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MLBTR College Series: Reds GM Dick Williams (University of Virginia)

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MLBTR is beginning a series where we interview top baseball executives about their college years. We’ll ask about why those chose their school, memorable moments, their favorite professor, important connections made, college learnings they still use today, etc.

Leading off the question-and-answer series is Cincinnati Reds Senior Vice President/General Manager Dick Williams – a graduate of the University of Virginia.

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First off, sorry about the basketball game Sunday. Why did you choose Virginia?

Jul 2, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds vice president of baseball operations Dick Williams before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m still reeling from the loss. Feel free to put that in the article. It was tough. I was so bummed. It’s been a while since we’ve gone to the Final Four. Why Virginia? It’s tough to pinpoint exactly. I went to boarding school in the northeast and I loved it. After two years in the northeast, I thought I would try a different part of the country. I’ve always been a bit of a wandering soul, and I wanted to try something new. So I applied to some northeastern schools, but I also applied to schools in the southeast and on the West Coast. I kind of had it in my mind that I was going to try a new part of the country.

The real tipping point was that I was a finalist for an award called the Jefferson Scholar, and they award a handful of these each year to incoming freshman. It’s a prestigious academic leadership award. They invite the finalists down their senior year to participate in a multi-day forum. They interview you and they have you participate in activities … and take tests … and they observe you. Then they award the scholarships for the next year. I didn’t get picked as a Jefferson Scholar, but I got to go down there for three days in March of my senior year in high school. And I spent three days on the Charlottesville campus – which was more than I spent on any other college visit. I think I just got more familiar with it. It didn’t hurt that it was St. Patty’s Day while I was there, so they had all these fraternity parties and all of the social activity going on. This beautiful campus … it was spring … it was gorgeous … and we’re just running around having the time of our lives. I really got a good feel from being there. I think that just gave it a leg up over other great schools that I was looking at. I think going there for that long weekend made all the difference.”

Although you weren’t selected a Jefferson Scholar, you did decide to go to UVA. Did you end up going there on an academic scholarship?

“They have another program called the Echols Scholars, and that’s for the top incoming freshmen academically. It is not a monetary scholarship. What it allows you to do is it gives you academic freedom when you get there. And I was an Echols Scholar. It gives you priority to sign up for any classes. Instead of classes based on age or what your major was, if you were an Echols Scholar, you got a free pass into any class you wanted to take. That really shaped my experience there, because I made it a point of trying to take classes in every discipline. I took a class from the engineering school. I took classes from the nursing school. I took classes from the architecture school. I did a little bit of everything – just because I was given that freedom. You didn’t have to meet typical major requirements as an Echols Scholar. You could build your own field of study. So you could really spread it around, and I took full advantage of it. I just took a lot of things that interested me that I would never get a chance to study again. When I look back on my transcript, it wasn’t all finance or all politics. It really was a melting pot of things I was interested in.”

So, what was your major?

“Well, my diploma says Echols Scholar Interdisciplinary Studies. So I had to explain that in job interviews for years. Just telling people that I really didn’t have a major. But I majored in being a liberal arts student – taking a little bit of everything.”

Looking back, should you have focused on a specific major – or are you comfortable with the route you took?

“I’m really comfortable with the route I went. I loved doing it the way I did. And when I got out of college, I went right into investment banking on Wall Street – and they put us through a training program of accounting and finance. I had a very good base in that. I learned plenty there and on the job. I ended up getting my chartered financial analyst designation – my CFA – a few years later, and that was self-study. Once my career took me on a path, then I began to do a lot of that follow-up work on my own.”

 Did you have a favorite class or favorite professor?

“I would have to say my favorite class was what they called ‘Bice Psych.’ Professor Bice. Everybody took that. It was Intro to Psychology. Every class was like a Broadway show. He always brought something very interesting to class. A lot of practical examples. A lot of funny stories. A lot of interactive exhibits. It also didn’t hurt that it was a pretty easy ‘A’ … For me, you got out of high school and you get to college – and you don’t know what to expect. I received some good advice to sign up for this class. It reminded you that academics could be fun and interesting. Not every class was big textbooks that you can’t read and worrying about copying down notes. ‘Bice Psych’ was like going to recess.”

 Can you share any memorable moments from your college days?

“I went abroad for a semester. I went to Australia; that was one of my formative experiences. I had a great time going down there. It’s kind of different being on the other side of the world. It was more about the travel and being able to travel around Australia and New Zealand. I kind of cheated a little bit … I went abroad, but there was no language barrier. That made it easier to meet people.”

Any college learnings that you utilize today?

“Statistics and probability – I took them there and really got a good understanding of them. I was surprised at how much that played into my business career, both in baseball and investment banking. Just the foundation for statistics and probability. It really affects everything you do in your daily life.”

Keep reading after the break for more …

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NL Central Notes: Brewers, Shark, Luebke, Cards

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It was on this day in 2002 that the Cubs traded swingman Julian Tavarez and three prospects to the Marlins for Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca.  While Clement and Alfonseca were useful players for Chicago, this is definitely a “what if?” deal for the Cubs and their fans since Dontrelle Willis was one of the prospects sent to the Fish.  The deal immediately led to some pain for the Cubs when Willis’ Marlins beat Chicago in the 2003 NLCS (featuring the infamous Steve Bartman incident) en route to a World Series title.

Here’s some news from around the NL Central…

  • The Brewers announced several roster moves today, including the news that Will Middlebrooks, Eric Young Jr., Josmil Pinto, Shane Peterson, Manny Pina and Jake Elmore were told they won’t be making the Major League roster (Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the rundown of all the transactions).  All six players will remain in the Brewers’ camp.  Five of the six were new arrivals this winter — Pina was part of the Francisco Rodriguez trade with the Tigers, Pinto was a waiver claim from the Padres, and Middlebrooks, Young and Elmore were all minor league signings.
  • Jeff Samardzija told ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers that he met with Theo Epstein this winter to explore a possible return to the Cubs,  though not much came from the talks.  “From where we were at, it takes a lot more to get a deal done. I think Theo had an idea of what they wanted and what they were looking for this year,” Samardzija said.  The new Giants rotation member also discusses his previous stint with the Cubs and how the club’s rebuilding process has seemed to pay off.
  • The Pirates reinvested in their bullpen this winter, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, a strategy that makes an increasing amonut of financial and statistical sense, particularly for mid-market payroll clubs like the Bucs.
  • Now that Eric O’Flaherty has been traded to Atlanta, it looks like Cory Luebke is going to make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.  The 31-year-old has reportedly clocking in at 94mph with his fastball and 87mph with his curve this spring.  Luebke has an opt-out on Tuesday but it sounds like the Bucs won’t give opposing teams a chance to snatch him up.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says that the team’s decision on Rule 5 right-hander Matt Bowman “could come down to the final hour,” as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com writes.  The Cardinals selected Bowman off of the Mets’ roster in December, making him their first Rule 5 selection in four years.  Roughly two weeks ago, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported that Bowman was “more likely than not” to make the cut in St. Louis.
  • Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo will be taking a medical leave of absence to recover from offseason knee surgery, the club told reporters today (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).  Manager Mike Matheny said the Cards are preparing as if Oquendo will miss the entire season, and several members of the St. Louis coaching staff have shuffled positions.
  • The Reds have some decisions to make before Opening Day, as C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer project the club’s 25-man roster.

Reds Sign Ross Ohlendorf To Big-League Deal

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The Reds have signed righty Ross Ohlendorf to a Major League deal, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. The Reds have announced that it’s a one-year deal. Ohlendorf is a client of Jon Fetterolf.

The 33-year-old Ohlendorf opted out of his minor-league deal with the Royals earlier this week. He figures to provide help for a Reds bullpen that lacked stability behind closer J.J. Hoover.

Ohlendorf missed a chunk of the 2015 campaign due to a groin injury but pitched decently when healthy, posting a 3.72 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 19 1/3 innings with the Rangers and also showing a good strikeout rate in 36 2/3 innings in Triple-A. It was his first big-league season since 2008 spent primarily in the bullpen, and he experienced the bump in velocity typical of starter-to-reliever conversions, throwing his fastball at an average of 93.8 MPH. Ohlendorf has played parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, also appearing with the Yankees, Pirates, Padres and Nationals.

NL Central Notes: Bailey, Smith, Jones, Braun, Victorino, Luebke

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Reds righty Homer Bailey is progressing rapidly in his effort to return from Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s Barry Bloom writes. The club is targeting a May 1 return, which would be less than a year from the date of his procedure. Manager Bryan Price actually suggested that Bailey could have been ready for the start of the season, but the organization chose not to “push him.” The right represents an important bounceback player to watch, given his huge contract. He says that recovery has been “smoother” than he anticipated and that he’s yet to experience discomfort throwing.

Here’s more from the NL Central:

  • There was plenty of news out of Brewers camp today, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Top reliever Will Smith is experiencing knee swelling and could miss the start of the season. That would leave Jeremy Jeffress as the obvious choice to handle the 9th while Smith works back to full speed.
  • Brewers Rule 5 pick Zack Jones has had shoulder issues all spring long and is going to start out on the DL. That could actually make it easier to keep him, as the team can bring him along slowly and give him some minor league time on a rehab assignment before exposing him to the majors.
  • The lower back soreness experienced recently by Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun appears to be an increasing concern. Manager Craig Counsell suggested that the team will exercise caution, but doesn’t expect the problem to disappear in the next few days. “We may have to manage this into the season,” said Counsell. “That’s becoming apparent now.”
  • Outfielder Shane Victorino discussed his status with the Cubs with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It appears he’s still deciding whether to remain in the organization, but doesn’t seem inclined to retire. “I just still want to play the game I love,” Victorino said. “We all want to do that forever, but this time I really felt like I had made a turn for the better this offseason, going back to switch-hitting.” He added that he wouldn’t hesitate to call it quits if he felt otherwise, saying: “I am my hardest critic, so if I feel like I am done, no one would need to make that decision for me.”
  • Pirates lefty Cory Luebke has an opt-out date of Tuesday the 29th, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. That’ll be an interesting situation to monitor, as Luebke has reportedly been fairly impressive in camp — as we covered last night.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/24/16

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Here are some minor moves from around baseball over the last week…

  • The White Sox signed righty Chris Volstad to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  The move comes less than two weeks after Volstad was released from his previous minors deal with the Braves.  Volstad was an innings-eating rotation arm for the Marlins and Cubs from 2009-12 but he’s pitched just 10 1/3 big league frames since then, bouncing between five different MLB clubs and a stint in the Korea Baseball Organization.
  • The Marlins released righty Preston Claiborne, as per the team’s official MLB.com transactions page.  Miami took Claiborne off waivers from the Yankees last winter but he missed the entire season with a shoulder injury.  Claiborne posted a 3.79 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.42 K/BB rate over 71 1/3 innings out of the Yankees bullpen in 2013-14.
  • The Reds released southpaw Jonathan Sanchez, as per the team’s Twitter feed.  Sanchez was a staple in the Giants rotation from 2008-10, tossing a no-hitter in 2009 and helping the team win the World Series in 2010.  He had control problems even at his peak, however, and he posted an 8.73 ERA, 63 walks and 60 strikeouts over 78 1/3 innings in 2012-13, which was his last taste of MLB action.

Tigers Among Teams Looking At Kyle Lohse

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11:11am: In addition to the Tigers, Heyman reports (via Twitter) that the Orioles, Rangers and Reds also attended Lohse’s recent showcase.  The O’s and Rangers would presumably also be looking at Lohse as experienced depth, though Baltimore’s rotation is unsettled enough that Lohse could have an opportunity at regular innings.  Cincinnati, meanwhile, is going with a very inexperienced group of starting candidates so Lohse could be a fit as a veteran innings eater.

9:33am: The Tigers “are emphasizing depth” in the starting rotation and have some interest in veteran righty Kyle Lohse, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Lohse is a client of Scott Boras, who has a well-documented connection with Tigers owner Mike Ilitch.

The Marlins were the only other club connected to the 37-year-old this winter, and the quiet rumor mill probably isn’t a surprise given Lohse’s age and his rough 2015 season.  He posted a 5.85 ERA and 6.4 K/9 over 152 1/3 innings with the Brewers, a performance that cost him his rotation job.  The largest issue seemed to be a 15.3% homer rate that was well above Lohse’s 10% career average, though a .314 BABIP and 68.7% strand rate also added to Lohse’s misfortune. While his ERA indicators (5.12 FIP, 4.48 xFIP, 4.43 SIERA) weren’t particularly impressive, they show that Lohse’s 5.85 ERA was at least a bit misleading.

Lohse is probably available on a minor league deal at this point, and he could provide some veteran depth for a rotation that has had a couple of injury question marks.  Anibal Sanchez recently pitched his first outing of camp on Monday after battling triceps inflammation this spring, and Daniel Norris recently left a start due to tightness in his lower back.  Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey are penciled in as Detroit’s top four starters, with Shane Greene, Matt Boyd and Buck Farmer all battling Norris for the fifth starter’s job (and potentially a spot outing for Sanchez if he isn’t able to make his first start of the regular season).

NL Central Notes: Lucroy, Bruce, Schwarber, Pirates

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Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Brewers were talking with the Astros and Braves about a three-team trade involving Jonathan Lucroy last month, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.  Houston made an attempt at Lucroy earlier in the offseason, as previously reported by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, and the club has also been linked to Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte.  This isn’t to say that Inciarte was also necessarily part of this three-team proposal, of course, as Atlanta’s role in the trade could’ve taken any number of forms.
  • Lucroy has been the subject of many trade rumors this winter, to the point that he and his family don’t have living arrangements in Milwaukee settled yet since he presumed he was going to be dealt.  “It’s all out of your control. But communication is a big thing. I’d like to be kept up to date what’s going on. It’s not like I’m going to spread it all around, I just want to know when it’s coming, when to expect it,” the longtime Brewers catcher said.
  • Also from Nightengale’s piece, he notes that the Reds were willing to pay roughly $8MM of Jay Bruce’s $12.5MM salary as part of the abandoned three-team trade that would’ve sent Bruce to the Blue Jays, Michael Saunders to the Angels and prospects to Cincinnati.  It was expected that the Reds would have to eat some money in any Bruce deal, given that the outfielder is coming off two consecutive subpar seasons.  Saunders is making $2.9MM in 2016, so adding Bruce would’ve cost Toronto around $1.6MM in extra salary (not counting the $1MM buyout of Bruce’s $13MM club option for 2017).
  • Like Lucroy, Bruce is also rather surprised to still be with his original team given all of the trade speculation.  He reiterated that he would prefer to stay with the Reds, and blames his recent “pretty poor” play for threatening his long-term future in Cincinnati.  (Though it could be argued that if Bruce had been hitting more, the Reds would’ve been able to move him sooner.)  “In order for me to have a chance to stay here, I need to play better.  We’ll see what happens.  I never changed my sentiment, wanting to be part of this for the long haul….But obviously, I have to do my part to even have a chance,” Bruce said.
  • Kyle Schwarber could be a personal catcher for Jason Hammel this season, CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney writes, as the Cubs are looking for ways to get Schwarber’s bat into the lineup whenever possible.  Schwarber’s defensive future has been the subject of much debate, as he’s scheduled to see most of his playing time in left field this year even though his fielding prowess is still a question mark.  It’s also unclear if Schwarber can handle being a regular catcher, though with Miguel Montero and David Ross ahead of him on Chicago’s catching depth chart, he could be eased into the position for just Hammel’s starts.  Being removed from too much grind behind the plate could actually benefit Schwarber, Mooney notes, by helping him stay healthy.
  • The Pirates hired James Harris as a special assistant to baseball operations in February, and Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review examines how the hiring is an example of how the Bucs are willing to look outside of baseball for ways to build their organization.  Harris specializes in fitness and nutrition techniques and he has spent much of his career in football, including the last decade working with Chip Kelly both at the University of Oregon and with the NFL’s Eagles.  Harris’ lack of baseball experience wasn’t a big factor for Pirates GM Neal Huntington, as the goal for any athlete is about “maximizing performance.  How do we help this player get better every day and perform as consistently as possible?“

NL Notes: Gray, Dodgers, Reds

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Rockies righty Jon Gray has an abdominal strain, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “He felt something,” said manager Walt Weiss after the Rockies’ Cactus League game Tuesday. “We don’t know the extent of it. … We are always going to use caution in a situation like that.” The team does not know when Gray will return. Gray, the Rockies’ top pick in 2013, was ticketed for a spot in the rotation. David Hale, Christian Bergman or Chris Rusin could take his place, although Rusin hasn’t yet pitched this spring due to inflammation in his finger. Here’s more from the National League.

  • By setting their sights on the future, the Dodgers stand to waste what could be their last three years with Clayton Kershaw, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes. Kershaw is signed through 2020 but can opt out of his deal after 2018. This offseason, the Dodgers allowed Zack Greinke to depart for Arizona via a similar opt-out clause, and their rotation is now a jumble due to a variety of injuries to pitchers like Brett Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Mike Bolsinger. (The Dodgers say they are planning on improving this season by getting better performances from players they already controlled, like Yasiel Puig.) If the Dodgers don’t build contending teams around Kershaw, Hernandez warns, he could depart just as Greinke did. Kershaw’s own take on this issue is less heated than Hernandez’s, however. “I can only speak for what’s happened since I’ve been here, and every single year I feel we’ve had the chance to win,” he says. “That’s really, as a player, all you can ask for.”
  • With less than two weeks to go before Opening Day, the Reds still have plenty of open spots in their bullpen, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. J.J. Hoover will serve as the team’s closer, but what happens after that is unknown. Tony Cingrani, Caleb Cotham, Dayan Diaz, Jumbo Diaz, Drew Hayes, Ryan Mattheus, Chris O’Grady, J.C. Ramirez, Keyvius Sampson, Pedro Villarreal and Blake Wood are all battling for spots. (One would think, though, that some of those, like Cingrani and Jumbo Diaz, would be more likely than others.) From that group, O’Grady is worth watching, since he’s a Rule 5 draftee who the Reds are likely to lose if he doesn’t make the team. Another Rule 5 pick, outfielder Jake Cave, is battling for a spot on the bench, and one of his competitors is Yorman Rodriguez, who’s out of options.

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Pirates, Brewers, Reds

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No team will fret over having too much in the way of talent, but Phil Rogers of MLB.com wonders if the Cubs’ depth could stifle the growth of Javier Baez and Jorge Soler.  In the case of Baez, manager Joe Maddon believes that he can get enough work in as a utility player.  Overall, Maddon is grateful to have such strong insurance against injuries.

“It’s obvious just by making the daily lineups now,” he said on Sunday. “When you give guys a day off playing but the team that goes to play that day is pretty thick still. That’s what has hit home with me. … The depth is really intriguing. You need that to be successful during the course of a long season. You’re going to have things happen. No question.”

Here’s more out of the NL Central:

  • Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took on the tough task of predicting the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.  His projections do not include outfielder Matt Joyce, who was brought in on a minor-league deal this offseason.  Nesbitt’s writes that his projections could be thrown off by a few factors, including the possibility that Michael Morse is moved in anticipation of Jung Ho Kang’s return.
  • Brewers left-hander Sean Nolin won’t be ready for Opening Day and that could have roster implications for Milwaukee, as Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel writes.  As Nolin deals with his elbow issue, only two lefties – Chris Capuano and Franklin Morales – are left vying for spots and both were brought in on minor league deals.  Those two southpaws plus reliever Blaine Boyer have opt out clauses in their contracts that could spring them from their deals before Opening Day.
  • Nolin is out-of-options, but his elbow issue likely will buy the Brewers time in making a decision on him, Haudricourt tweets.  Nolin is likely destined for the DL.
  • J.J. Hoover is likely to be the Reds’ closer and manager Bryan Price says he would “definitely” be the choice if the season started now, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes.  Hoover, who won his arbitration case against the Reds this offseason, could help his arb case next offseason if he can rack up saves.

Injury Notes: Meadows, Lorenzen, Kopech, Boesch

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Pirates prospect Austin Meadows had surgery to fix an orbital fracture, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets. He will return to action in an estimated six to eight weeks. The injury occurred earlier this spring, when Meadows got hit by a ball while playing catch. MLB.com currently ranks Meadows the Pirates’ second-best prospect. After batting .307/.357/.407 for Class A+ Bradenton last year, Meadows will likely begin his 2016 season at Double-A Altoona, at least after he’s finished with any rehab assignments. Here are more quick injury notes.

  • Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen was examined earlier this week by Dr. Timothy Kremchek earlier this week, and he will not throw for “another couple of weeks,” MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets. Lorenzen was previously diagnosed with a mild UCL sprain. He had been set to compete for a job in the Reds’ currently injury-riddled rotation. The 24-year-old Lorenzen posted a 5.40 ERA, 6.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 113 1/3 innings in his rookie season with the Reds last year.
  • Red Sox prospect Michael Kopech had a screw inserted into his right hand Tuesday to stabilize a fracture he suffered while fighting with a teammate, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. He will be out about six weeks, at which point he will begin getting ready for the season. As Speier notes, 2016 will be the second straight shortened season for Kopech, who served a 50-game suspension last year for use of the stimulant Oxilofrine. The 2014 first-round pick posted a 2.63 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 65 innings with Class A Greenville last year. He’s currently ranked the Red Sox’ fifth-best prospect.
  • Another Red Sock, outfielder Brennan Boesch, broke his wrist while attempting to make a catch on Friday, John Tomase of WEEI.com writes. Boesch’s return date is unknown. The Red Sox signed Boesch to a minor-league deal in January after he split the 2015 season between Cincinnati and Triple-A Louisville, hitting well in the minors but batting .146/.191/.202 in 94 plate appearances in the big leagues. The 30-year-old is best known for his three years of semi-regular duty with the Tigers from 2010-2012.
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