Hold your horses on Homer

[CincyRedsFan30]

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Hold your horses on Homer
Paul Daugherty / Cincinnati Enquirer

There is a very good chance David "Homer" Bailey, who's working in Chattanooga, Tenn., has no idea we are obsessing over him up here. Yet we are, and every time he wins another start, throws another 98 mph fastball past another Double-A hitter for yet another strikeout, the obsession grows.

The kid just turned 20. Can we let him learn how to pitch before we ask him to save the Reds' season?

No, we cannot. Each day, there is some new Homer urging from someone who thinks Cincinnati's year will implode without a fifth starting pitcher.

Name the No. 5 guy on the Padres, Rockies, Giants, Astros and Braves and win fabulous prizes.

Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky has been clear about his intentions for Bailey. They involve having him learn his curveball and changeup so he can come at major-league hitters with something more than just pure flame. The kid hasn't passed physics, yet we'd like him to build a rocket.

And by the way, just because a pitcher throws 98 mph once or twice a game doesn't mean he has a 98-mph fastball.

"He's right on schedule," Krivsky said Tuesday. "The right place for him is where he is right now."

And do you really want a guy named Homer pitching in a pennant race at Great American Small Park? What's his other nickname - Tater?

Yet we persist. He can start until Brandon Claussen rejoins the rotation. He'll come up in September anyway - why not now? How 'bout one start? Just one start wouldn't hurt. Can he make one start, Wayne? Pretty please?

It's starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book. Green Eggs and Homer.

Would you, could you for Joe Mays? Would you, could you in four days?

Sam I Am Krivsky: I would not start him on the road. I would not start him if it snowed.

There's another good reason not to bring up Bailey:

It doesn't work.

Name one pitcher not named Doc Gooden in the last 30 years who made his major-league debut at age 19 or 20 and had a career worth savoring. I can name a few who tried and failed:

David Clyde debuted in 1973 at age 18 with the Texas Rangers. He was 4-8 that year, 18-33 for his career. Clyde was set aside by the age of 24.

Todd Van Poppel was 19 in '91, when he pitched for Oakland. Van Poppel toppled - he won 40 games in 11 years.

Steve Avery was 3-11 pitching for Atlanta at age 20. Oakland's Big Three of a few years back - Barry

Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson - made their first big-league starts at ages 22, 22 and 23 respectively.

In fact, 21 seems the earliest age any successful starting pitcher has made his debut. Josh Beckett started four games for the Florida Marlins at 21. Dontrelle Willis burst on the scene at the same age. A.J. Burnett was 22. And so on. Even Gooden had just one winning season after the age of 26.

Would you, could you, in the 'pen?

Sam I Am Krivsky: I do not like him in the 'pen. I do not want to say it again.

The only problem with how Bailey is being groomed is this: Recently, he has been throwing way too many fastballs. In the Futures Game July 9, Bailey threw heat exclusively, 20-plus pitches. His Chattanooga starts also have been fastball-fests.

If you'd like him to develop quickly, make Bailey throw curveballs and changeups. You already know about the other pitch.

Bring up former Reds great Mario Soto from the Dominican Republic. Make Bailey his pet. Reds insiders in March said Soto was such a good teacher, he could be a major-league pitching coach. Put him on Homer's changeup.

Other than that, leave the kid alone. The Reds' chances of making the postseason do not ride on the arm of a barely 20-year-old. His future rides on the team's decisions, though. Only fools rush in.

"My mind isn't on him being here" was how Krivsky put it Tuesday.

I do not like him as an '06 Red. Get that through your stubborn head.

[General]

Ahem,

8. Copyright Material: For the most part, anything found online is copyrighted. We prefer you post a summary in your own words and then a link to the article, but it's permissible to quote a few lines. DO NOT POST ENTIRE ARTICLES.

[CincyRedsFan30]

That's baloney.

If mission tells me to link the article, I will, but it has Daugherty's name there.

I will be happy to e-mail Paul and let him know I posted his article here. I know he won't care.

Thanks for jumping into something that isn't your business.

[General]

Its in the rules. All you do here is post articles.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Really?

Actually I have posted many threads about Patience vs. Scoring Runs, etc. but they were ignored because those like you like to ignore facts.

But since nothing seems to happen here lately anyway, I could just not post anything...

[General]

By all means, continue posting; I actually enjoy reading most of your insights on the Reds (since I know practically nothing about them); all I'm saying is that posting articles is against the rules.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Now you are saying you enjoy my insights on the Reds when you just said all I do is post articles. Unless you meant that all I do when I post stories is post full articles? Regardless, there hasn't been much activity lately either way. I'm just trying to get updated news posted at the very least.

I personally think that rule should be abolished, because nothing it going to happen as long as you don't try to take credit for the article. I've had a couple Journalism classes and many make a much bigger deal out of that issue than they should.

[General]

Perhaps I was exaggerating; nonetheless, I'm merely stating the rules.

[missionhockey21]

If anyone knows me for more than a day, they would know that I am anything but a rules nazi. The writer is credited and the article isn't painfully long, I don't really care and no Reds fans seem to either.

As for nothing happening, there is enough activity to keep me interested. redsr has been busy it seems along with other members. Sometimes life happens.

[missionhockey21]

In terms of the article, it was an enjoyable read and one hopefully to shut the mouths of those who live in Reds country who do not have a clue. Bailey is impressive but that doesn't not translate to being impressive at an advance level like the MLB. He has the physical ability to be a star but lacks the skill that comes with age and maturity as a pitcher. If he can develop his secondary pitches into premium pitches, we would have a legit dominating ace to put at the top of the rotation. Right now, at best he would be solid material for an inning of work or two from the pen. He could have initial success as a starter but it wouldn't last because MLB hitters and scouts could pick apart his 90% fastball routine pretty quickly at this point.

[griffeyfan3]

So they plan on bringing Homer up in September?

[missionhockey21]

I would doubt it to be honest. Or at least I would pray to god that it won't happen.

And I love this idea:

Bring up former Reds great Mario Soto from the Dominican Republic. Make Bailey his pet. Reds insiders in March said Soto was such a good teacher, he could be a major-league pitching coach. Put him on Homer's changeup.

Bailey is our best prospect since Soto and not just for teaching him the tricks of the trade, Soto knows what it's like to be in a similar situation. Homer could learn quite a bit from Soto.