Comments on: Reds hire Bryan Price to be pitching coach

By: Greggo

Greggo — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:41:25 +0000

Seattle Mariners fan just found out where Bryan Price landed after AZ. The 2001 M’s won 116 games without Griffey, A-rod, or Randy. The infield was all new and we had a 160 lb Japanese outfielder nobody ever heard of. Nobody today can name the five starter and the relief corps. Coming out of spring training the M’s were picked to the the worst team in baseball. Then they went and won 10 straight to start the season and never looked back. They maybe lost ONE series all year long and the starting five NEVER missed a turn in the rotation–another record. That was Bryan Price’s first year as the M’s pitching coach. It wasn’t Ichiro, it was Bryan Price, and Piniella. The city of Seattle still has a love affair with both of them and they’d get the key to the city anytime they’d want it. Take it from me, the Reds will respond to Price. I’m still a Reds fan from when Pinson and Coleman played for a while in AAA in Seattle a long time ago. You will like Price.

By: SC-IL

SC-IL — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:39:14 +0000

It’s real easy for anyone to feel like they have some grasp of MLB game w/ all the stats and interviews that are available to the public…truly it takes a special & passionate person to do this job as a Professional Baseball Coach. Ted has a very good reputation w/his pitchers and the organization as well.

Price seems to be a pretty good choice based upon his experience and resume. I am all good w/ this decision.

However, I’m not good w/ someone who says that Ted Power is a “AAA mope” or a “sucky” coach, whoever you are, you truly have zero grasp of baseball and doesn’t Respect the Game. I have worked on the player development side for a couple of MLB teams & the REDS are one of them. I have had the pleasure of working w/ Ted Power on a daily basis and learning quite a bit from TP. I am sorry he didn’t get the job, but hope that Price pans out so the REDS & their fans can enjoy getting back to the playoffs.

I hope in a selfish way that TP hangs around long enough to get to the REDS pitching coach position, but if he doesn’t it will be some other team’s gain.

By: jason1972

jason1972 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:44:15 +0000

brublejr: Going back and looking at some of the teams he was coaching, he really didn’t work with that many young guys.Many of the young guys he did work with regressed during his time.With Seattle he worked with: Meche Garcia PineiroAll of whom regressed over a three year period.With Arizona: Valverde Cruz Lyon PenaCruz and Valverde improved, but Lyon and Pena regressed.I’m not saying he isn’t capable of doing a good job, I’m just not overly optimistic at this point.Maybe this could be our next poll question…who should have been hired, Price, Power, Soto, or Other.Duncan really had no intention of coming to Cincinnati anyways.

It's not exactly a ringing endorsement. The decision making seems about as sound as hiring Dusty Baker though, so at least it's par for the course. Hey, I bet he never played with Hank Aaron. Meh.

By: Steve Price

Steve Price — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:50:15 +0000

Ironically…a few years back Baseball Prospectus wrote a story on the Reds about how they were adopting sabermetrics…this was before Wayne Krivsky became GM…in fact, I believe it was the sabermetric group of “assistant GMs” that traded for Aaron Harang.

Then they were gone…

By: Doug Gray

Doug Gray — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:24:12 +0000

@jason1972: Trust me, the Reds aren't being run by 'stats nerds'. Otherwise we never would have sniffed guys like Corey Patterson, Willy Taveras or Alex Gonzalez. Instead, we have had guys stuck in the 1970's making baseball decisions for our team and THAT is one of the reasons why we have not sniffed the post season since 1999. But you can just ignore facts if you want. Just expect to be called out on them when you do.

By: jason1972

jason1972 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:59:28 +0000

doktor: @Mr. Redlegs: ok, you say the Reds organization is so smart for hiring Bryan Price.However, if Powers is such a sucky pitching coach at AAA as I gather you are implying in your thread then why is this same Reds organzation so stupid for keeping Powers around for 4 years.Hal McCoy reported in his articles that Powers was “an-up-and-comer” and “highly praised by by the pitchers from Louisville” http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/cincinnati-reds/could-power-be-the-next-reds-pitching-coach-328958.html?cxtype=ynews_rssquote from Walt, “The Reds GM said he likes the way Power is able to “finish off” young pitchers as they make their way toward the big leagues and put “back on track” those big-leaguers who are sent down. Jocketty said he is hopeful that if Power isn’t offered a major-league job elsewhere, he will stay with the Reds.”so it would seem people with contacts with the reds report Power is very able in his job and good enough the reds would not want to lose him and is not “some mope in AAA.”

The Reds will now most likely lose this talent. This is why Cincinnati hasn't sniffed the post season in over a decade. The organization might as well be run by blog fanboys and stats nerds for all the decision making ability they have.

By: Drew Nelson

Drew Nelson — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:51:17 +0000

Maybe the Reds believe Power is more valuable to them down working with the young pitchers then he would be working on the major league level. I believe there is more “teaching” that goes on in the minor league level and maybe that is where Ted is very good.

By: doktor

doktor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:51:31 +0000

@Mr. Redlegs: ok, you say the Reds organization is so smart for hiring Bryan Price. However, if Powers is such a sucky pitching coach at AAA as I gather you are implying in your thread then why is this same Reds organzation so stupid for keeping Powers around for 4 years.

Hal McCoy reported in his articles that Powers was “an-up-and-comer” and “highly praised by by the pitchers from Louisville”
http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/cincinnati-reds/could-power-be-the-next-reds-pitching-coach-328958.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

quote from Walt, “The Reds GM said he likes the way Power is able to “finish off” young pitchers as they make their way toward the big leagues and put “back on track” those big-leaguers who are sent down. Jocketty said he is hopeful that if Power isn’t offered a major-league job elsewhere, he will stay with the Reds.”

so it would seem people with contacts with the reds report Power is very able in his job and good enough the reds would not want to lose him and is not “some mope in AAA.”

By: nllspc

nllspc — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:00:18 +0000

I think this jason guy is just talking nonsense to get a rise out of ppl here.

jason1972: There were awesome choices out there like Mario Soto and Ted Powers, either of whom would have been superior candidates.

i mean come on,"awesome", "superior" lol.

By: Doug Gray

Doug Gray — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:15:02 +0000

Jason1972,
Soto was not going to take the job. He really doesn’t want to be tied down and unable to go home during the season. It simply wasn’t going to happen. He really likes his roving abilities because it allows more freedom, where as a MLB pitching coach (or even minor league one for that matter) wouldn’t allow that.

Also, what season with Price are you talking about being fluke? Was it 2001 when his team had a 118 ERA+? Or was it 2003 when his team had a 114 ERA+? Or was it 2007 when his team had a 114 ERA+? Or maybe you meant it was 2008 when his team had a 115 ERA+? For the record, 100 is league average. 110 is usually good enough to be one of the best 5 in the league. So which season was the fluke? Why was it a fluke?

By: Paul71

Paul71 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:42:20 +0000

After looking through some articles on web search it looks like Price and Rick Peterson were the top candidates out there. Looks like there’s a good chance Peterson will end up a Brewer as he has already been interviewed and he has a prior connection to Macha. The only other name I saw mentioned was Hernandez who was the bullpen coach for the Indians this past season. So if you just go by the top names on everyones list, the Reds got one of the top two.
As far as Soto, he has never had an interest in being a coach. I recall a conversation on the radio last year (when Soto was teaching Volquez & Cueto his changeup) about Soto becoming a coach. It was said then that he had things keeping him busy back home and he wasn’t interested in being tied down and all the traveling.
As for Power, there has been a lot of good talk about his work with the young pitchers in the minors. Can’t say if thats true or not because I’m not there, but if its true it might be a good thing that he stays there to work with Woods, Leake, Boxberger, Thompson, and others.

By: David

David — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:32:10 +0000

I just want to reiterate that Price may be very good in the long run, I just have no idea. Mr. Redlegs, that was really my point. It wasn’t to be overly critical of your opinion and I hope it didn’t come off that way.

Power may not have been the best choice for the simple reason that Cueto and Bailey have already been handled under Power. They may need someone to point out differences that Power hadn’t noticed i.e. the new voice theory.

I don’t think Price will have any authority as far as organizational philosophy. Baker and Jocketty both strike me as the type that want mediocre people working around them so they appear to be smarter than they are.

By: Drew Nelson

Drew Nelson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:04:59 +0000

Why would Ted Power make a great major league pitching coach? Why would Mario Soto been a great choice? Those here who have advocated those two have done so without reason why? So why were they better choices?

By: chris

chris — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:26:17 +0000

Reds fans are like everyone else,in that they often overrate internal alternatives, be it Oester, Miley, Hanigan, Soto, or Power. The reds don’t pay so much that they’re stockpiling coaches that could work in the bigs elsewhere. Power may be capable, but I’ve seen no reason to believe so with confidence.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:01:38 +0000

I hope that “keeping pitchers healthy” is one of his main priorities! (I sure hope the Reds brass had the good sense to discuss that with him rather than just accepting that injuries are “dumb luck” that no one has any control over…)