Run, Homer, run

The Cincinnati Reds have hired Dusty Baker as their manager.

This is the same team that has a hard-throwing young Texas-bred right-hander named Homer Bailey. Hmmm, seems to me Baker has hand to handle someone of that ilk before and we all know how that turned out.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Not where you think. I'm not going to compare Bailey to Kerry Wood, the oft-injured right-hander from Baker's Chicago time.

Instead, it's puzzling as to why Cincinnati went with Baker. Yes, for a manager, he's a big name. But you can't tell me Pete Mackanin, who took over after Jerry Narron was fired and turned the Reds around, wouldn't have been fine in the job for one more year.

The Reds once were among the proudest franchises in baseball. Now, they're on manager No. 9 since the 1990 season. Reds managers last shorter times in their jobs than your average NFL running back.

So, for anyone who griped about Baker's struggles in Chicago, sit back and enjoy opening fire on Baker as he battles what seems to be a no-win situation in the Queen City.