Wittenmyer & Williams is a regular point/counterpoint column from Enquirer Reds reporter Gordon Wittenmyer and sports columnist Jason Williams . This week, they discuss candidates to replace David Bell as Reds manager.
Williams : The Reds are a mess. Firing David Bell does not fix what’s wrong with this team.
Wittenmyer : Maybe not, but what looked like a team that was too often unprepared, undisciplined and comfortable has to reflect on the manager. Especially when so many of those making the mistakes are young players.
Williams : Then that should’ve been addressed going into next season with a short leash attached. In the meantime, the Reds should’ve made some changes on the coaching staff.
Wittenmyer : That certainly would’ve been a reasonable approach, too.
Williams : So much for sticking to the process. As far as I’m concerned, it’s win now or the guys who fired Bell are going to prove that this was on them.
Wittenmyer : The way team president Nick Krall talked Monday , he might even agree with you. This is all about winning now and building a longer-term competitive team. Who knows if that’s even possible? But it’s going to start with the next manager, and it better be the right one.
Williams : What manager will help the Reds win immediately then? Tito Francona? Joe Maddon? Joe Girardi? All former managers of the year, and they’re all available.
Wittenmyer : Don’t forget Don Mattingly, who’s on the Blue Jays coaching staff. And Skip Schumaker, the former Red who’s already made it clear he’s leaving Miami after this season. Both those guys were managers of the year, too. And keep your eye on another former Red, David Ross, the guy the Cubs kicked to the curb to hire Craig Counsell last year. Ross might actually be the best fit for this team of all of those guys. And just imagine how motivated he would be to come into this situation in the Cubs division.
Williams : Ross better than Francona, Schumaker and Girardi?
Wittenmyer : Let me clarify one thing: Francona might be the best manager on the planet right now. If he’s healthy enough and wants to come out of retirement, he could probably win anywhere. That said, those are big ifs and the price would probably be high. And as much as some in Reds management loved Girardi the last time they had an opening, he might also come at a premium price that might make the club hesitate. His style might be an overcorrection at this point.
Williams : The Reds are a bunch of cheapskates. They don’t like to pay much for one manager. Never mind, paying for two with still a couple years left on Bell’s contract.
Wittenmyer : They can’t afford to go cheap this time around. So I expect at least due diligence on those candidates. But to answer your question on Ross: Having covered him in Chicago, I saw a players’ manager with a good bedside manner who at the same time did not put up with poor preparation or breakdowns in fundamentals. He’s also a former catcher, who pitcher’s loved throwing to.
Williams : Former catcher’s often make good managers. A catcher runs the game. He sees the game from a pitcher’s perspective and a hitter’s perspective. A catcher has to work with every pitcher on the staff. So he has to work closely with all kinds of different personalities.
Wittenmyer : It sounds like your short list is Ross, Girardi and Maddon.
Williams : I like all those guys. I’m not sure if the Reds would consider Maddon, though. He’s 70 years old, and he ripped analytics.
Wittenmyer : You might be right about that. A lot of people who are doing the hiring for managers these days found themselves in the crosshairs of that criticism. Maddon as a manager was always getting the most out of young players early in their careers. It’s possible he could thread a needle of being the right guy in the right place at the right time for this team. But obviously that’s a long shot.
Williams : Especially if Schumaker is interested in the job. He got the Marlins to the playoffs last year when he was the National League Manager of the Year. He’ll be the hottest commodity on the manager free-agent market after he escapes the circus in Miami.
Wittenmyer : And he knows the landscape in Cincinnati, finishing the last two years of his playing career with the Reds. Like Ross, he played recently enough that players remember him and he won a World Series in St. Louis.
Williams : But does Schumaker want to leave one clown show for another?
Wittenmyer : Damn, man. Maybe a little harsh?
Williams : Well, the Reds have had a losing record 9 of the last 10 full seasons. They haven’t been to the playoffs in a full season since 2013. They haven’t won a playoff series since 1995. Clown show.
Wittenmyer : Actually, there’s enough talent here that this is a desirable job, according to potential candidates I’ve checked in with. I just hope they can fit all the candidates who want this job into that tiny little car.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Wittenmyer & Williams: Francona? Schumaker? Ross? Who'll be next Cincinnati Reds manager?
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