ATHENS, Ohio – The fan had a question for Dick Williams. Why, he asked the Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations, had the Reds not pursued any offensive upgrades this offseason? Clearly improvements were needed.
Williams has come to expect such pointed critiques during his stops on the Reds Caravan like this one, at The Market on State here in Athens on Thursday. He was prepared with an answer so honest, it visibly stunned his neighbor on the dais, new Reds pitcher Drew Storen.
“Did you watch us pitch last year?” Williams responded. Storen raised his eyebrows and shared a laughing look with minor-league catcher Chris Okey, like someone in their fourth-grade class had just back-sassed the teacher.