From The Reds...
The Cincinnati Reds this morning announced that Dick Williams has resigned as President of Baseball Operations to pursue personal interests outside baseball.
Nick Krall will continue in his role as the team's Vice President, General Manager.
“Dick has been an integral part of the Reds' success from our first days of ownership in 2006 through our Postseason appearance in 2020,” said Reds CEO Bob Castellini. “He took the lead on modernizing every aspect of our baseball operations. Dick was the mastermind behind our incredible facility in Goodyear, drove advances in our scouting and player development systems, expanded our capacity for analytics and established our sports science departments, just to name a few."
“It is the right time for me to begin a transition, both professionally and personally. I have been affiliated with this organization in one way or another for most of my life, but I have been working here full-time for 15 years," Williams said. "More than anything, I was so proud to represent this unbelievable city of ours. It was the honor of a lifetime to be a small part of assembling teams that went out and battled for these fans. My earliest memories are of being a fan of the Reds and of my father and grandfather being involved with the team and bringing that success. I always wanted to play a part in bringing that full circle.”
Castellini said, "Dick has an incredible baseball IQ, and his gift for innovation came at the right time in history. We are enormously proud of the contributions he has made to this franchise.”
"I am not sure everybody appreciates the sacrifices our families make for us in this sport. In order to do this job right, you are at a ballpark, either in the major or minor leagues, every single day, night and weekend from mid-February until deep into the fall," said Williams, who spent the last five years as head of the baseball operations department. "That was a lot to ask of my young family, and they supported me every step of the way. It is time to pour some of that energy back into them.”
“No doubt this change in course will give Dick more time with his family,” said Castellini. “And, Dick loves to learn, so he is going to thrive professionally being in a new environment.”
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to work directly with my father and uncle for the first time," added Williams, who is taking a position with family-owned and controlled North American Properties. "Aside from the Reds, we have a lot of exciting businesses to grow.”
"I owe Bob Castellini a debt of gratitude for allowing me this opportunity. I wish I could have brought him and the rest of our ownership group a world championship by now," Williams said. "Bob truly loves this franchise and will put everything he can into it. He has been very supportive and understanding of my situation. I look forward to watching our team next year at the ballpark and have offered my continued support to Bob, Nick and the rest of the team.”
“Dick is a Cincinnati Red through and through, and his departure from our day-to-day operations leaves a void,” said Castellini. “We are going to take a closer at the structure of our baseball operations before making any decisions about replacing him.”
During Williams' tenure in the front office, the Reds won the National League's Central Division twice, earned four Postseason berths and received Baseball America's prestigious Organization of the Year Award in 2012.
Under his leadership as the head of the team's baseball operations department, the Reds strengthened their farm system by growing their amateur scouting and player development staffs, implemented analytics initiatives that included the additions of both personnel and infrastructure, strengthened the scouting presence in the Pacific Rim and Latin America and became one of the first teams in baseball to establish a sports science and wellness department.