What are the thoughts of baseball fans of the hiring of Dusty Baker for manager?

I'm curious how long it will be before Baker manages to destroy Homer Bailey's arm, as he did with Prior and Wood. Maybe he'll let Bailey pitch 300 innings next season!

Seriously, this is just a "name" hire for the Reds, a way to show their fans that they're allegedly trying to build a winning team. Unfortunately, I would have rather seen an unproven youngster or a guy like Girardi offered the position, since I think Baker is a terrible handler of pitching staffs.

EDIT - Good point about him possibly attracting players. If that holds, then it does add to the hiring.

I think it speaks pretty well of what the baseball community thinks of Baker that he ends up in a very small market. If he truly was that desirable as a manager, there would have been better jobs for him. From what I saw here in Chicago, Baker can be a good manager of veteran players, but he's horrible at managing the younger players.I think he would be a better fit with a team that spends more rather then a team that depends more on their farm system.

One more thing - About the fact that Cincinnati has black coaches/managers for all its' teams? Wouldn't that be only 2 teams? Wouldn't it be nice if just once a manager could get hired without it being about the fact that he is black?

I think the Reds fans will also see that Baker never puts the blame for a team doing poorly on either himself or the players. Here in Chicago, he blamed the fans when they would boo, he'd blame the umpires, he even blamed the announcers for it. Everyone but himself and his team. I'm sure the fans in Cincinnati are excited to get him, but unless they go out and spend a ton of money, you'll find that he just isn't all he's cracked up to me. If things go well, he's not a bad manager, but he doesn't seem to know what to do when a team starts to go bad. Instead, he'll end up looking for someone to put the blame on, rather then addressing the situation.

It never ceases to amaze just how little is expected of someone these days. After having to listen to Dusty Baker as an analyst this year, I told my wife, "Damn! But at least after hearing him speak, no owner will give him a job."

He is dumber than a sack of hammers. He can not complete a sentence. He seems to drift off in the middle of thoughts. Seriously, he makes Julius Peppers seem like a good interview.

If this is the best Cincinnati could come up with, I think Schotsky the dog should be given a chance.

Have you been asleep or lobotomized?

As a die confusing Giants fan, i will see the Reds ought to sense free about a obtainable wonderful destiny ahead. This pass is powerful with the aid of Veteran individuals on the crew, esp. w/ Griffey nonetheless there, he receives the respect from Baker and vice versa. i comprehend from adventure because at the same time as he took over the Giants in ninety 3' that become meant to be between the worst communities in baseball, yet they signed the video games perfect participant on the time (Bonds) and rode the crew to a 103 win season...would I upload w/ little skills in the course of the board. i imagine this become an excellent employ and the crew ought to rally round him. average, he become an excellent manager for the Giants, except for 2002 at the same time as he misanaged interest six of the WS and saved our identify drought going because shifting to SF. yet i imagine you'll like what Baker brings...

Baseball Prospectus did some good research on Dusty a while back. It pointed out how he never brought along young players to insert into his lineup, preferring mediocre veterans instead.

I think he runs a good clubhouse and gets along with his playes, which is not an unuseful skill in this day and age. I don't think he's a good fit for the Reds right now.

The Giants got to the World Series in spite of Dusty wearing out their pitching staff. He's a horrible game manager - good luck this year Reds' fans.

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I think it's solely for the butts in the seats, not the Ws in the standings.

The pitching is a disaster with or without him, so he can't do too much more damage! No one wants to come here because it's a hitter's paradise.

It's gonna be another bottom dweller season, but a money maker for the owners.

i growing with the red machine of the 70's, and i respect a lot the reds, even when i'm indians fan, but baker is the best way to destroy good pitchers, this call just is mediatic.

good luck reds!!!

Seeing Dusty's kid almost get run over in the World Series a few years back showed me where his priorities are.

I think it's great, now I don't have to hear him as a analyst or announcer or whatever you call him doing last year.