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From news of the day to news of the weird, John Fay provides a glimpse of what it’s like to cover the Cincinnati Reds

John Fay
John Fay has been the Reds beat writer for the Enquirer since 2001. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles for the Enquirer: backup Reds writer, UC beat writer, backup Bengals writer and as a general assignment reporter. He is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Elder High School and the University of Dayton.

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Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Castellini speaks

Bob Castellini had an impromptu session with beat writers this afternoon. He was asked point blank if GM Wayne Krivsky's job was in trouble.

"No," he said. "He's done a good job."

Other tidbits:

On Krivsky: “Wayne’s a plugger. He keeps at it – a lot of determination.”

On a plan: “I think Wayne is taking a studied approach to it. We’re’ on the same page.

Is he pleased with the job interim manager Pete Mackanin has done? “All of us are. He has a nice way about him. He communicates well with the players.”

On naming a permanent manager: “We’ll take a look at it after the season. Pete’s doing a good job. There’s no sense talking about it now."

He asked me what I thought about the way the club is playing. I said it's easier to play well when the season is lost.

"So you think it's over?" he said.

"If you look at the numbers, yes."

He wasn't ready to concede that.

“If you win two-thirds your games in our division, (it's not)," he said. "There’s a high probability, that you’re right. But there are 50 games to go. Rose-color glasses, no. But you can’t give up. These players haven’t given up. They’re not just playing for individual stats. They’re playing to win.”


35 Comments:

at 5:04 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

A vote of confidence from the owner. Isn't that the kiss of death? One can only hope.

 
at 5:06 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

John,

Does a player have to be on the major league roster in order to be traded via the waiver wire rules?

Thanks!

 
at 5:10 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bob Castellini and the Reds are the best marketing department the Bengals could ask for.

 
at 5:11 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Castellini really thinks Krivsky is doing a good job and that they are on the same page, then this team is doomed! It just goes to show that Castellini is not the man he claimed to be when he took over the leadership of this team. It is clear all he cares about is the bottom line and not winning baseball as he claimed. The Reds are a team of losers from top to the bottom and the future looks very bleak. Shame on Castellini for not being honest with the greatest fans in the world. They deserved much better.

 
at 5:19 PM Blogger John Fay said...

If player's not on the 40-man, the don't have to go through waivers.

 
at 5:28 PM Blogger John Fay said...

By the way, I've been getting some comments that are basically people taking shots at one another. I've stopped posting them.

On posts in general: Try to keep them a reasonable length. Two or three paragraphs in most cases.

 
at 5:42 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some food for thought, where would the Reds be without Krisky? Compare teh good versus the bad. If you look at the numbers I believe he has done an above average job. Sure he has made some bad decisions, but who hasn't? Give the guy a break, maybe there is a long range plan that he following... all I know this team is in a better state than they were 3 years ago from top to bottom...

Adrian

 
at 5:47 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Castellini gave the last manager the vote of confidence too. Krivsky should be fired.

 
at 5:49 PM Blogger Mr. Redlegs said...

At times like these I wish Dan O'Brien were still around so people would realize just how freaking terrible this organization was from top to bottom.

 
at 5:51 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think one thing fans must keep in mind is the shape of the team when Bob and Wayne took over. Too many fans are expecting an immediate turn around. The farm system was shot since the Marge years. Bob is a good owner. He has not thrown money at the mediocre free agents that have been available. Success takes time to grow and no one (Bowden and O'Brien) were taking the time to nurture the farm syste. Patience is a virtue. Reds fans need to practice it given the history of the team over the past two decades.

 
at 5:56 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

To All baseball fans... If you look at the 2006 stats of the players Krivsky signed the basic assumption would be that we have a good ball club. the reason baseball is such a wonderful game is that it isn't predictable. I venture to say that this same club and players would perform a lot better next year. So... let's stop wanting to crucify the management for their moves and allow them to do damage control for a bunch of under achieving millionairs!

 
at 6:13 PM Blogger Unknown said...

It is not about patience. WK is making HORRIBLE personnel decisions in everyone's opinion but his own. John, next time you see Krivsky will you tell him the fans want to know why he is so secret on everyday personnel decisions? Just flat out ask him and see what he says because it is getting really annoying for all of us.

 
at 6:18 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've been reading Reds blogs for a few years now. People always want someone's head - fire Miley, fire O'Brien, fire Gullett, fire Narron, now Krivsky. Its unrelenting.

There are other ways of improving a franchise than landing a head on the floor. From a fan's standpoint, it is better if we play it like the stock market - ignore the little ups and downs, keep thinking long term improvement. That's all Krivsky is doing.

I like the guy, I admit - I like that he's always working, and that lately he's been doing so under some heavy heat.

 
at 6:46 PM Blogger Chris at Redleg Nation said...

Sounds like things are going pretty well.

Who do I call about season tickets?

 
at 6:51 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agree w/ 4:56 Anon ... Wayne is doing his job looking at the whole situation being raked over the coals by bloggers (and writers) that see probably only 50% of the context in which Wayne is making these moves. So, I'm willing to see how this plays out ... obviously the wavier pickup was something that Wayne knew was brewing and it had an influence on the transactions earlier this week.

 
at 8:04 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Castellini made a commitment to changing the team's losing ways, and he basically said he would not accept folks who did not have the same sense of urgency he has. He has not, in my opinion, made good on that commitment. While Castellini is far more of a fan that Lindner ever was, he is first and foremost a highly successful businessman. Attendance has been good, so he has no reason to have a sense of urgency. Krivsky's moronic comments the other day about the indefensible player personnel moves and Castellini's supportive comments and pollyanish view of the team's prospects this year make clear that this team is in serious trouble for years to come.

Hope that's not too long-winded John. Feel free to shorten it if you'd like.

 
at 8:18 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

"By the way, I've been getting some comments that are basically people taking shots at one another. I've stopped posting them." -John Fay

John - as long as we can still take shots at Krivsky we're fine.

 
at 8:21 PM Blogger Don said...

Flash, seven losing seasons is enough. My patience has run thin.

Besides, Castellini set himself up for this saying he wanted to win now. Instead he gives Krivsky just enough money to buy a mediocre SS and an aging bullpen, and then is suprisingly disappointed the Reds are playing better. That doesn't sound like a man who is committed to winning ASAP.

 
at 8:23 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll take half of what Krivsky's making and run the team into the ground much faster than he has...that's the only good job he's done since he's been here.

 
at 8:26 PM Blogger John Fay said...

Good point, Chris. I didn't expect him to say anything differently. But he knows fans aren't happy right now.

To anon, as long as the shots at Krivsky are abot moves he made fire away.

 
at 8:39 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting interview. Glad I read it. Now I know for sure I won't waste any of my money going to see the Reds anymore this year or probably next. I'll wait for Lindner to sell the team before I go again.

 
at 8:54 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised anymore by anthing that anyone with this franchise has to say from here on in. It's interesting to go back and reread the quotes from Castinelli's very first press conference. He pulled the wool over all of us and shame on him. We deserve better than this.

 
at 9:03 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

John,

If Bob Castellinni and Wayne Krivsky are on the same page, this team is in trouble for YEARS to come.

Did any writers press him on why Todd Coffey with a 10+ ERA is still on this roster and Jon Coutlangus who arguably is the third best pitcher on this team in in the minors?

Sorry, but they are idiots and I will never go to another game until something drastic changes

 
at 9:29 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

There once was an owner named Casti
Who hired a spendthrift name Krivsky
To all the good fans
He said here are my plans!
We'll build a big castoff dynasty!

There once was a GM named Wayne
Who thought it was part of the game
To employ all the old
The fat, and oft-sold
To drive Cincy fans quite insane!

 
at 9:36 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

For everyone who says that Castellini and Krivsky inherited such a horrible club, let's not forget two things: (1) the Reds were an offensive juggernaut until Krivsky traded Lopez and Kearns for two middle inning relievers who make Stanton look like Mariano Rivera, and (2) the Reds just missed making the playoffs last year, and probably would have made it if they had gotten a little help at the deadline. Although Krivsky has made several excellent personnel moves (acquiring Phillips, Ross, Burton, and others) his unwillingness to candidly accept blame for his mistakes, and his inexplicable inability (or unwillingness) to articulate his vision, even at 30,000 feet, or to make any effort whatsoever to relate to the fans is simply pathetic. How hard can it be to hire a spokesman to handle the softballs he constantly fields?

 
at 10:29 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rheal Cormier...signed long term
Todd Coffey...extension w/ raise
Stanton...sealed through 2009

Phillips..."not a thing"

 
at 10:35 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just got in from tonight's game - this is why the Reds are just maddening!!! We beat the Dodgers - a team with some great bats and pitching 4-0 and now 1-0 and yet we get creamed by the Nationals.
You have to wonder what is going through the heads of everyone in the org.
We all know we need to blow up the bullpen and start over there - and keep Weathers as he has really gotten much better as a closer. We can turn blue in the face about how we leave too many on base, but don't most teams? I think it is the attitude of the Reds. I think the culture of losing, especially in the later innings, has hit them hard like it would for an office worker or a factory worker knowing they were losing their jobs or money.
The Reds I saw the past two nights played an amazing defensive game (how about Brandon's double play???) and their star pitchers have come through.
Yes, this team has problems. As fans, we have no idea, except what we read from John, about what is next for the team. However, with the potential of the young guns in Louisville and here in Cincinnati combined with keeping Dunn and Griffey for another year, we can and will compete next year. Just redo the bullpen...PLEASE!!!

John - there's no reason for people to attack each other in a blog when all we want to do is talk Reds and get your input. It seems that you give us more about the Reds than any other source we have! A lot of us have been Reds fans since we could walk and the past few years have just torn us up. We don't have to be and act "small market" (check out the size of Saint Louis) when we can sell out GABP with a winning team.
This is probably too long, but think about what Cleveland and Baltimore did when they had extra money - they had winning teams and playoff visits. That was supposed to be us - that can be us - we just need a new attitude this offseason.

 
at 11:44 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks John, you post the shots at me, then censor my responses.

Niiiiiiiiiiiace!

 
at 12:01 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Unlike some other bloggers, I admit that, even having followed baseball for 62 years, I know much less than a professional baseball exec. However, I do know that it takes from three to five years to turn a business around. WK and BC may be failing to do their jobs well, but nonexperts can't know that. (I'm wondering about the credentials of some of the strident bloggers.) We will all know much better in two or three years, and, if the critics are right, we can support changes then. For better or worse, we can't know until then.

 
at 1:29 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since July 1st the Reds have overtaken 1 team in the NLC standings. At their current pace the Reds should move into 4th place by the middle of September. Don't insult our intelligence Mr. Castellini.

 
at 4:43 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Don't know if anybody was paying attention last night, but down on the farm Bruce, Votto, and Hamilton each had a hit a piece and Cantu had 2(his minor league average has gone from .255 to .281 since joining Louisville, which means Mark Bellhorn should try to find a new team). Coutlangus got ROCKED giving up 5 ER w/o recording an out, including 2 HR, while EZ Ramirez gave up 6 ER in 4 and 2/3. As long as Coffey goes down today Krivsky all the sudden looks a lot smarter.

 
at 7:11 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope Castellini was not being serious...if so this franchise has serious problems. For some reason, I feel like we are sorta like pre -marvin Bengals. Oh well..

I think people that feel that this team has great potential because of a decent game or two .. every now and then should calm down.. We have been through this before... now with three imterim managers .

It is far more than the bullpen with this team

these blogs have been fun...Thanks John.. Did you keep a straight face when Castellini made his comments by the way?

 
at 7:33 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

John.. i dont think anyone is trying to cream another blogger..perhaps its just emotion and frustration.

the only thing i dont get is this...

This team has been so bad for so long.... I don't understand how anyone could have false hope or suggest we "are close". That amazes me!

We have gone through this interim manager "elation" now three times ..what in the last five years..its getting old

Perhaps when fans stop going to the ballpark and Catellini feels it in the pocketbook... he will make some definitive changes

 
at 9:54 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you read the blog here this summer what it LOOKS like is that a "group" (probably all the same) of posters thought they could make me shut up and ideally, go away, by getting personal; straying WILDLY from merely pointing out errors in or disagreements with my criticism of the Reds.

After it became clear that I not only would not back down but would actually respond more forcefully (and frequently and with greater humor and more precision than "they" could manage) that all of a sudden, posts that are "basically taking shots at people" are banned! This after dozens of posts where the major if not sole theme was hurling personal insults at me.

It was only when I RETALIATED SUCCESSFULLY that suddenly, it's not okay to "get personal."

Yet the result is that I get censored while the insulters' posts are now allowed to remain.

For a fairly long time it was acceptable that people were saying vile personal things about me. Only when I returned the favor did censorship come.

I called Narron a "dummy" and was told by Fay to either stop it or stop posting (be banned from here). But after that, I was called far worse than "dummy" FOR MONTHS on here, and apparently that was just fine!

Don't pretend it's just about "fairness" or staying topical. For awhile, at least, it's ALSO about "putting me in my place" which was aided and abetted with no thought about fairnes or topicality at all!

What's behind all this? Maybe Castellini or Krivsky called John Fay and "turned some screws" recently because I've advocated that they both leave town, given the direction of the team.

A new win streak, suddenly refreshed morale, and some gems (Phillips's play in the 9th yesterday was a masterpiece) and the Reds being "only" 10 games out of first place in the division are once again skewing "reality" somewhat--making Castellini and Krivsky look the way they did before last season's late meltdown--promising, if not quite yet successful.

What if the Reds win 13 of 14 a la The Bronx is Burning Yankees of 1977? Then, even I would have a hard time disliking the GM and the Owner's professional moves!

But unfortunately, the Reds won't be playing worse teams (Pirates) or catching teams in a temporary lifeless phase (Dodgers) for long...

Chances are very good that the "real" Reds will come out during the Padres series, if not today (too), losing will return, the real lack of quality on the mound after Harang (and increasingly Burton) will once again, as it almost always does in baseball, return to a "baseline." Yet they will play the games and anything can happen, from 0-10 to 10-0 in the near term. That is one reason why hot stove leaguing is so popular--as one poster pointed out, the stats and the results sometimes don't even match, such as the team with the most HRs in the National League (the Reds) having for a while the worst record.

Anyway, on PAPER, and statistically-speaking, it remains self-evident that the Reds are one of the worst six teams in the Majors, and while it's unfair to expect "instant miracles" from "above" (the front office), this organization, in some ways, is a mess (or so it appears to outsiders) and no public attempt to either correct that or fix that has been made; if it weren't such a mess, we'd have a Jose Reyes or Hanley Ramirez right now, and we would NOT go around Hoovering up stray cast-off players whether they "fit" or not, while keeping ridiculously inconsistent, if not inept, pitchers on the ML roster.

Despite Cantu, Phillips, and Hamilton the overall direction under Krivsky is scattershot (Ellison proves that as if the prior dozen moves apart from Cantu did not) and down (see the team's record).

Castellini "supports" not only Krivsky but implicitly the "direction." Winning streaks create the illusion that the direction is good.

In my opinion, from what little I know, and from all I can observe and analyze, the direction is not good. There's little reason to think the Reds will have better pitching next year and they are only one set of back spasms away from having baseballs worst starting rotation (subtract Harang and you essentially have a Double-A ball set of starters complimenting Arroyo).

This isn't and should not be an all-fact or an all-praise blog. But some fairness would be refreshing. Either ban (and remove) all personal attacks or let them all in. Either ban criticism of C & K & Mack or let it all in. If you pick and choose, then you don't have a blog, you have an Enquirer!

I'm quite sure that the #1 reason the old personal attacks will remain in print is because you enjoyed reading and allowing them in. I bet you howled at the Chris Hansen dig! I wouldn't be surprised if people YOU PERSONALLY KNOW, Mr. Fay, posted those things! I'm quite sure you and "Mr. Redlegs" are acquainted in real life.

 
at 10:16 AM Blogger John Fay said...

Jared: Relax. I said yesterday that I've stopped posting comments with personal shots. And I have -- at you or anyone else. I don't moderate every comment on here. So if something has slipped by, I'm sorry.

Castellini and Krivsky don't read the blog. If they did, they wouldn't try to turn the screws.

I don't know anyone who posts on this blog other than one guy I happened to meet at spring training.

Finally, try to keep your posts a shorter.

 
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