Cincinnati Reds sign two-year contract extension with manager Dusty Baker – MLB News
Cincinnati Reds on Monday, October 15, agreed to have a two-year contract extension with the manager Dusty Baker, putting an end to the uncertainty and rumours surrounding the issue. He will now have managerial responsibilities until 2014.
While the deal extension was made public on Monday, nothing was said about the terms laid out. The uncertainty about Dusty Baker’s fate as a manager was after the elimination of Cincinnati Reds from the season when the San Francisco Giants beat them in the National League Division Series.
Dusty Baker commented after the deal extension was announced by the Reds. "There's work left to be done," said Baker. "I didn't want to leave on a note that we still had work to do. It left a real pain in my heart to feel as I did at the end of the season this year."
But while there was confusion enveloping the atmosphere prior to this deal, general manager Walt Jocketty made it clear that the club had already decided to extend the deal, suggesting the result of NLDS hardly had any bearing on the decision that Cincinnati Reds made.
"That's why it didn't take long," Jocketty said. "We actually had one quick meeting on Friday and we discussed some things over the weekend and wrapped up this morning."
The Reds fought well this year in the regular season, making the second best record of most wins. They won 97 of their 162 games and lost 65. However, when it came to the playoffs, even after winning the first two games, things did not go in the Reds favour eventually.
Be that as it may, Dusty Baker’s services to the team are held high. "This is Dusty's team," Reds' CEO Bob Castellini said. "These fellas here are poised to go deeper and deeper in the season. To not bring Dusty back was out of the question."
With the deal extension, the Cincinnati Reds have ensured a smooth journey from here onwards. The next task now in front of manager Dusty Baker is Spring Training, something that he is eagerly awaiting.
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