Barry Larkin exposes why David Bell was the wrong manager for a young Reds team

David Bell was the Cincinnati Reds manager for six seasons. A sub-.500 record at the helm and no playoff victories were among the chief things Reds fans and skeptics can point for Bell's lack of success, and ultimate firing before the end the 2024 season.

But Hall of Famer and Cincinnati legend Barry Larkin added some of his own thoughts. Although his comments may weren't necessarily aimed at Bell directly, Reds fans are smart enough to read between the lines.

Citing Lou Piniella as a success story, Larkin shared how his former skipper forced accountability onto the younger players in the clubhouse during the 1990 season. That focus equated to more quality baseball, and eventually a World Series championship.

Reds legend Barry Larkin exposes why David Bell was the wrong manager for the job

"Lou Piniella set a tone," Larkin said. "And the tone was, I don't accept losing. We don't lose, I don't accept losing. You might beat me, but we're not going to lose. And once you understand what that really, truly means, it means I'm not going to beat myself. Lou Piniella did not accept mental errors."

Speaking to Jeremy Rauch of FOX19, Larkin talked about his desire to see this young Reds team make smart base running decisions and avoid throwing to the wrong base; errors that were prevalent in 2024 under Bell's leadership. Larkin didn't seem pleased by the way Bell handled the clubhouse either, but sees a lot of similarities between Piniella and new Reds manager Terry Francona.

Paying attention to the details, doing the small things, and holding each other accountable are strong baseball principles that have historically led to winning. Larkin believes that Francona will adhere to this type of criteria and instill a sense of responsibility into this year's team.

One player who Larkin undoubtedly wants to see take that next step is Elly De La Cruz. The Reds' shortstop is on the brink of superstardom, but amassed a league-leading 29 errors in 2024, struck out a league-high 218 times, and was caught stealing a league-worst 16 times.

Under Francona's tutelage, De La Cruz has the potential to become the next great player in Reds history. If De La Cruz can patch up the mistakes under Francona (that apparently went unpunished by Bell) then the rest of Cincinnati's young stars can follow suit.

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