http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20131004/SPT04/310040120/Castellini-denies-Baker-Jacoby-report

Owner Bob Castellini echoed what general manager Walt Jocketty said: Dusty Baker was fired because of the Reds' late collapse.

"It really was a tough decision," Castellini said. "I had a good relationship with Dusty. He's a hell of a guy, a real renaissance man. But it wasn't working with this particular team, at this particular minute. You've got to make a change."

"Did you see the team playing with great passion, vigor and and confidence? And as a team? I don't think that anyone can say that positively. I think it was apparent that they were not playing up to their potential."

Castellini denied a report that Baker was fired after Jocketty told him hitting coach Brook Jacoby was going to be fired. Baker reportedly said: "If you're going to fire someone, fire me."

"That's somebody's imagination," Castellini said. "If he had that discussion with somebody, it wasn't me. That's No. 1. No. 2, that would never enter into a decision whether you would fire Dusty or not.

"That has never come up. We have never discussed Brook as far as next year or the year after. Those discussions come."

As for the new manager?

"We were looking for the best guy for this particular team," Castellini said. "Do we have anyone exactly in mind? No. We're going to search ad listen to a lot of people. We're on it right away."