Fansided

Reds’ Bryan Price apologizes for rant… sort of

By Stanford Crissey

Apr 19, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price (38) looks on during the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Reds 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price (38) looks on during the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Reds 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Reds’ Bryan Price apologizes for his profanity-laced tirade, but refuses to back off his message

Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price is in a bit of hot water at the moment. In a pregame meeting with reporters Monday, Price, upset with media coverage of the team, launched into a profanity-laced tirade.

Here’s the rant in part (there was audio available via the Louisville Courier-Journal at one point, but it has since been removed from the website):

More from Cincinnati Reds

Price said the f-word a grand total of 77 times in the five and a half minute rant, which began as an argument with Reds beat reporter C. Trent Rosecrans, who tweeted after the game–after the game–that catcher Devin Mesoraco couldn’t pinch hit because he did not join the team in St. Louis.

Price apparently took this instance of basic reporting as a violation of privacy on par with NSA and responded with 77 f-bombs in five minutes. Seems rational.

Today, Price issued an apology via the Reds’ twitter account for the profanity.

So Price is apologizing for using profanity, but not for the content of his message? Interesting.

Price’s rant was based on perceived over-coverage of the team by the media; he mentions reports of Billy Hamilton’s broken finger, and backup catcher Kyle Skipworth being sent to the minors as examples, in addition to the Mesoraco news.

Despite the apology, Price seems to have a profound misunderstanding about what a beat writer’s job is. At one point in the tirade, Price told the reporters “your job isn’t to sniff out every f—- little thing that is about the Reds and f—– put it out there for every other f—- guy to hear. It’s not your job.”

Um, Bryan? That is their job. That’s pretty much the definition of what a beat writer is.

Price doesn’t have to like the media coverage. It may make his job a little harder. But he has to respect the jobs of the reporters, and not make it harder for them to do those jobs.

At least one prominent baseball analyst, ESPN’s Keith Law, thinks Price’s job should be in jeopardy for his remarks and refusal to back down from them.

Other journalists have also called out Price for his attitude toward the media following this not-quite apology.

This is what Price doesn’t seem to understand: the profanity was bad, but he also needs to apologize for the content of the rant. Beat writers and media members don’t work for him; they have a job to do, and it’s not to make Bryan Price happy, it’s to report the news.

More from FanSided

Home/Cincinnati Reds