Reds' interim manager Jim Riggleman: 'We gotta go play better'

Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman reclined uneasily in a padded office chair for his first-ever media session as interim manager at Great American Ball Park on Monday afternoon.

Behind Riggleman were shelves left barren as a result of the recent managerial change made by the organization. He's still in the process of filling out the space vacated recently by Bryan Price. 

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Before Riggleman was a media contingent eager to dissect the new Reds skipper's strategies, personnel preferences and thoughts on a season that's quickly slipping away. 

Like the bare bookshelves and walls in his new office, there was only so much Riggleman could do or say in response on his first day in the managerial position at his home park.

How will Riggleman keep the team's collective of young talent focused in the midst of the organization's 3-18 start? 

"That's a good point. I mentioned that to the club yesterday," Riggleman said. "I was involved in a situation in Chicago many years ago where we got off to a horrendous start. ... I was able to say that to the players. Look, we've been through it. We can handle this. You can handle it, and the way to handle it is to get out of it. We've gonna get out of it." 

How do you keep the few bright spots – pitcher Amir Garrett was mentioned specifically – from dimming in the cloud currently hanging over the team? 

And what of Billy Hamilton batting ninth? Will that remain the case going forward? (it was once again the scheduled plan for Monday's scheduled game against the Atlanta Braves). 

Riggleman essentially indicated a wait-and-see approach to Hamilton, who is 1-for-13 at the plate in his last five games.

All fair questions. Riggleman entertained each. After the media session broke up, he greeted a few reporters in an attempt to start to match names to faces he'll now be seeing regularly.

The full truth of the challenge before Riggleman's wasn't reflected in the responses to queries about the smaller details, but rather in his response to the first question he faced.

The Reds need to play better, Riggleman said, and the sooner that happens, the better.

"It's baseball. It's 60 feet, six inches. It's 90 feet. Home or away, you've go to play good baseball and we've just got to play better baseball and swing the bats and pitch and everything you've got to do," Riggleman said. "Whether you're home or away, you know, it's great to be home, but that's not going to solve our problems. We gotta go play better baseball."