Brian Howard strongly criticized Cincinnati Reds fans directly for demanding Will Benson’s promotion to MLB from AAA, asserting such reactions ignore the key developmental value Benson gains from daily experiences in the minors. Howard emphasized repeatedly that Benson needs to improve his at-bats continually down in AAA instead of being called up prematurely to play sparingly and inadequately. While he acknowledges fans' recent frustration with the Reds' lack of offense, Howard explained that limited playing opportunities are detrimental to Benson's development and that demanding his presence in the current lineup only highlights ignorance from certain segments of the fanbase about baseball player development.