pulling no punches

[Wally Mo Pena]

It looks like Narron is gunning for the whiners on the team. I'm liking this guy more and more, he clearly understands what was wrong in the clubhouse. From MLB.com:

"One thing I observed from [Oates] was being honest with guys," Narron said. "Not telling players what they wanted to hear, but being upfront and honest. That's the type of person he was. Dealing with players, he knew you couldn't treat everybody the same."

But Narron is trying to get his Reds on the same page. And if that means dealing a player some harsh reality from time to time, then so be it.

"I can tell you the only thing I'm going to do is be honest with every one of these guys," he said in his slow, Southern drawl. "If I tell them they stink, I hope they prove me wrong. If a guy's playing terrible, I'm sure not going to tell him he's the greatest thing ever."

Has he ever had to tell a player he stinks?

"Yeah," he said, before adding with a big smile, "I've had some guys prove me right."

[volzok]

This is a good piece. You have to throw the hammer down when you first take control. I thought thats why Miley had no respect. He was easy when he took over and when he tried to flex his muscle like removing the chairs, he just got crap for it b/c there was no respect. Hopefully this trend can continue.

[BigRedMachine]

"Honesty is the best policy."

Telling them straight up that they are not performing and sticking with it is what a manager should be about. The trick is finding the way to do it, not to break them down, but get them to accept it and try harder to correct whatever the trouble is. You don't have to be a total jerk to be tough and gain the respect of those who are playing for you. I like Narron's approach initially, but still too early to see how he is going to work out.

[volzok]

Good managers/coaches know how to push peoples buttons. Some guys are motivated different than others. We will have to see what happens but for right now he is doing some good things. But that doesnt mean the team is going anywhere this year. But you have to lay the groundwork.