There will come a time when the current manager of the Cincinnati Reds will be another former manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
Many longtime Reds fans have been calling for current skipper David Bell’s head for several years, but the decision makers in the front office have done just the opposite. Bell was signed to a three-year contract extension last July that runs through the 2026 season, much to the chagrin of a large segment of the fanbase.
The soon to be 52-year-old will likely return for his seventh season next year despite a career record of 391-436, including a disappointing 58-61 mark this season. More than likely, Bell will be leading the team in 2026 as well; after all, we are fully aware that it goes against the principles of the frugal Reds organization to pay for a manager to not manage.
The question in the above headline is a simple one, but the answer is not so simple. A manager and his coaching staff can only do so much. It has been proven time and time again in the annals of baseball that simply changing managers without significantly changing the roster isn’t the solution. Bell can only play the players on the roster provided by the front office.
While many fans strongly believe this team is underachieving, the truth remains this roster is flawed. Injuries have also played a significant role in the failures this club has experienced this season. That is still no excuse for the basic baseball fundamentals and situational awareness the club lacks at times, along with their base running blunders. Some of it can be
blamed on youth, and some of it reflects on the man in charge in the dugout.
I’m not saying Bell is one of the premier managers in the game, but he would look a lot better with a more talented roster. Even so, some of the lineups he puts on the field raise legitimate questions, and the way he utilizes his bullpen is a concern as well. Many fans disagree with his overall approach and emphasis on analytics. On the other hand, the players appear to respect Bell, and that will likely go a long way in keeping him in charge for at least another couple of seasons.
And who knows? What if the Reds surprise the baseball world and win 28 or 29 of their final 43 games of the season and earn a Wild Card spot? Stranger things have happened, even though it does appear highly unlikely. All of the talk about firing Bell would ease, at least until next season.
There are several veteran managers who are not leading a team right now who may or may not be interested in leading the Reds, including Buck Showalter and Joe Maddon. I have no idea if they even want to return to the dugout, and both would likely demand more than the tight-fisted Reds ownership wants to pay a manager. Some fans would like to see another former Moeller High School alum, Barry Larkin, step into the role, but this guy doesn’t see that happening. Larkin appears to be comfortable in his role as the color analyst for the team’s home games on Bally Sports, and the Hall of Fame shortstop does not appear to be all that interested in the position.
It has been proven this season that spending an exorbitant amount of money on a manager isn’t the answer. All you have
to do is take a look at what has occurred in the Windy City this season.
Craig Counsell, who was signed to the most lucrative managerial contract in major league history – a five-year, $40 million deal – by the Cubs, has the team a half-game in front of the Reds in the NL Central standings at 59-61. The other skipper in Chicago, Pedro Grifol, had the second-highest yearly salary, $5.5 million, before receiving his walking papers from the White Sox. The Southsiders have an excellent chance of setting a new record for futility, and as of this writing, they’re 29-91.
If you’re wondering, Bell is reportedly making $1 million this season, tied for 18th in baseball. The exact terms of his contract extension that the team gave him last year are unknown, but you can bet it’s considerably less than the $8 million that Counsell is getting this year.
The Cubs and White Sox should’ve spent their money on acquiring talented players, and not overpaying for a manager. That should be a lesson for the Reds as well, although there has never been any danger of this ownership group throwing money around foolishly, if you don’t include some of their questionable free agent signings.
Of much more importance than a managerial change for the Reds would be to spend wisely and acquire the right players through trades and free agency, and to develop a productive farm system that will contend for championships. That was merely one of the numerous promises heard from the new principal owner and managing general partner upon taking over the club in 2006.
Reds fans are still waiting.
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“We’re buying the Reds to win. Anything else is unacceptable.” – CEO Robert H. Castellini, after the new ownership group purchased the Reds 18 years ago
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George Lee “Sparky” Anderson, who had a career record of 2,194-1,834 while leading the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He led the Reds to World Series titles in 1975 and 1976, and the Tigers to the 1984 championship.
Anderson was never at a loss for words, and following are just a few of his many quotes:
“The players make the manager, it’s never the other way.”
“I don’t believe a manager ever won a pennant. Casey Stengel won all those pennants with the Yankees. How many did he win with the Boston Braves and Mets?”
“People who live in the past generally are afraid to compete in the present. I’ve got my faults, but living in the past is not one of them. There’s no future in it.”
“I only had a high school education and believe me, I had to cheat to get that.”
“I don’t want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him to Johnny Bench.”
“A player does not have to like a manager and he does not have to respect a manager. All he has to do is obey the rules.”
“A baseball manager is a necessary evil.”
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“The most outrageous lies that can be invented will find believers if a man only tells them with all his might.” — Mark Twain
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