Dusty of Phillips?

• Ironman92

  

  http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5165026
  
  Dusty is right on here.....but then again this is the same manager that insisted this 1 or 2 hole hitter bat cleanup and allow him to swing like a crazy man instead of doing what he does best for a year and a half.
  
  Phillips has the ability to be a MAJOR player for the Reds.......I don't believe Dusty has much of anything too offer the Reds.
• jordo212000

  

  #1 hitter? Haha. No.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Phillips has the ability to be one of the better players in all of baseball, apparently he doesn't want to put in the effort though.
• NNN

  

  I think Earl Weaver had the best idea of all. When one of his players would start to argue with an umpire, he'd go charging out there and start giving it to the umpire.
  
  His reasoning was that it's easy for good players to win games without a manager, but impossible to win many games with a manager with his good players gone. His famous tirade on Tom Haller was a great example; Eddie Murray was complaining about a balk being called, and Weaver comes out of the dugout at 100 MPH and goes nuts. Weaver gets tossed, Murray stays.
  
  So between Brandon Phillips, who is a very good player, or Dusty Baker, who is a brutally inept manager, whose side would I take? Hmmm....
• CinciX12

  

  Phillips would be as much of a disaster in the 1 spot as he is in the 4 spot.
  
  I'm holding out hope that the lineup was switched back only because of the Rolen off day today. But I think we all know that BP will be in the clean up spot for the vast, vast majority of the season.
• BCBulldog

  

  It sounds like we have a real standoff here now. Phillips did it again yesterday - Baker noticed that Brandon Phillips didn’t run out of the box in his home run in the sixth. Baker said, “I guess I’m going to have to talk to him again. . . I’ve done more than talk to him.”
  
  So two times in two days they talk and it sounds like maybe a team fine, but let's keep talking and doing nothing that will actually get his attention. Way to go Douchety! You are one hell of a leader!
• CinciX12

  

  Who cares if he runs out of the box on a home run? Honestly, pick your battles.
• BCBulldog

  

  CinciX12 wrote: Who cares if he runs out of the box on a home run? Honestly, pick your battles.

  Three reasons why it matters:
  1. He was just reprimanded for his lack of hustle. By specifically not hustling on any play, it shows a disrespect to and disregard of the manager and his instructions.
  
  2. You should never assume that any hit is a home run until it is over the fence. You may think you got all of it, but you can easily be wrong. In fact, this is what Phillips claimed was the case the other night when he turned a triple into a double.
  
  3. As a team leader, Phillips has a responsiblilty to set the standard for the rest of the team. If he gives 100% on every play, then he can demand the same from others. On a team as down as the Reds have been over the last 10 years, they need players that are motivated and driven all the time.
• jordo212000

  

  Yeah he is going hard core on Phillips.
  
  I must admit that Phillips jogging to 1st on infield grounders really drives me crazy.
• thavoice

  From what I read the HR barely made it over as well....his lack of hustle can cost a team like the other day he easily coulda been on third on a hustle but didnt...was at second. Votto grounds or flies out..cannot remember...maybe he coulda score.d
  
  
  I get it..it is a grueling season...but seriously......how cant ya run hard your 4-5 times you are up to bat? Prolly gonna walk or get line drive out in the INF or a pop out in the INF where you only get to first anyways.....
  Just dont undersetand it i guess.
• CinciX12

  

  Basically at this point I'm just going to take the exact opposite stance as Baker does.
  
  BP not going hard is pretty much par for the course.
  
  I'm excited for this weekend though actually. I really think that we can get some momentum going if we get 2 of 3 or better against Chicago.