Reds catfight! Brandon Phillips had some blunt things to say about the state of the Reds, and he named some names. Josh Hamilton wasted no time firing back.
Ugh. I can't help remembering that Phillips was considered a clubhouse cancer when he was with Cleveland. That's why they got rid of him. Is he reverting?
And jeez, Hamilton's a rookie who wouldn't even be on the team if he wasn't Rule 5. And he's taking public potshots at a teammate? Even if said teammate is a clubhouse cancer, it seems out of line.
Maybe we should just chalk it up to emotions running high. Narron was apparently popular with the players; maybe they're just upset that he was sacked.
I feel kind of sorry for Narron. He apparently didn't see it coming. He said all he was thinking about was the Giants game tomorrow.
Paul Daugherty thinks Narron's problem was that he was too nice.
The Reds have no leadership, partly because Narron couldn’t provide it. To survive, managers like Narron need a couple clubhouse lieutenants with forceful personalities. The Reds don’t have any of those. Their best players and biggest clubhouse forces are laid-back, why-are-you-working-so-hard? types.
Ken Rosenthal sort of agreed, but also argues that Reds owner Bob Castellini is getting a reputation for being impatient, unrealistic, and perhaps a bit untrustworthy. Which will make it even harder for the Reds to find good manager. There's a lot of talk about Girardi, but I can't see him taking a job with the Reds when he turned down the Nats and the Orioles. I think he's waiting for the Yankees to call.
The Reds are a mess right now. I expect the fire sale to begin soon. Barring a miracle, I don't see them contending any time soon.
I had such high hopes for them at the beginning of the season, but nothing's turned out like I hoped it would.
