Bellbrook graduation 2012
Fairfield Senior 2012 graduation
Kroger Aquatic Center opens
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2010 > April > 25 > Entry
An eruption from Mount Baker
CLUBHOUSE CONFIDENTIAL: Dusty Baker’s smile was broad and came easy Sunday morning in his office, a day after he closed his door and didn’t talk to the media after Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the San Diego Padres that caused Mount Baker to erupt.
Nobody blamed him for the media snub. It wasn’t just the loss, it wasn’t just the shutout, it was the lethargy and the boneheads and the lack of concentration during what easily was the worst-played game under Baker’s two-plus years as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
His door was open Sunday morning and he said quickly, “Sorry about yesterday. I’ve never done that before, that I can remember. Not in San Francisco, not in Chicago, not in Cincinnati.”
WHILE HE didn’t talk to the media after Saturday’s game, he talked (more like shouted) at his team in the postgame clubhouse.
“I don’t like to talk when I’m pissed off,” he said. “When I get angry, I’m very angry, contrary to what most people think - that I don’t get angry. I don’t have a bad temper, I have a very short temper. I’ve been fighting it all my life and it’s why I got cut from my dad’s Little League team three times. Temper. Quick temper.”
Baker smiled and said, “I preach about it to my son (Darren) all the time, but now he has it.”
And why this, uh, explosion?
“Things build up some times,” he said. “It wasn’t just yesterday, it was a number of things.”
What disturbed Baker most was that there were missed signs and disconnected lines of communication when Brandon Phillips was picked off first, when Jonny Gomes was picked off first and when Johnny Cueto overran second base and was picked off. And then there was Drew Stubbs throwing the baseball into the stands after he caught a fly ball, thinking that was the third out when it was only the second.
“We have to just keep teaching and preaching,” he said. “You hope it never happens, but you’d rather have it happen all in one day rather than over a course of time. You can’t pitch or field for them, the players have to do that. I know we (manager and coaches) are held accountable, but they’re held accountable to us. You hope in a positive way that they are a reflection of me and I’m a reflection of them. When they hurt, I hurt when things are going bad.
“You hope that it is vice versa, too, that the players feel that way because that’s what makes us one,” Baker added.
BAKER SAID the players had to feel his anger during his post-game one-man State of the Team address.
“I said a few things, quite a few things,” he said. “Anybody who is a parent knows that sometimes you have to chastise your children. My dad used to tell me, ‘Go get me a switch,’ and when I brought one back he’d say my whipping was going to hurt him more than it hurt me. I understood that now, but my butt didn’t then.”
Of the baserunning gaffes, Baker said, “They weren’t so much blunders as they were… well, one thought he saw one sign and one saw another sign. It was getting the signs correct. So, in essence, they were blunders. Mistakes. Let’s get the signs right. It wasn’t the lack of effort, but improper effort. Sometimes guys want to do so much to help it ends up being a mistake.”
Asked what he is looking for after his clubhouse oratory, Baker said, “I’m looking for everything. I’m greedy. I’m looking for attitude and performance. I’m greedy. I’m looking for the perfect game. And then another perfect game and then another one, realizing that you’ll have very few, but that doesn’t stop the quest.”
Baker paused for a moment and said, “Even though you spank ‘em, you still love ‘em. It’s over and it’s a new day. Sometimes when my son messes up and my wife punishes him, he says, ‘I love you, mom.’ And she says, ‘Son, love ain’t got nothing to do with it.’”
BAKER REVEALED that there was an alternative reason that Cueto was moved back a day from his scheduled Friday start to Saturday. It wasn’t just because of pitch counts, too many pitches thrown. He also has something going on with his side, an ache.
“We gave him that extra day because he has something wrong with his side,” said Baker. “He threw the ball probably better than he had all year, but the results weren’t there (six innings, five runs, seven hits, two home runs). The one that really hurt was the slider he got up to Will Venable (two-run homer in the sixth.”
Baker believes Cueto’s baserunning boo-boo affected him on the mound
San Diego starter Ward LeBlanc retired the first eight Reds before Cueto skillfully bunted for a two-out hit in the third. Fleet-footed Stubbs hit a routine grounder to third - routine for most players. But Stubbs beat it out. Cueto nonchalantly ran to second and rounded the bag, where he was promptly picked off.
“He lost concentration then,” said Baker. “This kid tries. He made the mistake then he went to the mound and lost concentration,. He felt so bad over that mistake that he threw his first pitch right down the middle to a hot Chase Headley and boom, boom (a double that led to two runs).”
Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment |
Tweet
Comments
By kikus
June 15, 2010 3:37 PM | Link to this
отлично сделано, интеретсно читать 98)
By Kyle
April 27, 2010 10:40 PM | Link to this
Stubbs absolutely has to go down. This is painful to watch.
By Boxter
April 27, 2010 6:50 PM | Link to this
Ward? Think it’s Wade. What HOF are you in?
By Wordman
April 27, 2010 6:04 PM | Link to this
OK, so Dusty got mad. Now how about shaking things up. He could,for starters, send Stubbs back to Louisville to learn the strike zone; do a Zambrano with Harang, move Phillips to leadoff; give Hanigan more playing time; try to trade Arroyo; put Chapman in the rotation to sink or swim.
By wrc
April 27, 2010 12:32 AM | Link to this
Third year with this supposely great hitting coach,but can anyone name one player this guy has help.Or for that matter any of hitting coaches in the reds system.Do they even teach the strike zone to any of the hitters.Granted its up to the player to hit but these guys seem clueless.Then Baker idea of benching a player when he does get hot just caused a pitcher a righty or a lefty doesn’t help.Especially if this young guy is going to be your future everyday player.As the guy can’t improved against those pitchers if he never plays when they’re pitching.You’re only delaying their progressed.Maybe even keeping them on the team to long then,only to dump them later.As Dusty has problems in dealing with young players as shown in SF an the cubs as he rather play older more experienced players.Thats why he was fire as both teams wanted to go younger.That’s why having him as manager makes no sense.
By michael
April 26, 2010 6:02 PM | Link to this
Mike- Cinci, you are right. The 1990 team was built by Charlie Hustle
By Wordman
April 26, 2010 4:38 PM | Link to this
If Harang bombs again on Tuesday, it’s time to do a Zambrano with him. And maybe Stubbs needs some minor league cooking to learn the strike zone.
By Mike-Cinci
April 26, 2010 2:54 PM | Link to this
Lou Pinella is over rated. He won with the Reds in 1990 and has not won since. In Seattle he had Griffey,Jr in his prime plus A-Rod, Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez, Jay Buhner, Tim Belcher and more and did not win. In Tampa he never had a winning record and lost 90+ games every year. He was succeeded by Joe Madden who nobody ever heard of and Madden has done just fine with the Rays. Lou moved on the Cubs who despite their $145 million payroll have got worse every year he has been there. If Lou was manager here we would have some eruptions but the poor guy would jump off the Suspension Bridge managing this roster. Lou is no miracle worker. Folks it’s not the manager, it’s the players and until the Reds get better ones they are destined to continue to lose.
By bob
April 26, 2010 1:20 PM | Link to this
Mount Baker may have erupted, but the eruption needs to come from the front office and not watch until June and it’s too late. They are so big on interim managers; now is the time and get Lou for next yr. The talent if not great, but the lineup doesn’t use what talent there is.
By Jack
April 26, 2010 1:11 PM | Link to this
Time to play who is worse…this time featuring Dickerson and Stubbs. Dickerson. Batting .244. OBP is .262. 9 runs, 0 RBI’s, 1 walk and 17 strikeouts. Stubbs. Batting .158. OBP is .273. 6 runs, 8 walks, 21 strikeouts. Stubbs is not doing well, but numbers wise, Dickerson is actually worse. Not sure either should be playing at the moment, but between the two, what do you do?
By Dave K
April 26, 2010 12:41 PM | Link to this
Good to see Baker get fired up, the team needs to go back to basics. The team has no bounce in their step and just going through the motions. Where is the fun?
By steven ross
April 26, 2010 11:54 AM | Link to this
Reds are so boring and frustrating to watch. Team is a trainwreck. Will Baker be brought back next year with a new contract? Not a chance. Get rid of him now.
By Ebes
April 26, 2010 11:17 AM | Link to this
Dusty is still in the running for manager of the year.
By Cecil Hays
April 26, 2010 9:36 AM | Link to this
The unloading needs to be the Reds unloading Baker. The team is not sharp because the manager is not sharp. Talent wise, I would say the Reds are better than the Padres, but which is playing better?
By dude
April 26, 2010 8:21 AM | Link to this
Baker waited too long to blow his stack. Brandon Phillips is one of the best 2nd basemen in baseball, but, he is a showboat. This guy should be a leader on this team. This team struggles to score runs and now someone is wanting their RBI leader benched? This team will only go as far their starting pitching goes.. You can’t begin every game 4 or 5 runs down with this offense. They didn’t add a big bat in the off season and it’s killing them. Again..
By Redrog
April 26, 2010 8:04 AM | Link to this
It’s nice that Baker loves his players like they are his children, but he may need to consider that they are spoiled and need to grow up…they are in the real world, making real money, and expected to play like adults, just like all the other baseball players. A little more discipline Dusty…they will love you for it!
By Believe It Or Not
April 25, 2010 5:23 PM | Link to this
Reds-2010-88-90 wins! Cabrera is a terrible defender. Every game he shows poor defense, and terrible range. Although I think he might be our best leadoff hitter, other than Dickerson—I think our Reds would benefit more with Janish at SS—glove/arm and stick!Hanigan should be in the lineup, at least as often as Hernandez.It is a Dusty myth that CD cannot hit lefties, as well as,or better than, Stubbs can hit righties! Bring up Maloney and Wood—disabled list for Cueto and Harang—Cueto for his side ache and poor pitching form; and Harang for being a head case.It’s all mental with him—only partly mechanical.
By Tom
April 25, 2010 2:09 PM | Link to this
The next two weeks will tell the tale with 12 games with the Stros, Cards, Mets and Cubs. If the Reds are headed toward ten under .500 at that time, then Baker is gone and we’ll see big changes. The ownership can’t deal with a 10th. losing season.
By Clint
April 25, 2010 1:39 PM | Link to this
That’d be ‘Wade’ LeBlanc. I’m going to start calling you Fay.
By Dennis
April 25, 2010 11:52 AM | Link to this
I’m glad Baker unloaded. That’s what’s needed. Discipline and correction. I hope it communicates to better plate discipline for the hitters, to better discipline in doing the little things like moving runners over, to better running and fielding discipline, and to better pitching. They have to turn this thing around.