By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Reds brought back Ron Oester (right, next to manager Dave Miley) to the organization as the team's minor-league field coordinator. (Associated Press photo)

Ron Oester's new position with the Reds is a big one. He is the on-field person in charge of all minor-leaguers.

But Oester's return to the organization - symbolically - is monumental.

If there were any doubt that the Jim Bowden Era were over, it ended when Oester was named minor-league field coordinator.

A TV reporter asked Oester if he would have taken the job if Bowden were still in charge. The TV guy might as well have asked Oester if he planned to celebrate New Year's by dancing naked on Fountain Square.

The "no" he got would have been just as strong.

Oester, after all, is the guy who said Bowden "ruined his life" after Bowden offered Oester the manager's job in 2001, then gave it to Bob Boone while Oester waited for a better offer. It was Bowden, Oester said, who told him to hold out for a better offer.

The sting of the debacle was so strong that Oester refused to shake Bowden's hand during the on-field closing ceremony at Cinergy Field.

So, no, he wouldn't be working for the Reds if Bowden were still the GM.

"I'm glad to see the direction the organization is taking," Oester said. "(New GM) Dan O'Brien is an honest and trustworthy guy."

Oester, 47, has spent 27 of his 31 years in baseball with the Reds - 13 as a Reds player and six as a big-league coach. As ugly as his departure was, he thought he'd be back.

"I was born and raised here," he said. "I just didn't think it would happen this soon."

Oester harbored no ill will against chief operating officer John Allen or the club.

Oester's position is a new one. Player development director Tim Naehring previously handled the duties himself.

"The position is not unique to the Reds," Naehring said. "About 10 days after he got the job, Dan and I talked about what I need as far as personnel. I mentioned a catching coordinator. He said, 'I want to put a seed in your head,' and mentioned a field coordinator. I enjoyed putting on a uniform and working with guys. But Dan wanted another set of eyes."

Naehring, once he warmed to the idea, thought of Oester.

"Who's better qualified than Ronnie O?" Naehring said. "He moved up through the Reds system. He's been a roving instructor, a manager, a big-league coach. I love the fact that he's a disciplinarian."

Oester and Naehring both talked about getting things back to the way they were in the Reds' minor-league system. Naehring instituted a no-earring and no-facial hair policy. He is also a stickler on how the players wear their uniforms and for respecting the game. Oester's picture is on the clubhouse walls as an example of how to dress.

"This organization in this market has to build from within," Oester said. "We want to get it back to how it was in the '70s."

Who better to do it than Oester, a player who came through the system in the '70s. Naehring wants more former Reds in the fold. He hired Chris Sabo as hitting coach at Single-A Billings and Max Venable as hitting coach at Single-A Dayton.

He'd like to bring in other former players to spring training in less formal roles.

"I think it's essential to have the former players around," Naehring said. "I never was in a position to make those calls. Ronnie is. I'd like to have guys come down even if it's just to play golf and then talk to our players. It means a lot to the players."

Oester spent the last two years as an instructor in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

He was set to return to the job until Naehring and assistant player development director Grant Griesser took him to lunch two weeks ago.

Oester also heard from several teams about coaching on the big-league level.

"But this is what I want to do," he said. "I love working with the minor-leaguers. This gives me a chance to spend more time with my family."

Oester will formulate a plan for every minor-league player in the organization - pitchers, catchers and position players.

And the players who don't follow the plan?

"Oh, I'll get on them," he said.

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com