Paul Daugherty: Bob Castellini still a believer, despite Cincinnati Reds 'embarrassing' April

He is a practicing optimist not known for his patience. That’s a tough line to draw in your personal sand, and a bad combination when the baseball team you own starts its season 3-18. I asked Bob Castellini for his explanations. We met Tuesday in his office. Here’s a synopsis of what he said, detail to follow:

April has been “embarrassing.’’ May will be better. Castellini believes in the people running the baseball operation, he doesn’t meddle, he thinks the Reds have a lot of good young players. He understands the impatience of the fans. He expects his club to win at least as many as it loses the rest of 2018: “If we’re not going to play better than .500 baseball from now on, to me that would be a disaster.’’

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Here’s what I think: What Castellini says to me and what he says to his baseball people might not be especially similar. The baseball people have underperformed for several years, partly because the owner can get too involved in their business. The organization’s talent isn’t what he believes it to be. If the Reds go better than .500 the rest of the way, I will run off to Germany and become a Flying Wallenda.

I also believe this:

No one feels the bad start more deeply than Castellini. No one cares more or sleeps less when the Reds stink. Never doubt that the man’s aim is true.

“This is a talented group of ballplayers. They’re fine, young men. We’ve got a very good clubhouse,’’ the owner allowed. “We have very fine baseball people. We’re doing the best we can. We’re thinking a lot, we’re working hard.’ "

“Eyes are rolling all over town right now,’’ I suggested.

“I don’t give a (spit),’’ Castellini said.

He reached into a folder and pulled out two sheets of paper. One was filled with praise for the Reds minor leagues, from experts who appraise such things. The other contained the names and photos of several of the Reds Latin prospects, teenagers mostly, whom Castellini believes will be good major-leaguers.

“We have a very good minor-league system. These guys that are coming up are fantastic,’’ he said. (The Reds top two farm teams, in Louisville and Pensacola, are a collective 13-19 at the moment. Their Class A teams in Dayton and Daytona Beach, Fla., are 22-11.) “We do a pretty good job. A very good job.’’

Castellini said he thinks the Reds have the talent “to be competitive,’’ whatever that means. “I still feel that way, strongly. Get all the laughs you want out of this. You’re not going to deter me’’ from feeling that way.

He said vehemently that he does not interfere with the baseball operation. He interrupted the question. “Do you feel you’ve been too involved in baseball op…’’

“No. It’s bull. We make decisions collectively. When we meet, we all give our opinions. I will come in and say, this is what I think we ought to do. If I don’t get a lot of opposition, we make the decision based on what I say. I do not get overly involved in our operations.’’

He said the Reds didn’t get any decent offers for Billy Hamilton over the winter. “We will keep Billy Hamilton until we feel like we can’t. He’s the best defensive centerfielder in baseball.‘’

He said he wanted to keep Zack Cozart, but couldn’t afford him. He said he didn’t deal Todd Frazier soon enough, and admitted Frazier winning the Home Run Derby at GABP was a factor. “I was not overly zealous about trading him after the Home Run Derby,’’ Castellini said. “I was not alone.’’

He was adamant that the Reds didn’t attract sufficient offers for their other well-paid players on the trading block. He said that’s why the team hung onto those players possibly longer than it should have.

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I cited the Atlanta Braves trade, in December 2015, of starting pitcher Shelby Miller to Arizona for centerfielder Ender Inciarte and shortstop Dansby Swanson. Inciarte, 27, is a two-time Gold Glove winner and an all-star last year. Swanson is a 24-year-old star in the making, currently batting .329. “Fans wonder why the Reds haven’t made trades like that,’’ I said.

I asked him how he thought General Manager Dick Williams was doing.

“You don’t throw this at Dick’s feet,’’ Castellini said. “This is a collective’’ problem. “Dick has got a lot going for him. Very bright, hardworking, surrounded by the same type of people. This is a very important year for Dick, and for all of us.’’

He didn’t see this coming. “We didn’t play that badly’’ in spring training, said Castellini. “The young pitchers were coming along. We really thought it was going to jell. We still believe in this talent.’’

How do you fix it?

“By telling these kids you have confidence in them, and they’re a hell of a lot better than they’re showing,’’ says the owner. Then he adds, “I’m not OK with the results. We have to investigate what the hell is going on here.’’

Full report to come. Until then, optimism and reality share a tenuous co-existence at GABP.