Reds manager Bob Boone will lead the team into Great American Ball Park next season, not because of the quantity of his strategic moves but because the players have executed them.

Bob Boone talks to Ken Griffey Jr. before taking him out of Tuesday night's game after the sixth inning. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        “We felt Bob did a very good job with this team from spring training on,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden said after picking up the option on Boone's contract Tuesday. “He works well with the players, the front office and the coaching staff. He has done a great job with this team, and he deserves to come back and lead this team into the new stadium.”

        The Reds didn't disclose the terms of Boone's contract.

        A big reason why the Reds have been unlikely contenders in the National League Central pennant race is because, as a former catcher, Boone knows how to handle pitchers.

        “Every time there was a trip to the mound by the manager (back in Boone's playing days), he was always there,” Reds closer Graves said. “It shows. It's not an easy job keeping 12 guys happy. It's helpful that our bullpen knows its roles, and he maximizes that.”

        Boone, 54, is the 56th manager in Reds history. He was the team's bench coach in 1994 under manager Davey Johnson and rejoined the organization as a special assistant to the GM in 1997. In November 2000, he signed a two-year contract to manage the team.

        Scott Sullivan, Graves' setup man, said Boone trusts veteran bullpen pitchers to know when they have to get ready, and he makes certain younger guys know how to approach their jobs.

        “I was getting knocked around earlier this year, and he still kept me in there, kept giving me the ball, kept me in the same role,” Sullivan said. “He gave me opportunities. That's really reassuring to a (veteran) pitcher.”

        One of the crucial attributes for a manager, Sullivan said, is being able “to read people, knowing when to push and when to let off. What works with one individual might not work with another. He's low-key, which I enjoy, and he treats us like professionals. I appreciate that, and so do the other players.”

        Boone said he had known for a while that the Reds would pick up the option on his contract. It was just a matter of the usual, day-to-day operation of the ballclub necessitating that his deal being extended had to wait until now.

        “I'm pleased, and I'm excited with the direction this organization is headed,” Boone said.

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