Post by king on Nov 11, 2008 19:23:40 GMT -5
By: Buster Olney
The 52-65 Cincinnati Reds have finally decided that the time for change was now, as they fire 69 year old manager Jack McKeon, ending a season full of movement, but little results. This move comes at the end of a 5-15 streak, as the Reds sink to 5th place in the NL central, and way out of the Division and Wild Card. GM Derrick William Ross, speaking at the press conference to introduce new GM Joe Morgan, had the following to say about the move:
"Look, my goal as GM is to make the Reds a competitive franchise, and I decided that though he (McKeon) is a good manager who works well with the players, the results are not to the standards set by this great franchise. So, with all respect to Jack, I saw need for a change. Joe [Morgan] is a HoF, who truly represents the greatest part of Reds history, and whose knowledge of baseball is second to none. I see him picking up were Jack left off and providing the team with the guidance to succeed. I also see the team working well with Joe, as Ken (Griffy Jr.) had his father play with Morgan, and newly acquired Super Star Manny Ramirez, who has only play 13 games, would certainly respect the veteran Morgan, as he played the same game at such a high level. If anything, Joe's presence on the team should be the type of presence the team has somewhat lacked, outside of a few choice veterans who remain."
Joe McKeon (301-303) was informed of the move late Sunday afternoon after another crushing loss. He spoke earlier today in a surprising calm voice, saying:
"Oh well, that's life. I got dealt a bad hand and now I get fired. But, I have no problem with the job that I have done here in Cincinnati. I can confidently say that I have left the team better then when I received it. Thats all I got to say."
New managers Joe Morgan, however, spoke in a similar calm voice, as the reports listen respectfully to his words. Morgan (64) is one of the most recognizable faces in Reds history. He spent 7 years with the Reds, was voted into 10 All Star games (7 with the Reds), 2 W.S. with the Reds, and 2 M.V.P. awards with the Reds, who was elected to the HoF in 1980. Morgan respectfully quit his job as a baseball analyst for NBC sports to take over the Reds. Joe spoke the following at the news conference:
"Well, I gladly accept this honor that has been offer to me by D.W., enjoying the opportunity to give back to the team who I played for so many years ago. The Reds are going through a rough patch right now, but I believe that with a good deal of work and effort, we can turn things around. Even in the days of the big red machine, things were never easy. But, with the combined effort of every man on the club, we became more then a group of men, we became a force in baseball. I was one of the guys that did all they could to win, and I expect that from everybody on this team, whether you are Ken Griffy Jr. or the bat boy! I promise to do everything I can to direct this team in a winning direction. Finally I wanna say: no. No, I don't want you to draw any conclusion. I want you to listen to what I just said. Effort and production will be the backbone of this Reds team, Mr. Ross' Reds, the players Reds, and my Reds."
With that, a new era in Reds history is welcome. The Reds will hope to emulate the success of Division Rival the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had not too long ago fired there GM and replaced him with a HoF. One thing is for certain, however, these are not your usual Reds anymore.
Buster Olney is a baseball writer for Espn.com and a guest writer for MLB.com