The Reds named Driveline Baseball President & Founder Kyle Boddy Dir of Pitching Initiatives & Pitching Coordinator, after Boddy spent years "consulting for teams as Driveline grew from a simple blog into the game's foremost training facility and think tank," according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Boddy will help to "overhaul the organization's minor league pitching development" after having "started Driveline Baseball as a hobby to help young players learn more about baseball." In recent months, Boddy interviewed with teams and "sought a specific role in which he would oversee the pitching development while maintaining his job" at Driveline. Boddy said that other teams "offered more money but wanted him to give up his role at Driveline." Instead, he hopes his deal with the Reds "sets a new standard, in which Driveline instructors can work for teams while still participating in the research and player development at the company." Driveline welcomes "dozens of professional players from multiple organizations every offseason for training, as well as a host of Seattle-area kids and other amateur players who fly in from around the country" (ESPN.com, 10/2).
RAISING THE BAR: Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams said of the team's eight-win improvement over last season, "Nobody is content. Nobody is satisfied. Nobody is happy with that." The Reds entered the '19 season with a "record payroll" of about $130M. Williams said, "Directionally, we are going to continue to build and invest in this team and have more financial resources available for us. Our payroll will be bigger this year" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 10/3).
