Pena Unhappy With Playing Time

by JD Arney on Aug 9, 2005 3:01 AM EDT in News

From Hal:

Wily Mo Pena said it calmly -- didn't demand a trade, didn't pound his spikes on a podium, didn't threaten to turn over the postgame meal table.
That doesn't mean he is happy sitting. He's not. He wants to play and manager Jerry Narron has said, "I wouldn't want players who are happy if they aren't playing."
Pena wonders where it will lead, this four-outfielders situation where Austin Kearns is playing right field most of the time and Pena is playing some right field and a game or two in left field.
He is surprised the Reds didn't trade an outfielder, either him or Kearns.
"My agent told me there were a couple of teams interested in me (Washington, Chicago Cubs), but the Reds wouldn't do it," Pena said. "I would like them to tell me what's going on. They don't tell me anything.

I can't really say I blame Wily Mo. We hear time and time again from Reds players that management doesn't communicate anything to them, and I have to wonder why? What does Dan O'Brien gain by keeping his employees in the dark?

My opinion is that O'Brien isn't really doing it intentionally. I don't think he can help it. He simply seems to be a piss poor communicator.

Remember how the new GM was supposed to make the Reds a respectable organization again after Jim Bowden ticked off many teams and players? Hasn't really happened.

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no communication

I think this is pretty much par for the course as far as major league teams go. GMs can't tell their players if they are trying to trade them because if it doesn't go through, there are going to be some uncomfortable feelings going around. So it's probably better to keep them in the dark until something actually happens.

Brian B

by Brian B on Aug 9, 2005 3:45 AM EDT reply actions

Communication

I can't say I disagree, but I think good GM's find ways to soothe their players worries. Dan O'Brien seems to completely ignore them. It's not just that players seem confused by roles or possible transactions, it's that I constantly see players complaining that they're not told "anything". It doesn't sound like the front office talks to the players at all.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. --Oscar Wilde

by JD Arney on Aug 9, 2005 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions

A Mess

Look how else does Rich Aurilia think that he deserves to start?

Or the crap they pulled with Graves, yeah he sucked and yeah he needed to be cut, but come on over the phone? Thats not going to get you any supporters with free agents.

When you are paying a guy 2.4 million dollars, don't you think it would be smart to say to him directly - lose weight or be fired! [Maybe they did, but don't you think Hal/Marc/Fay et al would be all over that?] The same can be said of the whole Kearns fiasco. Middle of the season telling him to lose weight is not that useful.

Look at the comments that were reported about DOB during the trade deadline. He didn't know who or what he wanted, etc. Yeah some of them were probably over the top, but even in most myths there is some truth.

Do those sound like a good communicator?

by Pinski on Aug 9, 2005 10:23 AM EDT reply actions