5 truths about the Cincinnati Reds that fans do not want to hear

2. Reds manager David Bell deserved the contract extension he signed earlier this season.

Is there a more polarizing person in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse than David Bell? I would venture to say, no. The Reds manager is oftentimes the target of the fanbase's ire when things go wrong. But rarely does Bell get credit when things go right. Such is the life of a major league manager.

Bell was handed a three-year contract extension earlier this season, and the Reds skipper earned it. There are those fans who will say, "Look at the Reds record since Bell received his contract extension." To which I would say, look at strength of opponents and the number of injuries that occurred during that stretch.

Does Bell make some boneheaded decisions sometimes? Name me one manager who doesn't. Is Bell incredibly reliant on computer models and spreadsheets? Yes, and so is every other manager in the game today.

Like it or not, analytics has taken over the game of baseball, and a manager's "feel" for the game is now trumped in favor of how he handles a player's ego and manages the clubhouse. It's a different generation of baseball, and today's players gravitate towards a manager like Bell.

You can argue that the Cincinnati Reds handed David Bell a contract extension at the wrong time, but there's no way to argue that he didn't deserve it. While some fans don't like the idea of Bell managing their favorite team for the next three years, that's the reality they're going to have to live with.