Dumping Krivsky just latest proof Reds don't have a clue

It was only three springs ago in Sarasota, Fla., that I was sitting in Cincinnati owner Bob Castellini's office, discussing his big plans for the Reds and listening to him rave about his just-hired general manager, Wayne Krivsky.

Castellini spoke of the importance of patience in rebuilding the Reds. He pointed to the Minnesota Twins -- where he found Krivsky -- as a model organization.

Wayne Krivsky didn't have a prayer of finishing the job he started in Cincinnati. (AP)

One of the keys to the Twins' success, he told me, is their continuity. Smart people were running the baseball operations, and they were allowed to keep doing their jobs even in the lean years. The result was a strong foundation that, more often than not, has thrived.

That Castellini fired Krivsky on a bloody Wednesday in Cincinnati speaks to a couple of things:

It's the latest telling moment as to why the Reds remain the game's equivalent of a lost ball in tall weeds.

And it pulls back the curtain to reveal a glimpse of the way things continue to work far too often in this game -- that it's all about who you know.

Castellini was a minority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals for years. And last summer, as Cards general manager Walt Jocketty was becoming more and more disenchanted with the way things were going there, strong rumors sprung up that Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa would replace Krivsky and whoever the Reds' manager du jour was at the time. (Jerry Narron? Pete Mackanin? Tough to keep up.)

When the Cardinals fired Jocketty after the season, sure enough, Castellini couldn't contain his lust, quickly striking to add his friend as an adviser.

That's all well and good -- under certain circumstances. Jocketty had a terrific run with the Cardinals, and as far as a down-and-out organization like the Reds goes, the more bright minds, the better.

Except Jocketty's presence brought a whole lot of unwelcome questions for Krivsky. And the fact neither Castellini nor Jocketty ever really said Jocketty's days as a GM were finished wound up putting Krivsky in an untenable situation.

That Jocketty was on deck to take over for Krivsky if the Reds faltered was the game's worst-kept secret. This was the final season of Krivsky's contract, the Reds brought high-profile manager Dusty Baker in over the winter (another sign of Krivsky's eroding power) and most folks figured if Cincinnati didn't contend, Jocketty would be running things in 2009.

But to blow out Krivsky just three weeks into '08 with the Reds, at 9-12, only 21 games into their season?

It's a completely knee-jerk move by an owner whose credibility just took a colossal hit.