By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOENIX - As baseball's longest-tenured general manager, John Schuerholz speaks with the wisdom of experience.

So when the subject turned to Reds general manager Dan O'Brien on Tuesday, the Braves GM offered his perspective about what O'Brien likely is experiencing as a first-time GM.

"It's acclimation, information gathering, familiarization, getting to know staff, getting to know working policies," said Schuerholz, who was hired by the Braves in 1990. "It's getting to feel comfortable with all that and measuring what you view as good and not as good, and putting in place a plan that prepares and fosters the change required.

"Dan is a smart guy, a very intelligent guy. So he'll get all of that done."

Based on that, O'Brien has plenty of work ahead.

His peers are confident he's a good fit for the Reds.

"He's a very well-respected, knowledgeable and prepared general manager," said Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar, who took his first and only GM job in 1995.

"A lot of us in the game were surprised it took him this long to become a GM.

"He has a great feel and probably because of his experiences in the game, is probably as prepared if not more than I was going into that opportunity."