An hour before Friday night’s game in Los Angeles the Cincinnati Reds announced that they had extended manager David Bell through the 2026 season. He was in the final year of his contract, signed after the 2021 season. He originally took the Reds job after the 2018 season.
In his first season as manager, Bell and the Reds finished 75-87. The next season was the shortened 2020 campaign that saw Cincinnati post a winning record of 31-29. They would make the expanded playoffs that season but lose both games to Atlanta. In 2021 the team had another winning record, but finished third in the division at 83-79. With Cincinnati going into rebuild mode and trading away anything and everything that they could between spring training and the trade deadline, the club finished 62-100 – one of the worst records in franchise history. This season, the team is in playoff contention despite being picked to finish last in the division by most prior to the year.
Entering tonight’s contest against the Dodgers, the Reds are 56-48, and in second place in the division. That puts them one-and-a-half games behind Milwaukee in the division. It would have them tied for the second wild card spot with the Philadelphia Phillies, and a half-game behind San Francisco for the first wild card spot.
Here’s the full press release from the club:
The Cincinnati Reds and field manager David Bell have agreed to a 3-year contract extension through the 2026 season.
Bell, 50, in October 2018 was signed to a 3-year contract through the 2021 season, with a club option for 2022, to become the 63rd field manager in club history and the 53rd since 1900. On September 22, 2021, the club announced a 2-year contract extension through 2023.
The Reds went 203-283 (.418) in the 3 seasons prior to Bell’s hiring and 307-343 (.472) with a 2020 Postseason appearance in 5 seasons since then. This year, the Reds are trying to become the first team in Major League history to win a division championship after losing at least 100 games the season before. At 56-48, they trail the first-place Milwaukee Brewers by 1.5 games in the NL Central but currently are in a position to advance to the Postseason as 1 of 3 Wild Card teams.
In 2020 and 2021, the Reds produced winning records in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-2013. Bell’s 2020 Reds went 31-29 during a season abbreviated by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and earned their first Postseason berth since 2013. He received a pair of third-place votes and finished ninth in the 2020 National League Manager of the Year Award voting of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Bell and his father, former infielder and front office executive Buddy, are 1 of 5 father-son duos to serve as Major League managers, joining George & Dick Sisler, Bob & Joel Skinner, Bob & Aaron Boone and Felipe Alou & Luis Rojas. Buddy Bell managed the Detroit Tigers (1996-1998), Colorado Rockies (2000-2002) and Kansas City Royals (2005-2007).
The Bells are one of Major League Baseball’s five 3-generation families, along with the Boones, Colemans, Hairstons and Schofield/Werths. Reds Hall of Famer Gus Bell is Buddy’s father and David’s grandfather. David’s brothers, Mike and Rick, also played professional baseball. Mike made 19 appearances for the Reds in 2000.
David Bell was born in and grew up in Cincinnati. He helped lead Moeller High School to the 1989 state baseball championship.
I don’t understand this move at all. Bell hasn’t earned a 3 year extension. This season should have earned him another year to prove he can keep it up. Not a good move at all.
I agree. I think he should have gotten a one-year extension. Don’t blame Krall for this. I have a feeling that the owner made this determination..
I agree, west larry. This seems like something they would pull.
It’s a great move! Dude has this young team playing like he’s feeding them raw meat.
Only time will tell if this is a good move or not, but rest assured that Bell could deliver multiple Championships and even an undefeated season, and most on this forum would ridicule his every move. Just how it goes.
To me, this doesn’t move the needle for me. Until they add another arm or two, whomever is managing, is going to be hindered.
Bell celebrates an extension by mismanaging his entire pitching staff and very near leading the team from victory to defeat. Ugh…three more years of this. Disheartening!!
The players seem to love the man and he’s earned an extension, I suppose. But please, someone, have him hire a special coach in charge of lineups. (:
Has one Jeff Pickler
MK,do you know why parks and the daytin manager were ejected tonight with out getting an out even?
Parks hit the first batter with his first pitch. The umpires got together and ejected him for it. It was insane.
The first pitch? Was there a brawl yesterday in the game or something? Some past baggage?
I agree Mr Franklin I think.
Love you Doug!
On Bell’s deal
My opinion of Krall was improving greatly. The key word being WAS. Still a Reds fan Bell or not. That doesn’t mean that if a new owner comes in somehow that he won’t want his own leadership anyway.
Nearly everything Nick Krall has touched has turned to gold. I’m not a big believer in contradictions. This looks like a bonehead Castellini move. They had to meddle it was bound to happen. This was not a smart baseball move. They should have let the season play out given Bell’s history. God help us.
With Buddy Bell gone I don’t thing we’re “STUCK” like we were before.
Ok going to say this right now. Not really happy about this, but I will be honest about a few things.
1. Bell has handled the pitching a little better this season but not a strong area for him for sure. I still don’t get why he pulls guys after 2/3 innings when they are pitching fine. 5 and 2/3 or 6 and 2/3 innings I mean. Let the relievers go more than an inning if they are doing fine. Hopefully he will continue to move in the right direction on this in the future.
2. Not everyone has to play every day or every other day. If someone is hot hitting let them hit no matter who is pitching.
3. Don’t rely so much on matchups. Yes, it’s ok to do it sometimes but not all the time. Let guys play so they can hit both handed pitchers at least fairly well.
4. Speak with some excitement in your voice. Bring some energy. The monotone interviews are so hard to watch.
Lastly, just want to say this is not the worst thing in the world to happen. There are worse people who could be manager even currently on MLB teams and around the Reds.
We better make the playoffs now. The only good thing about thinking we would stink this year, was knowing that Bell wouldn’t get an extension. Worst case scenario is not making the playoffs and 3 more years of Bell.
Well. Krall has shown the willingness to dump Akiyama and Moose if need be so…..
This x million.
This has to be good for Doug, this site traffic. I’ve seen more good than bad from Bell this year, and overall the manager is only as good as his players.
Looking at the live numbers now, and it’s solid, but nothing outrageous. We’ll see if it picks up.
The good news for you is that I’ll probably continue complaining about his mistakes. Between all those complaints and all the people determined to defend everything he does, there’s going to be plenty of traffic for three years.
Doug wouldn’t have cause to worry if they hadn’t extended Bell: the new guy would get a (probably) brief honeymoon followed by growing criticism. I’m mystified that the Reds didn’t consult the ardent RLN commenters before making this decision. Of course, maybe they did but chose to ignore it.
Congratulations to David
Exactly.
Seems like a solid guy. Best of luck to him and the team
Stink. Fish. Pot!!!
Mark.. I have heard that saying before, please explain. Thank you. 🙂
I think it’s from M*A*S*H.
CI3J is correct. It’s an old line from M*A*S*H. I believe Frank Burns was the one who said it. In disgust, of course.
Plus, all those words get through Doug’s swearing filter … 😀
Which character was Burns, the kiss-ass Puritan?
My saying is poopsicle:(
Guess I should stay awake tonight to keep up on the comment thread
Bell is quite possibly the most boring public speaker I have ever seen.
Does that matter though? I’m genuinely not sure. The players do seem to speak highly of him.
Who cares about his public speaking? There are countless winning coaches in MLB history that lack oratory skills.
In football, is Bill Belichek compensated for winning or for his sparkling personality?
You get paid to win, and Bell has won with limited resources.
I see your point. But David Bell is no Bill Belichick.
No, he isn’t. Different sport. And Bell probably doesn’t cheat.
And Belichick is proving to be average to below-average coach without Brady. He caught lightning in a bottle, for like what, 16 years or something? Patriots were mediocre before and after Brady. Belichick is actually on the hot seat per some reports. How the owner feels, that may be a different story.
So, Bell can be an HOF manager if the Reds have HOF players, like two ACES and good hitting and bullpen. Or Bell could be what he’s been, uninspiring and frustratingly strange in lineup/bullpen decisions.
Two years ago, they waited for the 75% or so chance to make the playoffs until the collapse made that not possible before an announcement by Bell himself for the extension. This year, at a critical point of the season, when the Brew Crew embarrassed the vaunted offense and maybe put some doubt into the young gun’s potential, they move ahead with Bell in a great confidence move.
The continued steady progress made by Fraley, Friedl, and Steer plus the off the charts debut performances by EDLC, Abbott and McClain is pretty much the whole deal why this team is in the position they are in.
I can’t determine to what extent Bell deserves credit for these very talented players but Krall and a legion of coaches is certainly front and center in making those things happen. Other than that, I cannot fathom how they view Bell as a “winner” as the starts, finishes, and performance in close games dictate otherwise. I could go on to several other points but have no reason to pile on and just hope that a late season collapse won’t repeat itself. (Even in last year’s hopeless campaign, I believe they lost 20 of 26 to end it). Is it real or just a bit of magic for a .500 team to be?
You raise some valid points.
Unreal decision. Makes zero sense to extend him for three years. One year would have been one too many.
Realistically, this was going to happen. And I’ve been saying all along that David Bell has a job as long as he wants one. I was hoping against hope that maybe they let the season play out and if the team does crash and burn then maybe just maybe there might be a change. I’m praying that this was a Nick Krall’s decision and at least I could have some confidence it was based incompetency.
Let’s go Reds!!
Based in competency….
David Bell doesn’t bother me one bit. Never has.
The Reds got exactly what they wanted, a Cardinals type of manager.
My issue has always been with ownership, because, you know, ‘where else are we gonna go?’
Krall and the staff have earned every bit of respect they’ve gotten (and I certainly torched him early on for his leadership skills).
When did you stop watching games? 😉
Haha. I just watch the players. It’s healthier.
Who didnt see this coming? Bell is a legacy guy and reds having a good year and suddenly heading south ???? Marketing people said do it now. 3 years is ridiculous but The whole buddy bell Drama obviously made big Bob Shut down that narrative. Reds are having a great year compared to March 2023 so it makes sense Reds ownership and marketing do what they want to do before things could get worse
Meh. Neither thrilled nor dismayed. But I will say: given the youth of this team and position we’re currently in — can’t we do better??? Could not this decision — like possibly trading assets such as India — have waited until the offseason? Is Bell the one to lead this team to the next level? Not so sure, myself. Again, can’t we do better?
I don’t know how much Bell’s going to make over the term of the contract, but if the fans keep coming and the Reds revenue stays way up compared to what it’s been, then I would expect the Reds would eat the contract even as soon as next year if it turns into a dumpster fire. I don’t think they’re going to just piss away the next 2+ years with this great nucleus of rookies… when they finally have the fans back for the first time in a very long time. The reality is Bell hasn’t really done anything in 5 years other than keep his mouth shut working for a cheap owner and an organization that had kept screwing things up for a long time…which is why many are against this contract. However, this is a brave new world for the hometown team Redlegs.
It’s a completely different thing to manage when there are no expectations of winning, but once you have crossed that threshold and expectations are now entrenched for postseason ball everything changes. I really don’t think they will be as cheap or as hesitant to move on from Bell fairly quickly knowing what the fan backlash would cost them at the gate if fan apathy sets in again due to our fears being realized. They already know what that looks the last decade and I don’t believe they want to go down that road again. They’ve got so much good karma going on throughout the organization and the fanbase why would you risk all of that just to avoid admitting the mistake. They know what a long road it’s been getting the fans back. We don’t know the reason behing the extension, but I have a feeling being raised in Cincinnati and a 3rd generation Bell in MLB has something to do with the 3 yr. extension versus one. And if he does turn out to be a really good manager and does great things in the postseason then myself and many others will be on here admitting we were wrong and happy as hell to do so.
Yeah, part of me wonders, could a more fiery guy get them over the hump? The 1990 Reds would have been a nothing-burger, but Pinella seemed to really get them focused and in a positive mindset. Had they run out a Reds re-tread at MGR, that year would not have happened.
Of course, you know what you have in Bell, and I bet ownership likes that he’s kind of controllable, fairly easy to manipulate. You get a fiery manager and maybe they’re too headstrong to control, for worse or for better.
I would have liked to have gambled on a more motivating coach, but I am not in the locker room, training room, etc. Maybe Bell is a very good MGR in respect to handling younger players and keeping them on an even keel, as opposed to laying in to them after every mistake.
I’m sure I will be in the minority but I support this move. Years ago when they hired Dick Williams, I believed that it was time to stick with a leadership group for awhile. There had been too much turnover in the field management and player development. As long as the leaders aren’t incompetent, the organization needed some consistency. 8 managers in the past 20 years is no way to groom and develop players.
Anyone can see that player development has turned a corner. Hitting has drastically improved and pitching is starting to. We went about a decade between home-grown, major league average or better starting pitchers (Cueto to Mahle).
It is clear that Nick Krall and David Bell work well together. DJ and David Bell are connected. The players bust their tails for David Bell. The current coaching staff seems much more about development than previous ones. No, I wouldn’t label him a great in-game manager. But starting over this far into the rebuild seems like a very risky choice (unless Craig Counsel was available!).
You raise some interesting points. Counsel, I believe, will be a “free agent” himself after 2023. Hmmmmm.
Counsel really bought into Sabremetrics, or advanced metrics (whatever you want to label it) after interviewing for the manager job with Tampa Bay (he wasn’t hired). But he was terribly impressed with how they got things done.
Tampa Bay has a lot to recommend itself as a well- managed franchise, but they do the things they do, they way they do them, because of their limited resources.
There are, as they say, other ways to “skin a cat”. Right now, after a brilliant start, the Tampa Bay Rays are coming back to earth, and are now behind the Baltimore Orioles in the Eastern Division standings.
And the Yankees are in last place. And in the National League East, the Mets are in next to last place. The Cardinalts are in LAST PLACE in the NL Central.
So…..what did those big budgets actually buy? It fascinates me to no end that Cashman is still the GM for the Yankees. If you want a picture of true baseball incompetence….there it is.
David Bell is small beans compared to that guy, regardless of what all you guys say.
And yes, David Bell is not a terrible human being. He is an adequate ML manager, and it does seem as if the players do like him and play hard for him. But this is likely a Castellini/management group move….giving him a three year extension.
WHY? I’m not mad at him, and would not fire him, even if the Reds would collapse down the stretch. Just seems to show a bit of inflexibility. Were the Phillies or Cardinals about to hire him away?
Walter Alston survived decades with the Dodgers on 1 year contracts.
This is one aspect of this extension than I am on board with. I think he’s got a really good group of coaches in the dugout with him and from what we can tell from the outsude looking in he and Krall work well together. Usually when a new manager comes in he wants to bring his guys with him and that could be a tough transition. As long as ownership is willing to eat the contract if things go south then I’m not that worried about this. And I think they would if for no other reason they know it would cost them money over the long run if they keep him managing a train wreck and the fan stop coming. What’s done is done, so at this point I’m going to hope my gut feeling about Bell being capable of ever taking this team deep into the post-season are wrong.
Three years? Why? MAYBE one. I just don’t see it.
It’s got to be the turn around this season, and the buddy system. Bell is in with the management group.
It undoubtedly helps when the manager’s family is well known and respected in the location where he has his job. Some would call it nepotism.
This doesn’t bother me at all. Wins and losses are determined by the players and how well they execute, not the manager. Basically, how much talent a team has. He fights for his players and that’s the most important thing.
If that were really true then it would literally never matter who the manager or coach of any team was. I’m not sure if you really believe that? It’s definitely an interesting view, but if you take that out all the way to it’s logical conclusion as a sports fan in relation all the teams you’ve ever rooted for in the past I assume there were definitely some very good managers/coaches and some bad ones. Just guessing their leadership and coaching or lack thereof led directly to their teams being good or bad… winning championships or not. And if that’s the case then the manager obviously matters, especially when it comes to the postseason. The games get harder, the teams are better and most importantly the pressure goes way up. That’s when you find out who the really good managers and coaches are.
It’s not an absolute, Ted. Managers matter, but they can’t win without good rosters. This is easily verified by checking the managerial records of esteemed managers like Sparky when they had bad teams. A team’s record is, by itself, virtually useless for evaluating a manager. Too much context is missing. The Reds’ players reportedly celebrated yesterday when they heard the news about the extension.
It depends on the level. At the major league level, the field manager isn’t the one helping players with their swing. Major League teams have a dozen coaches (The Reds have 14) and they each have their roles. Jeff Pickler is the game planning coach and has significant input into making the lineup.
A good manager vs a bad manager is a season swing of maybe 3-5 wins. Sparky Anderson wouldn’t have turned last year’s team into a winning team. Sparky even had a 100 loss season of his own.
Well, that officially makes Bell the first Reds manager to be extended past 5 seasons with a losing record.
Every Reds manager and their record, who led the team at least 5 years
S Anderson 0.596 (9 yrs)
B Ewing 0.572 (5 yrs)
P Moran 0.564 (5 yrs)
F Hutchinson 0.544 (6 yrs)
B McKechnie 0.541 (9 yrs)
D Baker 0.524 (6 yrs)
P Rose 0.518 (6 yrs)
J Hendricks 0.510 (6 yrs)
B Tebbetts 0.510 (5 yrs)
D Bell 0.472 (5 yrs)
B Price 0.419 (5 yrs)
It used to be a losing record eventually got you fired. In Bell’s case, it gets you a new contract. Go figure…
He has done well (W – L) in 2023. Their record in 2023 (so far) compared to 2022 projects to be a 25 W improvement.
The Reds essentially tanked at least 2 of the years under his tenure and Bell’s record paid the price for it, without complaint. I actually admire the fact that the organization hasn’t used him as a scapegoat. His teams play hard and seem to genuinely enjoy playing for him. The teams that had some talent and were healthy were fun to watch. More consistency in the front office will improve his career record.
They went all in for 2020 and barely made the playoffs. Then did nothing when they got there. They completely collapsed down the stretch in 2021. Last year they tanked sure but they reached new lows of losing while doing it.
Context. Context. The 2021 team had some good players, to be sure, but it also had one of the worst bullpens in baseball as well as being among the leaders in injuries. I think a lot of the disagreement here revolves around our differing views of a manager’s influence on a team’s won/lost record and, particularly, the importance–or lack thereof–of the minutia of batting order construction and the deployment of the pitchers in the bullpen. We’re all ardent fans and most of us are opinionated, and that’s perfectly fine.
I pretty much accepted this move was coming. I’m not excited about it, but I’m ok with it.
David Bell used to really annoy me with his idiotic decisions, but I will say I have actually noticed some improvement from him as this season has gone on.
I still think his lineup construction leaves something to be desired, but at least he’s stopped tinkering every day.
He’s also been much better about handling pitchers recently, although I still think he burns too many relievers when he doesn’t need to.
There have been multiple games where Bell was clearly outmaneuvered or manipulated into making a bad move by the other manager. Bell doesn’t seem to be able to think several steps ahead like other good managers do.
Finally, I’m still cheesed off at Bell for how he treated Barrero, but that saga seems to be over for good now, so it is what it is.
That said, if they got rid of Bell, there’s no guarantee the next guy would be any better. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, as they say.
With all the talent on this team, they should be able to compete for a World Series at sometime in the next 5 years, but I’m pessimistic about the Reds’ chances with Bell at the helm. I expect the Reds to win a lot of games, but they will always be limited from reaching their full potential.
Unless, of course, David Bell keeps learning and continues to improve his in-game management.
I will say, Bell is probably in the top 3 best managers (along with Dusty Baker and Jerry Narron) the Reds have had in the past 2 decades, but when you’re comparing to guys like Bob Boone, Dave Miley, and Bryan Price, that’s not saying much.
So, three more years of David Bell. Let’s see what happens.
Yep. Pretty much my thoughts as well.
All on point and ownership has a man they can control to their liking. The real test however is in playoff baseball where in game decisions by the manager really drop into the fire. He should get a few chances before his remaining tenure to show that he is up to the challenge.
My hope is that this reflects how the players feel about DB and can serve as a unifying measure to keep these young players moving forward with the organization for the next few years. A team in WC contention and 1.5 out of first place after being picked for last in the division should earn its manager some slack.
I am not impressed with this extension. I would say they almost lost winning a World Series in the next three years. This is a buddy buddy system giving credit to a manager who lost a 100 games last year for a season that is largely successful due to the players and not because of this manager. His decisions on the field are constantly criticized by many Reds fans. Many Reds wanted the Reds to move on from Bell. Including me. One player gets an extension, but their buddy David Bell gets his three year extension. No additional pitchers, yet, this young team, but their buddy, David Bell gets his pat on the back. Big step back in winning a World Series in the next three years. They could have done much better by moving on from Bell. They gave their buddy his extension. I have a very low opinion of these owners. Not a good Reds day for me, and I bet many other Reds fans.
Well the extension does has Big Bob written all over it.
No question, the 3 year extension would not be without the approval of the principal owner, Big Bob Castellini.
6 innings in and we’re well on our way to another double digit strikeout, zero (0) digit walk performance. Is there no one in that dugout that can tell them to take a pitch? Where’s the leadership that’s supposed to keep them from just flailing helplessly at everything the pitcher throws?
I honestly don’t know why any opposing pitcher would bother throwing them a strike at this point.
oops. wrong post
That’s fine. My guess is that it’s hard to hit well in MLB in part because pitches that look hittable on their way to the plate are unhittable upon arrival. Older players will have had more experience with this than rookies have, and the Reds lineup is packed with inexperienced players. I have a lot of confidence that selective hitting is being addressed, but putting instruction into practice can take time. And they won and are 9 games over .500 and 1/2 game out of first.
This is Bog Bob’s buddy. His dad is Big Bob’s buddy. This is the buddy buddy system that they have in place. This does not help the Reds win a World Series.
This manager is not a Sparky Anderson. B I have seen David Bell make all kinds of bad decisions. Yet, he is suddenly the answer and all of us have to applaud it. Sorry. I think it was a terrible decision.
I miss the Jack McKeon type Mgr’s, by gone era. Dialed into his talent, had a pulse of the ebbs & flows of each singular game.
Brian Snitiker does that style.
Don’t expect a big deal to possibly “win” the division this year as the price is too high. Ok, The Bull has shown some numbers the last turnaround. Hey, no need for a Verlander rental or a 20 mil solution to some injuries deemed to heal but why not look at a 3-5 mil upgrade for a manager? Whether its marketing in a hot streak, pushing down a nonexistent Buddy Bell angle, or just plain legacy, where is the risk analysis (regarding the same finishing that happened the last 3 years)?
Someone already said the worst case scenario is no playoff this year and 3 more years of David Bell. Flip the coin on weekly basis.
Could you please explain? I have no idea what this means…. though I may well agree.
Keep that line moving
Big Bob to the rescue. He will not spend money.He has not brought in pitching help. He gives his buddy David Bell an extension. Wow! What a smart move!
Not a Bell or Bob/Phil fan at all. But I won’t quit pulling for my team that I’ve followed since 1965 whether I like or dislike the Mgr..
Doug does a great job with his site and has bills to pay and I’m sure he likes the traffic.
No need to boycott him.
BTW, I would have left Williamson in to finish the 6th inning.
Dicey situation currently.
Going to take 7 runs to win this one.
Bell’s move to put Diaz in the 8th against Mookie was the game changer. Otherwise, your projection would have been right.
Yes, I was worried for a minute that they would get 7. Glad that our 6 held up.
DB was one of the cheapest Managers in MLB prior to this year. I have not seen the terms of his new contract, but he is probably still in the bottom 1/3 of the 30 Managers.
He probably paid Bob to let himself manage for this next 3 years starting in 2024.
At least the won the first game in LA. The post-signing extension of Bell is off on the right foot….
Solid move to extend Bell. Just a few points:
1. I am constantly perplexed by the whiny, hindsight second guessing, Monday morning quarterbacking by entirely too many on this site.
2. I have to admit I laughed out loud at the posts that jumped to the conclusion that Krall must have not participated in this decision and that it must have been driven by Castellini — pure hogwash to support a position.
3. And, no, I strongly doubt where there is any Buddy Bell narrative affecting this extension other than some of the pure speculation we’ve seen by some folks on this board.
Sure, I wouldn’t make each and every one of the dozens of decisions that Bell makes each day/game in exactly the same way. And neither would any other manager. Reasonable minds can differ on the risk analysis/best expected outcome.
But Bell makes decisions on an informed basis and for the most times there appears to strong reasoning behind the call.
Most times (again most times), I’m confident in his work, and apparently our players want him to manage this team.
David Bell’s extension does not please me, but it was expected with the big turnaround this year and fans returning to GABP. All that matters in pro sports is winning. A one year extension would have been enough but that’s from a different era. Walter Alston, from southwest Ohio, managed the Dodgers for over twenty years to great success, all on one year contracts.
I don’t understand all the comments saying this was an ownership move and not Krall’s decision.
I find it very hard to believe that either (1) this move was 100% Krall or (2) if this was ownership, Krall was 100% onboard with the decision.
I think the stability In leadership this signing provides will be good for the team. Let’s go win the division.
I am a Texas Ranger fan now. I do not think this leadership will bring a World Series championship to Cincinnati. The manager is important. I will not waste any more time with Reds. This is the last time you here from me. If the GM wanted Bell, and maybe he did, I give him an F on this one as well. I can see the rain when it falls. Good luck winning a World Series with this pitching staff. The young prospects are good, but so far they do not hit good pitching very well. Now, you have a sub par management brain in the management position for three years. The critics are quiet tonight, but glad I spoke up.
Enjoy your new team.
+1000
When was the last time the Texas Rangers won a World Series championship?
The Reds last won a WS 33 years ago.
The ones before were 47 and 48 years ago.
Before that it was 83 years ago.
Most of the commenters lament the extension.
Players had an after game meeting in which team leader India announced the extension and the players erupted in loud cheers, per Reds website.
Whose opinion matters more? Obviously the three year extension answers that question.
If you’re sitting in that locker room, what are you gonna do, stand up and boo? Do like that lady in Princess Bride?
You should read the article.
The same team leader who’s very likely to be traded in the next few days or in the offseason. I’m sure the young guys do like Bell, but the object is to win the World Series and unfortunately I don’t see them doing that with him as the manager. I hope I’m wrong and his teams make it to the post-season and play well in October baseball. If they do I’ll be the first one on here to admit I was wrong.
Which player wouldn’t like a manager that doesn’t demand accountability
That’s not true. Most people understand that we all thrive when held accountable.
BK, not completely true. MOST people understand that we all thrive when our PEERS are held accountable. I’d argue most people think they themselves, well, I should get a much longer leash.
So each player, some want a hard-nosed manager, but many want a manager that won’t criticize them or lay in to them, even IF they need it badly. There are times a team needs a Bull Durham or The Natural manager blowup.
The fact the players erupted could mean Bell is great in the locker room and every player respects him and wishes him well, almost like a father (that’s all a good thing I suppose), OR it could mean, he doesn’t bother them at all, leaves them be and sleeps most of every practice and they get to goof off (a little over the top, but basically a baseball equivalent of a laissez faire manager). We just don’t know.
@Michael, these players didn’t get where they are being coddled–these are elite athletes that have put in the work to maximize their skill set. They understand accountability is necessary if they want to win a World Series, and nearly every major leaguer does. They want to be pushed even if they don’t like it in the moment.
I’ll add that Krall and several others would have insight into the culture of the clubhouse. Bell would not have received an extension with a track record of not holding the players and coaches accountable.
Wait, what’s that sound? Ah. Yes. It’s the sound of ceilings being lowered–for the Reds as a team, and for each one of their talented young players.
Illogical move based on nepotism/homeboy-ism/whatever you want to call it, and stats produced by *players,* not by him. How much better would those stats be if Bell didn’t make stupid moves or not hamper his guys by playing “everyone gets a turn at each position and lineup spot” t-ball?
Organizational fail.
Stats are always produced by the players.
You should read the rest of my comment.
Just because players enjoy playing for a manager/coach, does not mean he is the best manager/coach for the job.
Just because you like your boss, it doesn’t mean that his boss doesn’t bring in a better boss who will help you produce more at work. You may not like him as well, he may not be your best bud, but he may be exactly what you and your “team” needed.
True enough, Slippinjimmy. Being well-liked as a leader isn’t a sure sign of competence. On the other hand, such a leader has a good chance of helping to nurture enthusiasm and team spirit, and Bell seems to be doing so. This may be particularly important for a team as reliant upon young players as the Reds are. I’m relatively agnostic about Bell because I’m not particularly interested in critiquing lineups and strategic decisions, having realized some time ago that there is more to these than meets the eye of the fan. The Reds are exceeding expectations and playing entertaining ball, and may well have a bright future.
I think it is a nice reward for a surprising season. If you hear the players talk about Bell, it seems like the right move. They love playing for him and he gives them confidence. As long as he make the team play like they are now, I don’t care if he is boring in public speeches.
I think he deserves some credit for playing several seasons with a very bad team without complaining.
Dusty was an idiot on here too, Price incompetent and over his head, Bell the worst manager in baseball….
Taking an extremely young team lacking their two top starters during this stretch of rising from the bottom of the division to neck and neck at the top, any manager could have navigated it, right?
This signing adds stability to an exciting young core of players having a good time overcoming the odds. When the Reds get a break from injuries what’s it going to look like? Stay tuned.
Oh, someone referred to Williamson as garbage not too long ago. Probably didn’t like this Bell signing either.
The young core needs to make the playoffs to get their feet wet on that stage even if it turns out like 2020. It’s a progression step.
Abbott, Greene, Williamson would be our 3 playoff starters.
BP needs an experienced 8th inning guy that can also close.
1st things first, we have to avoid an August meltdown & finish July on a good note.
I forgot about Ashcraft. Lol
Very unpopular move with the “never-Bell”ers, but it’s the right move, considering where this team is at: a place NO ONE would have imagined back on day one of the season.
Reason being we had no idea what Abbott, McClain, Elly, Steer, Benson would be…the end.
Taking the position this is due to the manager suddenly spurring the boys on seems inconsistent considering the record last year, 7-15 record to start this year etc. Then they bring up McClain and Benson comes back after he gets fixed in Triple A and Abbott comes up and all of a sudden they’re winning like crazy. Then Elly comes up to top it off. Giving Bell most of credit for the turn around seems contrary to the facts.
It could be worse the Reds could have hired someone like Barry Larkin to manage.
This is David Bell’s team now. He will be judge on what he does with this talent.
It does make me wonder if Nick Krall views the Red’s Window starting to close after 2026. It kinda makes sense as Elly, McLain, Steer, Abbott etc will be in their fourth year.
Three to four years seems to be the upper limit for MLB managers contracts. Very unlikely this is any sort of signal regarding the Reds competitive window.
BK, I agree it’s probably not related to the Reds competitive window, but it seems to have lined up that way. For example, I will be surprised if EDLC is a Red until he reaches free agency.
The only way I see EDLC leaving the Reds like that is if he gets injured or is unable to harness his immense talent. It’s funny … I have the opposite fear. I’m concerned the Reds will believe EDLC will remain the fastest, best-arm, hardest-hitting player until he’s 40 and will sign him to a long-term contract that keeps him a Red well past his prime.
Hey V4L. Just curious about your comment about Larkin. I never thought too much about him being a manager but what reasons would you think he would be so bad?
I liked Barry Larkin as a Player. He has Just made comments in the past that raise doubts for me. Last year, he was urging the Reds to sign Kyle Farmer to an extension and make him team captain. That is just one example.
But mostly, it’s because Larkin has never managed before and does not have a track record of success. I would have felt the same if the Reds hired Curt Casali, Freddie B. etc.
I just think the team does better when they hire more established managers (Lou Pinella, Davey Johnson, Jack McKeon, Dusty Bakers being examples). Sparky Anderson being the lone exception. But then again, Sparky had a pretty good team to work with.
I don’t understand the negativity on Bell. I certainly have had my complaints with him but I also had complaints with his predecessors going all the way back to Sparky. But let’s all admit it, we all thought this was a lost year but Bell has managed this group of youngsters well, almost everyone has gotten playing time and that is due to Bell. Basically managers usually get too much credit when things go right and too much blame when they go wrong. But let’s give Bell some credit for taking this team of youngsters and has beens to where they are. And remember he has to throw Weaver out there every 5 days.
I’m okay with giving Bell an extension but three years seems excessive. I would have done two with an option for a third. I don’t understand why these Manager deals aren’t done after the season. Let’s see how he Manages down the stretch first.
Not unexpected with the year they are having but I would have thought 2 years would have been more than sufficient. Watching Bell manage is frustrating but winning calms the nerves. With the talent they currently have and the money they have to spend after this year there is no excuse for losing. We’re stuck with Bell for a while longer. I’m hoping the winning continues. This year has been great year to be a Reds fan. Especially after last year’s debacle.