Bavasi ---> Reds

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 8, 2008 2:45 PM PDT

CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the hiring of former Anaheim Angels and Seattle Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi as a special assistant.

Bavasi, 50, will advise and assist Jocketty in matters related to the front office, Major League field and support personnel and scouting.

And the money quote:

"We're excited Bill has joined our organization," Jocketty said. "Over his career of more than 30 years, he has worked in almost every facet of baseball operations. We will benefit from his experience and insights."

As if Willie Bloomquist to the Reds wasn't all ready a done deal.

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Shoop Da Whoop?

by ThundaPC on Aug 8, 2008 2:48 PM PDT 0 recs

Wonder how long

before Bavasi takes Fontaine to the Red to run and improve their minor league system.

Midnight Baseball - No Lights - Only in Alaska!

by MfaninAlaska on Aug 8, 2008 2:51 PM PDT 0 recs

Good luck Bill

by Graham on Aug 8, 2008 2:54 PM PDT 0 recs

Wow.

That’ll be a nice landing place for Silva.

This is currently my signature.

by kevin_ess on Aug 8, 2008 2:54 PM PDT 0 recs

We can only hope he'll trade us some unproven prospects for our veteran talent.

by Faux on Aug 8, 2008 2:56 PM PDT 0 recs

Like Bruce

I have eight watches. None of them are fake.

by RafaelCarmona22 on Aug 8, 2008 3:03 PM PDT up 0 recs

Willie and Johjima for Bruce

the other angels fan

by Eyebrows on Aug 8, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

Throw in Washburn and we may also net Votto.

by Wilder. on Aug 8, 2008 3:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

He's a good person, he deserves a job. Just not with us. Hopefully he does well and has learned from his mistakes.

Yesterday's Pants
A blog-thingy about the Mariners and stuff.

by BrettJMiller on Aug 8, 2008 3:05 PM PDT 0 recs

I think every failed old school GM in history has become a special assistant for somebody else

by Jeff on Aug 8, 2008 3:05 PM PDT 0 recs

Because the skills that make you an old school GM are still valuable.

They just don’t make you a good GM.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Aug 8, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up 0 recs

All a matter of how used

If it goes something like this, it could be a great move for the Reds:

Walt: “So Bill, what would you do?”
Bill: “I’d make that trade in a minute. Get some veteran grit in here.”
Walt: “Uh huh, that’s what I thought. Ok, tell them no trade.”

by kva15 on Aug 8, 2008 5:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Go for it Bill.

I get to have a job for life in my industry due to nepotism as well! [raises glass] Here is to hoping they never trade you and I for semi-intelligent chimpanzees some day.

by thewyrm on Aug 8, 2008 3:08 PM PDT 0 recs

I just got fired for nepotism.

Been working there 3+ years with my brother and they just up and decide nepotism. My brother just got a new job himself and is dropping the bomb next week.

I will not be going back to the old job because the new management are assholes.

by Wilder. on Aug 8, 2008 3:51 PM PDT up 0 recs

Maybe this job will be more suited to his skills.

I wish him luck.

by Teej on Aug 8, 2008 3:09 PM PDT 0 recs

Silva for Homer Bailey.

Make it happen.

against Vegas reliever Casey Hoorelbeke, whose ancestors clearly couldn't spell Hurlbeck properly.

by Christian on Aug 8, 2008 3:57 PM PDT 0 recs

Or maybe Edinson Valquaz.

JI/Robert '08!

by Fin on Aug 8, 2008 4:13 PM PDT up 0 recs

Bavasi was reluctant to trade away SP who were in the bigs.

Bailey is in AAA. Bavasi never seemed to care much about minor league pitching. See Bedard, Erik.

against Vegas reliever Casey Hoorelbeke, whose ancestors clearly couldn't spell Hurlbeck properly.

by Christian on Aug 8, 2008 4:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

But only if he throws in Jay Bruce and a couple of A ball pitchers

by Gomez on Aug 8, 2008 5:52 PM PDT up 0 recs

Assistant

Must have hired him to help analyze free agent veteran pitchers.

by batura on Aug 8, 2008 4:29 PM PDT 0 recs

Good for him.

"Hole in one, eh?"

by Coach Owens on Aug 8, 2008 4:50 PM PDT 0 recs

Our team has been shitty for the better part of a decade. We’ve been dealing with Dusty Baker’s idiocy (and mystifying devotion to Corey Patterson). We just got swept by the Nationals and are looking to do the same against the Astros. I’ve been feeling really bad about this team.

Then they hired Bavasi.

Is there any possible bright side to this? Should I just buy a gun, head to the Reds’ front office, and engage him in a struggle that leaves at least one of us dead? Walt Jocketty was brought in as a “Special Advisor” in January, and then Wayne Krivsky was immediately shown the door when the team started a little sluggishly. The team has not improved. Jocketty is 74 and hasn’t shown much interest in making any moves, other than to trade away Griffey. It sure looks like for all the world, Bavasi is being set up to be our new GM.

I’ve been a Reds fan all my life. I have a hat and everything. I’ve seen plenty of terrible moments from this franchise, but this season, when their young talent was supposed to show the way forward, has just revealed how backwards our front office is. It seriously feels like hope is lost. Is there anything redeeming about this move? Is there no balm in Gilead? I don’t want to have to buy a new hat.

by Brendanukkah on Aug 9, 2008 5:58 AM PDT 0 recs

Bavasi is good at a lot of things.

He’s not a bad guy to have around.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Aug 9, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up 0 recs

The standards for being a Reds fan are pretty stringent, eh?

I’ve been a Reds fan all my life. I have a hat and everything

Reminds me of this. “The first question they ask will not be, ‘does he have his own hat?’”

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Aug 9, 2008 9:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

I said it for laughs

But I have a sinking feeling that that may have been the only question they asked Bavasi in his interview process.

by Brendanukkah on Aug 9, 2008 10:22 AM PDT up 0 recs

I'd be surprised if there was a process

other than calling him up and saying “hey, come work for us”. I wish my industry worked like that.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Aug 9, 2008 10:31 AM PDT up 0 recs

Buck up, we got swept by the Nationals too

by OlSalty on Aug 9, 2008 12:25 PM PDT up 0 recs

Bleh

Replied to the wrong post.

by OlSalty on Aug 9, 2008 12:26 PM PDT up 0 recs

I wouldn't be too melodramatic about the whole thing

This sort of special assistant hiring is really common, and most of the time it doesn’t result in the advisor becoming GM.

by Graham on Aug 9, 2008 10:27 AM PDT up 0 recs

but I wanted Dan Evans to be our GM :(

Determined, Jonesing Commentor

by I'm NOT Corco on Aug 9, 2008 11:24 AM PDT up 0 recs

if he takes Fontaine you can look at that as a positive.

against Vegas reliever Casey Hoorelbeke, whose ancestors clearly couldn't spell Hurlbeck properly.

by Christian on Aug 9, 2008 12:02 PM PDT up 0 recs

Let me go against the tide here (and my snarky comment on BTF) by saying that I'm happy this happened.

Bavasi’s a prince among men as a person, and there’s every reason to think that his skillset might actually be well-suited to an assistant’s job. Jocketty has a track record of excellence with the Cards, so I doubt he’ll either be unduly influenced by Bavasi or threatened in his job security.

"Maybe Chief has to go and grab somebody from his neck and throw him into the wall."

by esoteric on Aug 9, 2008 12:41 PM PDT 0 recs

Totally agree.

Bavasi is a horrible GM, but an asset to most any front office.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Aug 9, 2008 12:47 PM PDT up 0 recs

Thanks to all for talking me down a little

Let’s hope that he can be a positive. It sure seemed from an outsider’s perspective that he made some baffling moves in Seattle. I, like you, am just tired of losing baseball.

by Brendanukkah on Aug 9, 2008 12:57 PM PDT up 0 recs