Oh' Where Have You Gone Greg Vaughn?

I think that clubhouse personalities are highly underrated not only in baseball but in all sports. If you have ever played for a team with good leader (or lack there of) you probably understand. I bring this up because I was recently day dreaming about why the Reds have had the lack of success since the '99 season.

Before the '99 season the Reds acquired Greg Vaughn with the understanding that they were only going to have him for one season then most likely not be able to afford him after that. According to many Vaughn was a great clubhouse leader and I've heard Marty say on a few occasions that Greg Vaughn was the best leader he has ever seen in a Reds uniform. The story goes that after the horrible April in '99 that Greg Vaughn called a team meeting. He basically said hes not here in Cincinnati to lose and accept losing. To stop saying "hey, don't worry about it we'll get them tomorrow" but to get them TODAY. After that meeting the Reds went on huge run and the only thing that kept them out of the playoffs was their horrible start.

In the offseason Greg Vaughn was not pursued very much by the Cincinnati Reds, especially when it became clear that Griffey Jr. wanted to come back home to Cincinnati.

Its no secret the Reds have stunk since then. "Griffey isn't outspoken but leads by example" is a bunch of crap because he loafs all over the field and continues to swing for the fences when teams shift on him, BUNT THE DAMN BALL FOR A HIT. Hes not a team player and obviously not a leader.

I really don't know what Greg Vaughn is up to or if he would be interested in somehow working with the Reds at this stage as a coach but my point is the Reds need a leader. Someone that can step in and tell Corey Patterson hes not a homerun hitter; someone that has the balls to tell Jr. he could hit .300 again by taking advantage of the shift and not letting his ego get in the way; someone that could create a winning mindset in the clubhouse.

Where Have You Gone Greg Vaughn (to the tune of Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?)