DUSTY BAKER - The real Reason Behind the RED"S Recent Successes

by Madville on Jul 20, 2008 12:26 AM EDT

I just returned home from the soon to be Oscar nominated HELLBOY II -An Extraordinary film, somewhat sentimentally indulgent yet still a probing and multifaceted look at how today’s societal woes can be easily overcome by a pair of star crossed lovers and gay-fishmanthingy…along with a leftover from Voyaqe to the Bottom of the Sea!

I missed tonight’s game but was excited by the win. I was amazed however to hear Doc Rogers on the post game show (on WLW) give the credit for the last 2 wins almost completely to Dusty.He said that = “This Red’s team is now ‘Dusty’s Team’ and “they are finally beginning to play like it”. (My paraphrasing); However, I am much more inclined to agree with Kent Merker’s comments the other day when he suggested that the Reds have everything they need to win and compete in their division. that they just need to continue play together, in a consistent lineup and that with consistency and time will come dramatic improvement y. Dusty is probably a good man, a fair manager and a good ‘teammate’ But he doesn’t have the capacity to change his MO or to best use the players that he has. One only has to look at how Adam Dunn is utilized. Merker is high on the young talent – Bailey, Votto, Cueto, Voltron and Bruce being blended with Veteran players like Griffey, Arroyo, Weathers, Keppinger, BP and Dunn to creat a very competitive team. Although I don’t like all of those players, I think that he is a lot closer to knowing how to put together a team and make it productive than Dustbag Bakedbrains is. Sadly, I know that Dusty’s going to get the credit if the Reds win and Dunn et al with get the blame if they end up on the dump again. Boy it is just too frustrating to hear this shit even on a winning night.

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 20, 2008 12:22 AM EDT

0 recs | Comment 21 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Doc Rogers has to be the most boring radio host I've ever heard

the call in show is almost unlistenable when he’s on the air. every other sentence is him telling us that he used to be the assistant gm for the reds, was a pitcher, and/or the head of the minor league system for the twins. he’s terrible, just terrible

So hey, umm....do you guys mind if I have this fruit roll-up?

by chandrathan on Jul 20, 2008 12:40 AM EDT 0 recs

Dusty is awful

I don’t really think managers can make teams better than they actually are, but they can make them worse by improperly utilizing their talent and making poor in-game decisions. Dusty does both of those things. I figure an average manager has the team .500 or better.

Someone might point out that the Reds are playing at the high end of their Pythag. range, but the thing is, the mistakes Dusty makes in games cost the Reds offense runs and leads to more runs being given up by Reds pitching. Pythag. is perfect in that it manages to account for managerial incompetence.

FIRE DUSTY BAKER

by Blue on Jul 20, 2008 12:45 AM EDT 0 recs

I didn't realize til after the movie

that Dr. Krauss was voiced by Seth McFarlane. Then I realized he sounds exactly like the fish from American Dad.

And Hellboy II was good. Then I saw The Dark Knight. If you haven’t seen it yet, stop reading this instant and go to your nearest movie theater. Hot damn, is it great! It’s the Jay Bruce of superhero movies.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 20, 2008 1:15 AM EDT 0 recs

Although I'm not usually a fan of the comin book genre movie but

I’ve liked the Batman movies for the most part AND my friends Mark (Computer Geek) and his attractive wife Diana (Classical clarinetist) both have highly recommended Dark Knight. It (nor HellBoy) could suspend reality any more than Doc Rogers, P. Doc and the inimitable Dusty Baker.

I must reply to Blue: I semi-disagree, a great manager utilizes the talents of a team to keep them a level of function and productivity that they (the team) would never reach by their individual talents alone. So just as managerial incompetence may still allow for a team to play at the high end of their Pythag..A great and competent manger keeps them there and allows (by good decisions) for team more opportunities to win (esp. close) games. (Huh?) Good managers = winning programs when given reasonable good players to work with. Dusty has a pretty good group now, except for the bench so…...
Fire Dusty.

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 20, 2008 2:04 AM EDT up 0 recs

saw Dark Knight yesterday

and my jaw is still on the floor. Goodness gracious is The Joker a whole lot of sick, twisted, fun in that movie.
Otherwise, though, I’m a huge fan of the “hey! We’re gonna switch the actress who plays Rachel Dawes and ask you not to care!” schtick. And I wish there was more Bruce Wayne character development. He seemed to be far more of a foil to The Joker than the protagonist, if you ask me.

As for the point of this post, well, I wish that Mercker gets Brantley’s job when he (Mercker) officially retires. He seems like he’s smart, funny, and knows his shit. Or if he could be bench coach or something like that, I would take that, too.He seems like a likable enough guy who knows more than anyone else in the front office or dugout does these days.

...because there's already someone posing as Jacob Brumfield

by Cy Schourek on Jul 20, 2008 10:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

pullpen coach?

by joshuar9476 on Jul 20, 2008 10:49 AM EDT up 0 recs

Merker's way too incisive to ever be allowed on WLW

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 20, 2008 11:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

It has been insane here

I’ve avoided any area with a theater for the last two days, it’s like fucking Woodstock. For the locals – Friday night people were parking at the Campbell Co. Courthouse and walking to the Levee, since every parking lot/garage near the place was filled.

That said, I’m hoping to sneak off to Springdale one day this week and catch it in iMAX. :)

sig lines are for suckas

by jch24 on Jul 20, 2008 11:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hellboy 2

A giant disappointment. I expected far more out of Guillermo del Toro. I think what made it frustrating was that it wouldn’t have taken too much to make it good, but it just sucked hardcore with its crappy plot, giant Tecate advertisement, overusage of metaphors, and excess of special effects. Batman, on the other hand, which was a movie I had no hopes for, absolutely kicked ass. I agree with Bredannukah. See it now, with a big crowd, preferably on IMAX.

On a Reds note, I can’t blame Dusty for tonight. He still mad moves befitting of the asshat he is, but the blame lies elsewhere. Sorry, Bako and EdE

I got 99 problems but a job ain't one.

by chesirecat on Jul 20, 2008 4:59 PM EDT 0 recs

OK then C-Cat tell me how you really feel about HB II

I found Hellboy II to be amusing and a nice respite from thinking.
I really really really must see Dark Knight, ‘Everybody’ says its killer.

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 20, 2008 11:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

i thought it was just ok

better than hulk, not as good as iron man

So hey, umm....do you guys mind if I have this fruit roll-up?

by chandrathan on Jul 21, 2008 9:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

Saw Dark Knight at the iMax on Saturday

Things benefiting from the enormous screen: Chicago, Hong Kong, Truck flipping

Things not benefiting from the enormous screen: Maggie Gyllenhall

He's doing it. He's eating a tire!

by Man Mountain on Jul 21, 2008 11:18 AM EDT 0 recs

Maggie "Ugly Ass" Gyllenhall

So hey, umm....do you guys mind if I have this fruit roll-up?

by chandrathan on Jul 21, 2008 11:33 AM EDT up 0 recs

As in?

Her ass was ugly or she is an ugly ass?

Put on your Reds shoes and dance the Dusty Blues.

by Pops Daniels on Jul 21, 2008 1:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

Don't know what it is about her

but I think she’s sexy. Not pretty, mind you, but someone I want to do bad things to. Too bad if she looks like shite in Dark Knight.

Put on your Reds shoes and dance the Dusty Blues.

by Pops Daniels on Jul 21, 2008 1:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

Whatever it is,

Secretary had it in spades.

by ken on Jul 21, 2008 1:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

...as well as Spaders.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 21, 2008 1:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

36 year old Selma blair - MMMMM on the enormous scrren

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 21, 2008 1:11 PM EDT 0 recs

Does it

make you want to throw a sandwich at the screen?

Put on your Reds shoes and dance the Dusty Blues.

by Pops Daniels on Jul 21, 2008 1:14 PM EDT up 2 recs

rec'd

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 21, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

Here's an interesting bit of Dust-Talk from Ctrent's Bronson Interview

“I was like John Lee Hooker sang a song called, ‘Don’t Look Back,’” Baker said. “Dick Pole said (Dunn) didn’t know who he was. So I said, ‘yeah, he knows who he is.’ Dunn said, ‘no, I don’t.’ But John was right, don’t look back, just look forward.”

OK – I’m confused I thought Dusty was all about ‘hearing’ not looking?

My Indian name is "Runs For Beer'

by Madville on Jul 23, 2008 8:34 PM EDT 0 recs