds LF and 3b just HAS to hit more than those numbers, before I start wishing for better hitting catchers, shortstops and middle relievers.