Krivsky guts the minors...

by sledridge on Sep 11, 2007 11:58 PM EDT Comment 17 comments

General manager Wayne Krivsky did not renew the contracts of assistant director of player development Grant Griesser, field coordinator Tim Naehring, extended Spring Training coordinator Rick Burleson, roving hitting instructor Jim Hickman, outfield/baserunning coordinator Lynn Jones, rookie-level Billings coach Ricardo Cuevas and Double-A Chattanooga manager Jayhawk Owens. Chattanooga pitching coach Grant Jackson retired.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070911&content_id=2202040&vkey=news_ci n&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin

Jeez. Does this scare anyone else? Krivsky is making these decisions? His job must not be in jeopardy. Why else would Castellini allow this?

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Doesn't make much sense to me.

The Reds system finally looks like it has turned a corner and Krivsky has pretty much eliminated everyone involved in that since he showed up. Meanwhile, Krivsky hasn't added a top-100 prospect since he showed up with the possible exception of Stubbs, who may slip onto the back half of the list this year.

by Geki on Sep 12, 2007 12:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Top 100

A couple of things. 1. Surely these moves do show that Krivsky is around at least one and probably more years. Castellini's putting him firmly in control. 2. I agree Krivsky's drafting is so far pretty mediocre, though I do think there are several potential top 100ers that he's acquired. 3. I take it most of the minor league staff he's letting go are actually from the Bowden years, not O'Brien, so that doesn't bother me a lot if we're judging by the quality of minor leaguers produced. It's still O'Brien who did the best part of improving the system.

by HokieRed on Sep 12, 2007 8:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Last year

My memory is failing me, but wasn't the director of minor league development (or something like that) fired with some controversy last year? I wonder if this is related.

by ken on Sep 12, 2007 8:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

jayhawk owens

how could he let him go? i bet wayner was jealous, dude's got one hell of a tough name. much tougher than 'wayner'.

at least this isnt pittsburgh

by Charlie Scrabbles on Sep 12, 2007 10:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The drumbeat of hopelessness goes on

It is going to be a hell of a long time before Cincinnati recovers from these Krivsky years. The Reds are entering an era that Pittsburg fans can tell us about from first hand experience.

Krivsky doesn't have a clue. He forces out anyone who expresses opinions different from his own. And he fires everyone he can who does not owe their initial appointments to him. He is building a closed circle of loyalty into which non-conformity will not be tolerated.

We all know where this is heading. Krivsky is General Douglas Haig at the Somme.

The only thing that will get his attention will be threats to his job. He will refuse to act responsibly unless he thinks to do otherwise will result in his firing. And when he finally is fired, he will be shocked and bitter and tell us all we just did not allow him enough time. In his deluded mind he will be sure brilliant success is always be one season further away. He is a nasty fearful child in a huge office playing games with people's lives.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Sep 12, 2007 10:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

General Haig?

I mean who knew the tank would be so effective. Of course after the first day when he lost something like 50,000 guys you think he would have learned and made some adjustment.

The Reds just need to shore up the bullpen, either through free agency, trade or farm system. If they do that they are more than in the pennant race the past two seasons.

I can't speak as to the "closed circle of loyalty into which non-conformity will not be tolerated" but I can understand wanting every one rowing in the same direction.

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Sep 12, 2007 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haig

Haig was sure he knew the right way to do things. He refused to allow anyone in his circle to voice opposing points of view. __ plays the game the right way. He knows how to win. He's been around a while and is a veteran.

He continued to use the same tactics again and again, despite the fact they failed and produced huge numbers of casualties. Bullpen is fucked up again! I thought I fixed it! No one in the minor leagues! Well, what ol' lefty is out there who we can trade for or sign for two or three million dollars? Hell, offer up some of our offense! Offense doesn't win games, pitching and defense wins!

There were no tanks at the Somme, but if there were, Haig would have had little use for them. They were not part of the "right way" to win a battle. Haig learned the "right way" to win battles thirty years before the war and almost never visited the battle front. Kinda like an office guy who lectured people about how to do things he had never done himself the "right way."

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Sep 12, 2007 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

im a pretty big history buff

so I think i just found a new nickname for sweaterpants.

by OURob on Sep 12, 2007 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The term is "group think bubble"

Develop a point of view. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Push out those who dissent. Let those rising in power know that they need to join the consensus or face professional stagnation. Attack or discount outside voices that cannot be controlled. Identify dissenters as either ill-informed or the enemy.

When things go wrong, the leadership bubble is unable to respond because it is almost entirely made of people who think the same way. The organization has little ability to adapt or evolve. Real change is only possible by replacing the entire leadership cadre. Wholesale leadership change of this nature rarely happens before disaster strikes.

There are many examples of this throughout history. Some fairly recent.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Sep 12, 2007 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmmm

If I was watching Jeopardy and the Final answer was 'the first battle in WWI where tanks were used in mass', I would have bet it all that it was at Somme.

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Sep 12, 2007 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Huh,

I stand corrected. A small number of tanks were used in the final phase of the battle in September 1916. 32 were put into action according to Wikipedia.

I had thought the first use was at Cambrai. The Battle of Cambrai was the first mass use of tanks. November, 1917.

This changes nothing regarding my scorn for Krivsky.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Sep 12, 2007 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol

I understand

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Sep 12, 2007 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If tanks were used at the Somme you must acquit!

by Red Menace on Sep 12, 2007 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What if Krivsky's right?

Patton wasn't much for non-conformity, either, but he was a heck of a general. Then again, neither was Custer.

What if the people Krivsky hires are better than the people they replaced? I mean, come on, we haven't exactly made it a habit of raising pennants around here in a while. If the Reds are firing people and not replacing them, then I'll be concerned.

We Are ... Marshall!

by Thundering Turtle on Sep 12, 2007 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I also heard...

That Wayner is planning on hiring Daler Mehndi as the assistant Director of Player Development...

And no, I won't give up my sources...

Confucious say: "Baseball wrong - man with four balls cannot walk." ~Author Unknown

by crolfer on Sep 12, 2007 12:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Unsure...

I'm a bit mixed on this. Krivsky should have a free hand in bringing in his own men at every level, and to structure minor league coaching, scouting and player development as he sees fit. This strikes me as the domain of the GM. And let's face it--he just banished some of the final remnants of the Bowden era. It's difficult for me to see that as a bad thing, given Bowden's atrocious record in player development.

I think O'Brien drafted prep talent very well, but I' mnot sure he was the man to develop these players in the minors. Many players have shot hrough the roof since Krivsky took over. Is that a coincidence? It might be. Might not be.

But, I do worry because Krivsky seems to have conflict with those who he has gone on to fire--even ostracizing them during last year's winter meetings, and so on. But you know? A lot of these guys he has fired were part of the team that developed one starting pitcher--Brett Tomko--in a dozen or so years. I can't say it's unwarranted. But I still worry about Krivsky's management of the personnel, as it may lead to more problems later. I think the moves themselves can be justified.

Still, we're all seeing this from the outside-in, and we shouldn't pretend that we have all the relevant facts.

by jamesp50014 on Sep 12, 2007 5:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dunn and Castellini

Per John Fay:

Adam Dunn and Reds CEO Bob Castellini had lunch this afternoon at Castellini's downtown office. No, Dunn's option for next year was not discussed. And there was no talk of an extension.

"It was nothing," Dunn said. "It was lunch. I've been wanting to talk to him. Really, it was a harmless lunch. We didn't talk about anything (concerning me). That's kind of the way we wanted it. We talked about the team."

My ass they didn't talk about the extension.

by Brian B on Sep 12, 2007 11:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs