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Baker ready to enjoy offseason
Monday, September 29, 2008
ST. LOUIS — Dusty Baker is looking forward to the offseason, a period of rest, but his itinerary sounds like anything but rest.
"First, I'm going to try to do nothing, which is very difficult for me to do," he said. "I'm sure I have a bunch of honey-do's around the house. When you've been gone since Feb. 15, the woman of the house is ready for you.
"I have some farming to do, too," he said. "I have to tend to my grapevines and they'll produce grapes next year. I'll spend some time with my dad and my son's (Darren) various events. He had his first football game yesterday and scored a touchdown and they tied.
"I'll take some time to go hunting and fishing, I have a couple of speaking engagements, and before you know it it is December and time for the winter meetings," he said.
As for baseball, it is never far from his mind.
"I'll always be thinking about helping (general manager) Walt Jocketty get this team together," he said. "Part of the job is trying to talk to free agents (to come to Cincinnati) and I'll be on the phone quite a bit.
"What you have to do most is take the time to recharge for next season," he said. "You have to take the time to recharge. You have to start the season with the tank full, not three-quarters or half-full. You don't later want to run out of gas."
Of meaningful games
Baker was talking about all the late-season turmoil this year to determine wild card and division champions and remembers fondly a few in which he was involved.
"I remember days like this, the last day when it was decided," he said. "We had a couple of them with the Dodgers — down to the wire. Going down to the wire? Ain't nothin' better than that. Going down to the wire, going neck-and-neck."
Reds media relations director Rob Butcher is working the World Series this year, helping Major League Baseball, and Baker said, "Next year you are going to be too busy doing your own work."
Implication? Reds in the World Series.
Free agents: 9
Somebody congratulated Javier Valentin on his pinch-hit home run Friday, the sixth pinch-hit home run of his career.
And he said, "I have to do something. I'm a free agent. I have to feed my kids."
The Reds have nine possible free agents — pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, catcher Paul Bako, pitcher Josh Fogg, infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., pitcher Mike Lincoln, pitcher Kent Mercker, outfielder Corey Patterson, Valentin and pitcher David Weathers.
It is likely the Reds will try to re-sign Affeldt, Hairston and Lincoln. Mercker plans to retire and Weathers said he plans to test the market.
"I've never had that many free agents on one team," said manager Dusty Baker, "and when we started the season we had three more (Scott Hatteberg, Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn)."
Arbitration-eligible: 5
Five players on the Reds roster are eligible for salary arbitration — third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, pitcher Matt Belisle, infielder/outfielder Jolbert Cabrera, pitcher Gary Majewski and infielder Andy Phillips.
For sure, the club will offer a contract to Encarnacion, but the rest are dubious — 50/50 at best.
