I don’t know that I necessarily agree with this, but Jeff at Redlegs Rundown says that Bronson Arroyo’s contract extension may be the worst move ever made by former GM Wayne Krivsky.
Dick Pole must go? Really? By that logic (ruining Arroyo), he should get a bronze statue for his work with Volquez, a nobody until this season. Let’s place the blame soley where it belongs, Arroyo and the catchers who are calling the pitches. The pitching coach is a small factor in that equation.
Does Dick Pole get the credit for Volquez or does Mario Soto? The Reds opened up that can of worms when Soto was invited to spring training to work with some of the pitchers. While I am not a Bako fan due to his offensive flaws, I don’t think his pitch calling was the problem last night unless he was calling for waist high pitches.
That said, I have heard that Mr. Arroyo is quite the late night party boy. What he does on his own time isn’t anyone else’s concern unless it is a factor in his job performance.
I’ve got to say it wasn’t bad at the time. It was a great value for what Krivsky WAS getting. Can anyone forsee a guy falling about a year later? He had been rather consistant in his season numbers for the Reds and even an All-Star. It’s been an unforseeable meltdown in my opinion. I don’t know why Dick Pole is to blame. That’s like when the Yankees fired their wellness trainer because all their pitchers turned brittle.
I think the real problem is, until Arroyo figures it out(doesn’t seem likely) or is moved what can you do? The most I can see is a bullpen demotion(ala D-Train and Zito) and then call up Josh Fogg. Which turns into a meet the new pitcher, same as the old pitcher.
The Reds NEED Bronson to turn things around fast if they have ANY hope of trading him.
He blows hot and cold. Next time out, he might pitch a three-hitter. I remember when Krivsky picked him up a Red Sox fan posted on a blog that Bronson simply fails to show up every third outing.
Rookie GM mistake. Don’t extend a starting pitcher 1 yr into a 3-yr deal after the pitcher just had a career year. He obviously was back to career norms last year (posting similar WHIP as Belisle) and this year has been Milton-esque. And Arroyo doesn’t start to make the big $$ until next year.
Volquez wasn’t a nobody until this season, he was a top pitching prospect in the Rangers organization who was good enough for a call up to the bigs but suffered with control problems and was in need of a change of scenery. The stuff was always there. Do you really think the Reds would have traded Josh Hamilton for a “nobody”. Mario Soto was brought in specifically to work with Volquez and Cueto through spring training and into the start of the regular season. This is common knowledge and if anyone should be getting a bronze statue for Volquez it should be Soto.
Why is it such a strange concept to hold the coaches accountable? I mean hell, if you’re gonna fire Wayne Krivsky, why not Dick Pole and Brook Jacoby? After all they’re the ones down on the field with the job of -surprise- COACHING the players. Now are MLB players beyond coaching and the coaching jobs merely an opportunity for a few of the managers friends to put on uniforms and cheerlead from the dugout? Maybe….but certainly not at the minor league level where coaches are key to preparing a young player for a possible rise to the bigs.
Saying the pitching coach is a small factor in the pitcher/catcher relationship is to deny the obvious fact that these catchers are constantly looking over to the dugout for direction. Bako maybe not so much but Larue used to do it all the time. Do I blame Dick Pole for Arroyo’s train wreck yesterday. No. That was all JTM.. But do I blame Dick Pole and Brook Jacoby for the overall performance of the Reds? YOU BET! More so than Crusty who just showed up this year. I mean aside from the players, who else CAN you blame? I cant think of one hitter who’s actually improved or even tried changing their approach under the guidance of Jacoby…same old crap over and over and over again…hell Dunn and EE have actually gotten worse. Blame the coaches? Hell yes…this team sucks! Fire everybody!…
I don’t know if Jacoby had anything to do with it, but last year Freel was basicly standing straight up in the batters box and was hitting around .240
This year he is crouching more, bending his legs, and hitting near .300
could be of his own doing tho
Last year was a drop off for Freel so he likely has resorted to something Chambliss had him doing. They should all resort back to what Chambliss had them doing.
2009 stats: Sarasota 2-1 8 Games 8 Games Started 42.1 IP 4.89 ERA 1.44 WHIP
Carolina 3-2 6 Game 6 Game Started 36 2/3 IP 2.95 ERA 1.09 WHIP
Louisville 2-2 5 Game 5 Game Started 29 IP 2.48 ERA 1.21 WHIP
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It sure is looking like a bad signing right now, and I applauded it at the time.
Dick Pole must go!
Dick Pole must go? Really? By that logic (ruining Arroyo), he should get a bronze statue for his work with Volquez, a nobody until this season. Let’s place the blame soley where it belongs, Arroyo and the catchers who are calling the pitches. The pitching coach is a small factor in that equation.
Maybe CP can be the pitching coach?
Does Dick Pole get the credit for Volquez or does Mario Soto? The Reds opened up that can of worms when Soto was invited to spring training to work with some of the pitchers. While I am not a Bako fan due to his offensive flaws, I don’t think his pitch calling was the problem last night unless he was calling for waist high pitches.
That said, I have heard that Mr. Arroyo is quite the late night party boy. What he does on his own time isn’t anyone else’s concern unless it is a factor in his job performance.
I’ve got to say it wasn’t bad at the time. It was a great value for what Krivsky WAS getting. Can anyone forsee a guy falling about a year later? He had been rather consistant in his season numbers for the Reds and even an All-Star. It’s been an unforseeable meltdown in my opinion. I don’t know why Dick Pole is to blame. That’s like when the Yankees fired their wellness trainer because all their pitchers turned brittle.
I think the real problem is, until Arroyo figures it out(doesn’t seem likely) or is moved what can you do? The most I can see is a bullpen demotion(ala D-Train and Zito) and then call up Josh Fogg. Which turns into a meet the new pitcher, same as the old pitcher.
The Reds NEED Bronson to turn things around fast if they have ANY hope of trading him.
He blows hot and cold. Next time out, he might pitch a three-hitter. I remember when Krivsky picked him up a Red Sox fan posted on a blog that Bronson simply fails to show up every third outing.
Was Ruhle or Hume pitching coach at the time when they acquired Arroyo?
I never liked it. (The second half of that post was Chad’s and Bill’s – I pick back up at comments 21-23).
The thing, to me, was that it was unnecessary – Arroyo was already locked up for 3 more years.
Rookie GM mistake. Don’t extend a starting pitcher 1 yr into a 3-yr deal after the pitcher just had a career year. He obviously was back to career norms last year (posting similar WHIP as Belisle) and this year has been Milton-esque. And Arroyo doesn’t start to make the big $$ until next year.
Volquez wasn’t a nobody until this season, he was a top pitching prospect in the Rangers organization who was good enough for a call up to the bigs but suffered with control problems and was in need of a change of scenery. The stuff was always there. Do you really think the Reds would have traded Josh Hamilton for a “nobody”. Mario Soto was brought in specifically to work with Volquez and Cueto through spring training and into the start of the regular season. This is common knowledge and if anyone should be getting a bronze statue for Volquez it should be Soto.
Why is it such a strange concept to hold the coaches accountable? I mean hell, if you’re gonna fire Wayne Krivsky, why not Dick Pole and Brook Jacoby? After all they’re the ones down on the field with the job of -surprise- COACHING the players. Now are MLB players beyond coaching and the coaching jobs merely an opportunity for a few of the managers friends to put on uniforms and cheerlead from the dugout? Maybe….but certainly not at the minor league level where coaches are key to preparing a young player for a possible rise to the bigs.
Saying the pitching coach is a small factor in the pitcher/catcher relationship is to deny the obvious fact that these catchers are constantly looking over to the dugout for direction. Bako maybe not so much but Larue used to do it all the time. Do I blame Dick Pole for Arroyo’s train wreck yesterday. No. That was all JTM.. But do I blame Dick Pole and Brook Jacoby for the overall performance of the Reds? YOU BET! More so than Crusty who just showed up this year. I mean aside from the players, who else CAN you blame? I cant think of one hitter who’s actually improved or even tried changing their approach under the guidance of Jacoby…same old crap over and over and over again…hell Dunn and EE have actually gotten worse. Blame the coaches? Hell yes…this team sucks! Fire everybody!…
Valentin starting at 3B tonight.
Also Crappy Patterson is starting in CF and batting 7th.
To the tune of the TV theme song of Bat Masterson:
He wore a cap and swung a weak bat.
His name was Crap, Crap Patterson.
I don’t know if Jacoby had anything to do with it, but last year Freel was basicly standing straight up in the batters box and was hitting around .240
This year he is crouching more, bending his legs, and hitting near .300
could be of his own doing tho
Last year was a drop off for Freel so he likely has resorted to something Chambliss had him doing. They should all resort back to what Chambliss had them doing.