You were sold a bill of goods. Heading toward the All Star break, you were told that because the Reds were a handful of games out of first place, they were contenders; that they could have been somebody. You were told on the airwaves, in print. You stuck your chin out, pugnacious and without pose. Even Dick Williams played along:
“I’d add. I like this team. I think the fans deserve an aggressive approach to making deals.”
Manager David Bell gave the boilerplate response, the one you can find on page 12 of the dog-eared manual Dusty Baker left behind in his office: The Book of Hank:
“I don’t want anyone else in our clubhouse.