Reds Tidbits (2008 season)

[Fungo Squiggly]

I just don't understand all the hate towards Homer Bailey, He was rushed to the big leagues to fast, now lets let him gain some confidence and things will hopefully get on track for him...

Agreed. The kid had an unfair amount of hype and no matter how well he pitches, it probably won't be good enough for some people. I'm talking to you, Marty. Being down on the kid and bitching about his failure to be as good as advertised, even when he happens to be pitching decently, can't do anything good for the guy's head.

All that being said, he's been pretty bad lately.

 

[Thump]

Sometimes you gotta look past the wins and loses..

And when I do, he STILL sucks.

Teams have not been killing the ball off of him, they have been getting single after single...

And guess what, that leads to losses. Last I checked, a single counts as much as a double, triple, or homerun when it comes to batting average against.

He hit 96 in his last start, his velocity is up some...

Highest I was saw was 93 last game and that was after weeks of 90 being his highest pitch speed.

now lets let him gain some confidence and things will hopefully get on track for him...

How do you gain confidence when you are 0-6 and not even lasting 6 innings a start and a career ERA at about 6.75?

That's what Triple A is for.

He just needs to work on hitting his spots, and stop missing in the zone and he will be alright...

Uhhh, that's the sign of a garbage pitcher.

You just acknowledged that he can't hit spots and can't throw strikes, what exactly about that should I be waiting around for him to master.

The fact that he has only one more strikeout than base on balls in his career should tell you something.

 

[gefootball10]

Sometimes you gotta look past the wins and loses...He has had three games only giving up 2 or 3 ER...Very easily could of been wins...

Not sure if you remember the game against hte Rockies when he gave up 14 singles, but some of those balls were in the hole, and a better defender gets to them...Teams have not been killing the ball off of him, they have been getting single after single...

He hit 96 in his last start, his velocity is up some...

I just don't understand all the hate towards Homer Bailey, He was rushed to the big leagues to fast, now lets let him gain some confidence and things will hopefully get on track for him...

He just needs to work on hitting his spots, and stop missing in the zone and he will be alright...

nice post. i think the fact that the home fans already boo'd this youngster has to of taken an effect on him. once we show confidence in him, im sure we will in turn see the confidence in himself on the big league level that he once had in the minors.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Astros 9 Reds 5, 10 innings
Reds leave fans heartbroken again

Saturday, August 9, 2008 3:02 AM

By Hal McCoy


Dayton Daily News

Al Behrman Associated Press
Reds catcher David Ross dives in vain to snag a foul bunt by the Astros' Randy Wolf.



CINCINNATI -- They are everybody's whipping boys -- the reason the sun doesn't shine some days, the reason the cereal is soggy on some mornings and the reason the garage door sticks.
If one doesn't give up on them, the Cincinnati Reds still break your heart by finding new and imaginative ways to lose games -- like last night when they came from behind late only to lose 9-5 in 10 innings to the Houston Astros.
And the way they do it is agonizing to those still rooting for them.
Closer Francisco Cordero, the $46 million man, was asked to guard a 5-5 tie in the 10th and retired the first two easily.
Then Miguel Tejada doubled, Lance Berkman walked, Carlos Lee doubled in two runs and Hunter Pence homered for two more.
The postgame fireworks show started while the players trudged to the clubhouse for a bite, a quick shower and a silent ride home.

Continued........

 

[crazybuckfan40]

And when I do, he STILL sucks.

So you look at run support, defense, errors, etc...

And guess what, that leads to losses. Last I checked, a single counts as much as a double, triple, or homerun when it comes to batting average against.

What I am getting at is he is not getting hit hard...He has been unlucky...

Highest I was saw was 93 last game and that was after weeks of 90 being his highest pitch speed.

He was consistently at 93-94 and hit 96...Article on yahoo from last start has that quote in it...

How do you gain confidence when you are 0-6 and not even lasting 6 innings a start and a career ERA at about 6.75?

That's what Triple A is for.

Sometimes you just gotta take your lumps...I have no problem with him getting innings, and trying to work on a couple things here...

Uhhh, that's the sign of a garbage pitcher.

You just acknowledged that he can't hit spots and can't throw strikes, what exactly about that should I be waiting around for him to master.

The fact that he has only one more strikeout than base on balls in his career should tell you something.

So every pitcher that isn't cy young at the age of 22 is a garbage pitcher...

Look at his progress from his last couple starts...When he struggles it is because he is missing out over the plate and high...Those are things that can be worked out, over time...

He has been working on things, over the past two years, there have been times when the curveball has been scrapped, his changeup was horrible, and his velocity was down...Just in the last start, his changeup was pretty good, velocity was up and we saw the curve...

I just don't see any reason what so ever to deem him as a garbage pitcher at the age of 22...Most young pitchers at his age would be in A ball right now just out of college, and if that was the case, many would say that he needs to work on a couple things...Would we be calling him a garbage pitcher because he needs to work on a couple things...

 

[Thump]

So you look at run support, defense, errors, etc...




What I am getting at is he is not getting hit hard...He has been unlucky...




He was consistently at 93-94 and hit 96...Article on yahoo from last start has that quote in it...




Sometimes you just gotta take your lumps...I have no problem with him getting innings, and trying to work on a couple things here...




So every pitcher that isn't cy young at the age of 22 is a garbage pitcher...

Look at his progress from his last couple starts...When he struggles it is because he is missing out over the plate and high...Those are things that can be worked out, over time...

He has been working on things, over the past two years, there have been times when the curveball has been scrapped, his changeup was horrible, and his velocity was down...Just in the last start, his changeup was pretty good, velocity was up and we saw the curve...

I just don't see any reason what so ever to deem him as a garbage pitcher at the age of 22...Most young pitchers at his age would be in A ball right now just out of college, and if that was the case, many would say that he needs to work on a couple things...Would we be calling him a garbage pitcher because he needs to work on a couple things...

What have you seen out of Bailey to warrant your optimism?

 

[Bestbuck36]

Not plausible to single out individual playerss from this piece of crap a team in this piece of crap season, except for Patterson and Coffey.

Dusty and Walt are as much to blame as anyone and the injury bug that hit in May/June decimated a nice streak and confidence these shitheads had going. Cueto hasnt been as good. Volquez hasnt been as good. Harang has been shit. How does bagging on Homer so hard seem justified at this point? Except for Arroyo, right now they all suck.......bad!

 

[Jaxbuck]

There were scouts who said from day 1 that HB wasn't what the hype made him out to be, just not a lot of people wanted to listen.

I agree with CB40 that he's too young to label a complete bust but I don't think anyone can seriously still think HB projects out to a #1 starter.

IF he can get it together I think he's an MLB average pitcher at best.

Based on his performance so far I'd say he's got a long way to go for even that.

 

[Jaxbuck]

OK this one should help to illustrate what an absolute train wreck this franchise is.

They hired Bill Bavasi as a special assistant to the GM.

Holy fucking shit.

I'm trying real hard not to let the negative vibes from the Reds affect my Buckeye mojo this close to the season but goddamn they make it hard.

A few more years of this and we'll be the LA Clippers of MLB.

What a joke.

 

[jlb1705]

I'm glad someone's still paying attention. I'd rather watch men's gymnastics at this point.

 

[bearonu]

It makes perfect sense, right?. Castellini was supposedly pissed that he was eating a few bad contracts that Krivsky had signed, so he then turns around and brings in a former GM known for some of the most horrific contracts in all of baseball (Sexson, Beltre, Silva, Washburn).

I bet Bill was pissed that Sabean beat him to the punch on that big Zito deal. That was a contract Bavasi was destined to sign.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Astros 3 Reds 1
Reds lose fifth in a row for fifth time

Sunday, August 10, 2008 3:26 AM
By Tom Ramstetter


The Cincinnati Enquirer

Brian Moehler didn't hit a trouble spot until the seventh inning last night and the Houston right-hander held the Reds offense at bay as the Astros beat Cincinnati 3-1 before 26,044 at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds have lost five straight, eight of nine and 13 of 15. They remain in last place in the National League Central. It is the fifth time the Reds have dropped five straight this season.
The club is a season-worst 14 games below .500 and is 19-35 against teams that are under the .500 mark.
"When you're losing like this, you can only come up with so many things," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "One run doesn't get it done unless you shut them out and we haven't seen one of those in a long time."

Continued......

 

[gefootball10]

i saw that votto was put on bereavement list but it didn't say why. i have not been watching the games so idk if they mentioned it in broadcast or not. does anyone know?

 

[crazybuckfan40]

What have you seen out of Bailey to warrant your optimism?

The fact that in between his bad pitches, he throws pitches that can get major league hitters out...He has been working on mechanics all the time, to try and find what works best for him, and you have to figure that he is only going to get better considering he is only 22 years old...I think he will go back to AAA and put up some solid numbers, and come back next year at the beginning of the year with more confidence and better at hitting his spots.

As for what is going on it is down right horrid. I know it is hard to fathom this thought, but I still don't think that the team is as bad as they are playing right now...Honestly I like the fact that these guys are taking their lumps, I think it will help them for next season. We have seen Rosales and Hannigan called up the past 2 days, and Ross sent packing...I just hope that they can take their lumps this year and figure out what young guys they are going to build around, and hopefully Walt can pull something off in the offseason...I continue to go back and forth on Adam Dunn, but I am ready to rebuild from the bottom...We have the young nucleus in place, and Dunn is not the player that is going to lead...

It is the offense and defense that is holding us back...Our pitching is ok, obviously it can get better, and i think it will with a year under Cueto, Volquez, and Bailey...

 

[Bestbuck36]

My God what has happened to Aaron Harang!