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Reds confirm Bryan Price as new manager

Ann Thompson
/
WVXU

Update:

Bryan Price says this is a "huge moment" being named the new Reds manager. The first thing the former pitching coach says he will do is gain a better understanding and appreciation of where the team is now and where it wants to go. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Price did not announce any major changes with the team. He was asked about closer Aroldis Chapman will be converted to a starting pitcher.

"You know I don't mean this to be glib, but I mean I really thought about making sure I had a good suit on before I got up here as opposed to trying to figure out we are going to do with the club."

Price stressed players need to concentrate on:

  • preparation
  • effort
  • energy
  • and hold each other accountable

Reds owner Bob Castellini said, "Price has proven himself to be an excellent communicator and leader and is clearly one of the most respected people not only in our clubhouse but in baseball in general."
On Dusty Baker, Castellini said, "There was no thought about a new manager until we had our meeting with Dusty and then we started to think about it and we didn't have to think very long or very far and we are very pleased with the outcome."

On not being a fiery manager, Price said, "I'm a competitive person and do have high expectations for myself and those expectations will be shared and expected of the players as well, so why don't we get a year under our belt and then you guys (the media) can assign the moniker.

Reds CEO Bob Castellini and General Manager Walt Jocketty will introduce Bryan Price as the new manager today.

Credit Cincinnati Reds
Bryan Price is the new Cincinnati Reds manager

A news conference is scheduled for 3:00 today.  This is from a Reds news release:

Price, 51, has agreed to a 3-year contract through the 2016 season to become the 61st field manager in club history and the 51st since 1900. He replaces Dusty Baker, who went 509-463 (.524) in Cincinnati the last 6 seasons.

"I have spent a lot of time with Bryan since the season ended, and I was convinced after the first meeting he is the right person to help us move this organization forward," Jocketty said. "We've all seen his work here with our pitching staff. He has proven himself to be an excellent communicator and leader and clearly is one of the most respected people not only in our clubhouse but in baseball in general."

Castellini said, "I am impressed with Bryan as a pitching coach, leader and person. We're very confident he'll take the helm as manager of the entire team and lead us in the right direction."

Since Price became pitching coach prior to the 2010 season, the Reds' staff has ranked seventh, 12th, third and fourth in team ERA after finishing 13th and 15th the previous 2 seasons. Over the last 2 years, the Reds' 187 wins and 3.36 ERA rank third in the Major Leagues.

Price's 2012 and 2013 staffs were 2 of the most successful in franchise history. In each of those seasons, Reds pitchers established club records for strikeouts while becoming the first staffs in Major League history to produce in consecutive seasons at least 6 pitchers with 100 strikeouts.

Last season, Reds pitchers led the National League  in strikeouts, the 17 team shutouts were the most since 1973, and the starters’ ERA of 3.43 was the staff’s best since 1974.

In 2012, Reds relievers led the Major Leagues in ERA (2.65), saves (56) and opponents’ batting average (.219) while producing the second-highest strikeouts-per-9-innings ratio in baseball history (9.90). The starting staff that season became only the ninth in Major League history to include 5 pitchers who made at least 30 starts each. Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Mike Leake started 161 of the 162 Reds' games that season.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.