Baker Wards Off Critics

The What's-Dusty-Baker-doing is already at it.

The tweets and the blogs didn't have enough time to fill a screen completely when the lineup was criticized.

Ryan Ludwick is batting fourth in the exhibition opener against Cleveland and Heisey is listed as a reserve.

Baker urged people not to read into his first lineup.  That is not set in stone.

Heisey is the people's choice but he is not the one complaining.  It is the armchair managers that see a few games on TV or read some statistics, Bill James and other crappola or have seen "Moneyball" that now think they are Connie Mack.  Even though most think Connie Mack was a female singer for Kay Kaiser's big band in the 40's.  Their lack of Baker's knowledge and experience, coupled with their propensity to kibitz caused a brief.get-off-my-back soliloquy.

His soliloquy was able being and being and not being rather than doing and not doing.

"Please don't critique my lineup," Baker asked the small media gathering.  "I will get enough of that during the season. The old saying goes,  everybody can tell you how to do it but very few have done it."

Three Manager of the Year Awards and a near miss on a fourth (lost by one point to Bud Black in 2010) and not to mention that he has won more games than any current manager in the National Leagues.

"I don't care, I really don't" Baker said.  "I'm doing what I think is right every day.  There is a good chance that with my background and experience, I have a better idea than most."

The Reds are blending in two rookies this season, Zack Cozart and Devin Mesoroco.

"That's what we did with the Dodgers," Baker said.  "That's why we had so many Rookies of the Year. We would have a veteran lineup, then add a rookie, then add another, then add another.  After four or five years, you had five of six guys that were still young but experience.  I know how long it takes to build a team.  People say I'm so patient but I know it takes a long time.  Its not like football and basketball where you draft a Labron James and he has an impact right away.  In football you draft a quarterback, who was the quarterback the Bengals drafted (Andy Dalton) he came in and had an immediate impact."

The competition for jobs is intense.

"The way I look at it, if you can't compete for a job here (in spring training), how are you can't compete against the opposition, especially when it counts in the clutch," Baker said.  "They've been competing for jobs all their lives directly and indirectly.  It's more competitive the higher you get to the top.  Most of these guys made every All-Star team and were the best player on their teams."