Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Reds will be hosting the 2015 All-Star Game in July, which usually makes for an exciting time for the host city. Unfortunately, the Reds performance on the field has made it hard for Cincinnati residents to get excited about anything baseball related in 2015. Prior to the season, the Reds were expected to contend for at least a wild card spot with the roster general manager Walt Jocketty had constructed. Instead, the club stands at 18-26 the day after Memorial Day, and have lost nine straight contests. Someone needs to be held accountable for the team’s shortcomings and it’s obvious it should be manager Bryan Price.
Besides leading his team to one of the worst records in MLB, Price has also had a profanity-laced tirade towards the media, complete with 77 cuss words, and gotten himself ejected from a game while exchanging lineup cards before the game. I understand that he got ejected for defending his players against, what they thought was, a bad strike-zone the night before, but as the leader of a MLB club, getting ejected for the following game is showing poor leadership and judgment. Protest the league office, talk after the game, or send clips to the commissioner’s office, but you can’t leave your team without a leader before they go into battle. If I were Jocketty, I would’ve fired Price that same day — it’s inexcusable.
The Reds are loaded with talent up and down the lineup, but Price has failed repeatedly to get the best out of his team, which proves he doesn’t have the voice in the clubhouse that’s required to take the team to the next level. In 2014, Price’s first season as the Reds manager, the club finished 76-86, a year removed from the team winning 90 games and making their second straight playoff appearance under former manager, Dusty Baker. Last season should’ve set off alarms for Reds ownership, that Price took essentially the same team from 2013, minus Joey Votto who was injured most of 2014, and led them to a -14 win differential, but they decided to give him a second chance, which I’m sure they regret.
Accountability is the most important ingredient in a good clubhouse and winning team. The players are held responsible for their struggles on and off the field, and the manager has to be treated the same way. Price was the wrong hire in 2014, it’s time to admit it and move on, instead of, continuing to hold out hope that he will eventually turn things around because he has yet to show that ability. If the organization cares about the city of Cincinnati at all, then it’s time to cut bait.
Jason Fletcher is a MLB Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.
