The question is, does he know his K's as well?

Because the answer to that query will go a long way in determining whether Jacoby proves to be a success or if he can't get beyond first base in his new post.

Sure, the Reds need a mentor who can address their weakness as it relates to situational hitting. They can also use a coach who gets his charges to be more consistent when it comes to delivering with runners in scoring position.

There's no doubt that much of Jacoby's job will involve dealing with those two concerns.

But there's another fly that's contaminating the Reds' offensive ointment. And it's a monstrous flaw that must be attended to immediately if not sooner.

Simply stated, the time has come for the Reds to put a stop to their proclivity for the whiff. The strikeout must cease being a major part of their arsenal.

No more fanning with frightening regularity. The K must be removed from their vocabulary.

One of Jacoby's highest priorities will be to see that his batsman make much more contact with the ball and a lot less with the air. Under his stewardship, the number of punch outs must dramatically decrease.

Swinging and missing needs to become the exception and not the rule.

And based upon the way the Reds' often flailed away in '06, the 46-year-old Jacoby has his work cut out for him. A less confident sort might be alarmed, even intimidated, by the task ahead.

But not the former two-time All-Star. Jacoby impressed the Cincy brass with his calm and reasoned approach to hitting. He also scored points with his would-be employers because he came well prepared. 

He has a plan for how to get the Reds stroking with greater effect. And how to get Cincy to become more contact conscious. Jacoby firmly believes he can get those under his guidance to put the bat on the ball.

The former 11-year major league vet likes to emphasize the more fundamental aspects of hitting. He prefers to keep things on the simple side. Getting too nuanced or complicated is not his style.

To Jacoby, hitting a baseball doesn't rate as rocket science. His druthers is to reduce that art to its most basic essence.

Two of his most highly held precepts reflect that philosophy, namely, getting  into a strong hitting position and make sure you've maximized your chance to see the ball.

That sure sounds easy enough. But putting that approach into practice and getting his new team to buy into that mindset might be an altogether different matter. Will it work? Only time will tell.

But there shouldn't be any shortage of Reds' hitters willing to listen to what Jacoby has to offer. They clearly need the help. Particularly those who strikeout with such frequency you'd think they were living off K-rations.

Among those who should have the most acute ears are Chris Denorfia ( 21 K's in 106 AB's), Edwin Encarnacion ( 78 K's in 406 AB's ), David Ross ( 75 K's in 247 AB's ) Ryan Freel ( 98 K's in 454 AB's ) and, of course,  the mother of all whiffers, Adam Dunn ( 194 K's in 561 AB's ).

Though there's really no excuse for fanning so often at any level and at any age, this reporter will give youngsters Denorfia and Encarnacion a bit of a pass because they're still in the embryonic stage of their careers. They're still learning the National League and the wily ways of its' pitchers. 

But with Jacoby's assistance, they'd better start making it a point to put more wood to the ball. Otherwise, they'll have a deficiency that will prevent them from reaching their true potential.

However, when it comes to the veterans Ross, Freel and Dunn, they don't deserve any slack. They rate no tolerance.

Not a single excuse can be made for their outrageous amount of strikeouts. Their penchant for the punch out is flat out embarrassing.

That goes especially for Freel and Dunn.

As a leadoff hitter, Freel can't afford to be so erratic when it comes to making contact. Of what value is his speed when a good deal of the time he's headed back to the dugout after another K? You can't steal a base or score a run from the bench.

Freel's strikeout woes are all the more shocking because the guy doesn't exactly qualify as a power hitter. Putting the ball in play so that he can take advantage of his quicks should be the first thing on his agenda.

If Jacoby can get Freel to be less of a free swinger, the Reds' offense will perk up significantly.

Now, to Dunn. Need we say that Adam is to strikeouts what Pete Rose was to hits. When you fan almost 200 times in a given season, you've got some serious issues. You're throwing away way too many at-bats.

Dunn is literally a walking contradiction. He's got a good enough eye to draw countless free passes ( 112  in '06 ) but then he'll flail away at utter slop. He's disciplined one moment, out of control the next.

Having just completed his fifth full season in Cincy, Dunn should be further along in his development. His average should be significantly higher while his K's should be noticeably lower.

Look, Dunn has awesome talent and a world of potential but much of it is going to waste because of  the whiff factor.

Hopefully for the Reds, Jacoby is the doctor that can cure what ails Dunn. After all, they do have a history.

When he was on the Reds' payroll from 2000-2002 as a roving hitting instructor and Triple-A batting coach, Jacoby worked with Dunn and interacted with him extensively.

The Reds' new hitting guru is convinced he has an idea of  how to get the powerful Dunn more consistent with the stick and how to cut down on the outfielder's massive total of strikeouts.

If Jacoby does nothing else but turn Dunn into more of a reliable batsman, he will have more than earned his money.

So as he undertakes his new position, Brook Jacoby realizes he has much to do and plenty to accomplish. The Cincy hitters are going to require a lot of assistance. 

But one thing's for sure. He'd better know his A, B, C's about doing away with the K's.