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Reds letting Patterson, Bako go

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Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has made calls to agents for several of the free agents on the roster. He hasn't talked to representatives for Corey Patterson and Paul Bako, and he probably won't. "We're going to move on," Jocketty said. "In the case of Bako, we're looking to improve the catching. (Ryan) Hanigan had a good year. We're probably going to go younger." Patterson and Bako were two players fans loved to hate this year. Both also played for manager Dusty Baker in Chicago. Both signed late at Baker's urging.

Cincinnati Enquirer

Dusty Baker, AP Dusty Baker, AP
October 10, 2008  07:41 AM ET

But Patterson is exactly the type of player Dusty Baker likes.....he runs fast, and is a really really crappy hitter. So he doesn't clog the bases.

October 10, 2008  08:41 AM ET

How could they let Baker's future son-in-law go? That's a travesty!!!!

October 10, 2008  09:25 AM ET

By the way Lizard, you can wear the same glasses as Joe Maddon, you just will never be him.

October 10, 2008  09:59 AM ET

Walt's first mistake was listening to Dusty! Both players never really produced for the Cubs, both were a liability at the plate with too many strikeouts. Bako won't be in the majors very long, not even as a utility catcher.

October 10, 2008  10:51 AM ET

Dusty...

Comment #6 has been removed
October 10, 2008  12:42 PM ET

Walt's best move would probably be to let Dusty go.... although losing Patterson is a step in the right direction.

Comment #8 has been removed
October 10, 2008  02:13 PM ET
QUOTE(#8):

Dusty smokes like Thelonious Monk

monk actually eschewed drugs.....apparently he was sorta mentally ill and life was pretty trippy by itself. Dusty, on the otherhand........ (god love him though, i prefer a hippy to a macho conservative any day of the week)

October 10, 2008  02:47 PM ET

dusty is loyal to a fault. dusty likes to give veteran guys opportunity after opportunity. he needs learn to get on with it put the players in that best give his team a chance to compete regardless if there rook's or not.
its taken the the gm this long to grow a pair and make the necessary moves to improve this team. i like dusty and think he's a player's manager but his personnel decisions have always been suspect to me.

October 10, 2008  03:40 PM ET

Dusty likes to play the veterans because it's the easy way. This way he can place them blame on the vet, he did it in Chicago all the time, it's too risky to play a rookie and then have to explain your decision when they fail to produce.

Comment #12 has been removed
October 10, 2008  03:54 PM ET

You are crazy, but I rike dat hair!!

October 10, 2008  04:15 PM ET

FINALLY!!!!! Later Patterson. Don't forget to take Dusty with you. That would be beautiful.

October 10, 2008  04:21 PM ET

Breaking news.

"Dr. Timothy Kremchek was called into the locker room today to remove Dusty's lips from Patterson's backside so they could seperate until Dusty goes to another team. Once reaching the other team Dr. Timothy Kremchek will perform another surgery to re-connect Dusty's lips to Patterson's ****."

October 10, 2008  06:15 PM ET

Jesus, it's about time. Patterson would have a hard time pinch-hitting for a t-ball team!!!

October 10, 2008  06:57 PM ET
QUOTE(#15):

Breaking news."Dr. Timothy Kremchek was called into the locker room today to remove Dusty's lips from Patterson's backside so they could seperate until Dusty goes to another team. Once reaching the other team Dr. Timothy Kremchek will perform another surgery to re-connect Dusty's lips to Patterson's ****."

Any mention if the toothpick survived the surgery?

October 10, 2008  08:33 PM ET

Dusty clearly gave Patterson too much playing time to the detriment of the team - he got playing time even while under the Mendoza line. It was very strange. I would think that it had an effect on the entire clubhouse. Dusty's ability as a manager should be strongly questioned.

 
October 12, 2008  12:21 PM ET

As a Cubs fan who watched Dusty mismanage the hobbled Cubs teams of 2005-2006 into utter irrelevence, I can empathize with Reds' fans frustration. Corey Patterson, though an excellent fielder and baserunner, has hitting discipline that make Rob Deer and Gorman Thomas look like Carew. Corey's inability to accept coaching under 2 different Cubs' coaching staffs, a decent one in Baltimore, and again in Cincy shows clearly why he will never be anything more than a 5th OF on a very average team. He is a AAAA player that let his attitude get in the way of his ability to use the excellent tools he was born with.

As for Bako's future in Cincy, I think Jocketty should rethink letting Bako walk away. Besides being an excellent defensive catcher with a good arm, he is also good at working with a pitching staff. He's a very good #2 catcher, and it's not Dusty's fault (certainly not Bako's) that Bako was the Reds' best option to start in 2008. It's not Bako's fault that he couldn't respond by hitting like Posada, Soto, or IRod. Bako is a solid, cheap #2 catcher that can help a team with young pitching. Hanigan is a 28 year-old, statistically still a rookie, and may end up a decent #2 backstop; however, not a lot of 28 year-old rookies develop into MLB-ready anything. Walt should re-think Bako as his #2 for 2009.

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