Dumping Krivsky just latest proof Reds don't have a clue

What happened to continuity?

What happened to patience?

Castellini's words, it turns out, were only lip service. That thing about putting good people in place and letting them do their jobs? Hogwash.

It's a poor way to run a franchise. It's a worse way to treat a human being (especially one who was hired in February 2006, only days before the start of spring training, and was forced to learn everything about the Reds on the fly).

Krivsky's record was not perfect, and part of his legacy will be that terrible decision to deal Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez as part of a package to Washington that brought relievers Gary Majewski (who turned out to be hurt) and Bill Bray while the Reds were struggling to contend in 2006.

But he also struck an excellent trade to bring second baseman Brandon Phillips from Cleveland. He's the guy who was a genius two years ago for acquiring Bronson Arroyo from Boston. And he lasered in on right-hander Edinson Volquez in Texas last fall when the Rangers asked about outfielder Josh Hamilton.

Through several weeks of trade talks, Rangers GM Jon Daniels told me this spring, Krivsky insisted that Volquez had to be part of any deal for Hamilton.

"Wayne was pretty clear what it was going to cost from Day 1," Daniels said during our conversation in Surprise, Ariz. "It took us awhile. I tried a lot of different variations without giving up Volquez. But Wayne stuck with Volquez."

This season, Volquez is 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA in four starts for the Reds.

A week or so ago in San Diego's Petco Park, with various televisions tuned to several out-of-town games in the Padres clubhouse, future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux sat glued to the Reds game, locked in on Volquez.

"Who is this guy?" an impressed Maddux asked, as if happening upon an undiscovered gem.

The depressing thing for those who follow the Reds is that every time the club starts in one direction, it only lasts a few steps before they change again. Now in his fifth season, outfielder Ryan Freel already has played for five different managers.

Upstairs, Krivsky made some enemies by firing some Reds scouts and rearranging some things, but again, if he wasn't even going to be allowed to finish his third season, what was the point of allowing him that much latitude to begin with? Now all it accomplished was disrupting the organization.

Of 63 players in camp during Krivsky's first spring in 2006, only 14 of them were left this spring. And of 32 pitchers then, only four were still around in '08.

There was a plan ... and now there's not.

During another long conversation this spring in Florida, this one with Krivsky, the now-deposed GM quickly told me to "go ask Walt" when I asked about the inner workings of the Castellini-Jocketty-Krivsky triumverate and whether Jocketty one day would become a GM again. (I did, and Jocketty said at that point he wasn't sure what his plans were.)

"Everybody has a job to do," Krivsky said. "I've got to supply the players. The player-development people have to do their job. The coaching staff has to do its job. It's a team effort.

"Stability is important. Look at the successful organizations. It doesn't matter what sport. Look at the New England Patriots, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Twins, the Atlanta Braves. There's some continuity with successful franchises.

"Look at the Braves, and how long Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz have been there, and a lot of other people, too."

Now look at the Reds, and how the people continue to shuffle in and out.

There was a plan ... and now, today, there's not.

Again.