The Cincinnati Reds have fired supervisor David Bell. The timing of the transfer is fascinating as there’s one week remaining within the common season, the membership has been enjoying properly this month, and it simply appears unusual to make the transfer now.
David Bell had two years (and every week) remaining on his contract. He signed an extension with the membership in July of 2023 that ran via the 2026 season. He’ll get just a few good paychecks over the following two years whereas doing one thing apart from work for the Reds. The crew additionally introduced that bench coach Freddie Benavides will step in as interim supervisor for the remainder of season.
Cincinnati employed Bell previous to the 2019 season. Over the following 5 years he would have three successful seasons and two shedding ones, going 333-375 previous to the 2024 season. These three successful seasons had been seasons that noticed the crew barely high the .500 mark in every of them, whereas the 62-100 2022 marketing campaign actually sunk the report throughout Bell’s tenure.
This season the Reds are 76-81. One other yr of non-contention and easily being quite mediocre-ish. Along with his firing, Bell’s report in Cincinnati was 409-456. That’s a .473 successful share. That will rank him twenty third all-time amongst Reds managers who lasted for 2 or extra seasons.
Managers aren’t at all times liable for successful seasons or shedding seasons. You’ve acquired to have the gamers to get the job finished. It’s most likely truthful to say that the possession and entrance workplace didn’t precisely hand David Bell aggressive rosters in a number of of the seasons he was the supervisor. The 2020 season felt like one wherein he had roster to work with, however the world went into chaos mode that yr and we wound up with a 60-game season. After which this season appeared just like the roster had an opportunity, however then suspensions and accidents piled up and issues merely didn’t work.
With that stated, there are many legitimate criticisms about what Bell (and certain a few of his teaching workers) did or didn’t do to assist push the crew ahead. The lineups had been typically unusual. It felt as if there wasn’t a lot accountability for repeated errors being made by the identical gamers.
After which there’s at all times the truth that when shedding continues that somebody has to take the autumn. And that somebody is often the supervisor. Possession isn’t going to fireside themselves. And the entrance workplace people accountable for the analysis don’t typically level at themselves as the difficulty, both. Self preservation and all.
There’s a complete lot of blame to go round within the places of work at Nice American Ball Park for the Reds and their shedding methods. It’s been 29 years because the crew final gained a playoff sequence. Their farm system hasn’t had a full-season crew win a league championship in 22 years. Since Bob Castellini’s possession group has taken over the crew the Reds have gained the division twice in 19 years. They’ve by no means completed in second place. 19 years and solely twice have they completed higher than third place. When it comes right down to who’s guilty it must be the Spiderman pointing at Spiderman meme, however with about 15 Spidermen sporting Reds hats.
Right here’s the official press launch from the crew on the transfer:
The Cincinnati Reds have introduced they’re changing supervisor David Bell, efficient instantly. Bench coach Freddie Benavides will function the interim supervisor for the ultimate 5 video games of the 2024 season.
“David supplied the sort of steadiness that we wanted in our clubhouse over the previous few seasons. We felt a change was wanted to maneuver the Main League crew ahead. We’ve got not achieved the success we anticipated, and we have to start specializing in 2025,” Krall stated.
Bell, 52, was employed by the Reds in October 2018. He compiled a 409-456 report over 6 seasons, together with a 76-81 mark this yr. In 2020, the Reds earned a Postseason berth in his second season, which was shortened by COVID-19 to 60 video games.
