Dunn kids about screaming Cubs fans

[CincyRedsFan30]

Kearns vies for playing time in crowded outfield

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | Austin Kearns barely dropped his bags in the clubhouse Wednesday when the whisperings began and the questions flew: Was he called up from Louisville so the Cincinnati Reds could showcase him for the Chicago Cubs?

Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry showed up at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday and Reds GM Jim O'Brien returned Thursday from Sarasota.

And Kearns was in Thursday's lineup.

Hendry and O'Brien chatted during Thursday's game, but it wasn't necessary for the Reds to showcase Kearns to Hendry. He loves Kearns, even after Kearns had three hits, including a two-run tie-breaking single.

Asked if the price went up on Kearns, Hendry smiled and said, "Who knows?"

On Wednesday, a rumor permeated the pressbox: Adam Dunn to the Cubs for outfielder Corey Patterson, pitcher Sergio Mitre and Rich Hill, arguably the top pitching prospect in minor-league ball.

Hendry heard the rumor and said, "Too steep. Never offered and never accepted."

It is no secret, though, that Hendry will take Kearns, Dunn or Wily Mo Pena if the Reds want to move one of the young outfielders. The Cubs are blessed with young pitching.

Meanwhile, Kearns is back in the same situation as before, vying for playing time with Pena, and manager Jerry Narron told him that.

Asked if it puts pressure on Kearns and Pena when they have to compete, Narron said, "No question about it. I'd love to tell them both they are going to play every day the rest of the year. With our situation, that isn't going to happen, even though both are very good major-league players. One needs to step up and show us."

Kearns agrees about the pressure points.

"It's all mental for me," he said. "It's all so much more magnified up here. If you don't produce, in our situation here, you don't play. I'm my own worst critic and that can hurt you."

In his first two at-bats against Greg Maddux, Kearns doubled and singled, a pretty good showcase, if that's what it was. But for Hendry to deal for him, he has to make certain the price is right.

No more blue

With the Milwaukee Brewers in town this weekend, the Cubs fans who took over Great American Ball Park are gone.

Ken Griffey Jr. was kidding Adam Dunn about tossing a baseball to a Cubs fan and Dunn said, "I only had about a one in 10 chance of hitting a Reds fan. It was all blue out there. They put all those Cubs fan in left field and, man, they were worse than the fans in Wrigley Field. They were all over me.

"Those same people who were wearing blue when the Cubs were in town will be back wearing red again," he added.

Mixing it up

It was a scheduled day off Thursday for third baseman Joe Randa, but not for first baseman Sean Casey.

"He fouled a ball off his right foot (Wednesday) and is limping around," manager Jerry Narron said. "We were going to give him a day off sometime soon, so it was best to do it now."

Casey did pinch-hit in the eighth inning Thursday and his batter's box dance, a ritual/rigamarole, caused Cubs pitcher Roberto Novoa to step off the rubber with the bases loaded, a balk that permitted the tying run to score.

Adam Dunn moved to first base, Austin Kearns was in right field and Wily Mo Pena was in left.

"We'll go a lot with matchups, although they don't mean much with less than 10 at-bats. Pena was 4 for 9 with two homers against Greg Maddux," Narron said.

He was correct about short data. Maddux struck out Pena on three pitches in his first at-bat.

A pitch for PT

Javier Valentin hit two home runs early in Thursday's game for the second time in a week and was nearly an afterthought in the team's 9-6 victory.

"I'm seeing the ball real good and I'm being patient," he said. "I was able to put my team on track today and that's good."

Said Narron, "Anybody have anything against Javy started tomorrow night? He is probably playing the best baseball of his career.

"I'll have to get him playing time and do with him and Jason LaRue what we'll do with Kearns and Pena."

[missionhockey21]

Rich Hill the top pitching prospect in baseball? C'mon Hal, that's simply crazy talk. Hal really digs Hill, that's the second or third time he has sung his praises (and overrated him.)

[CincyRedsFan30]

Yeah, he does seem a bit obsessed with him. I'm not sure where he got the idea that he's the best prospect, but I hope O'Brien isn't thinking along the same lines.

What am I saying though...O'Brien thinks Hancock could be one of the best pitchers in baseball.

[missionhockey21]

I don't know if it's because he believes in 'his boys' so much or if he is just hoping and praying they'll pan out and make him look like a genius. Would we rather have an extremely stubborn GM or a moron? But in realty, he's a combination of both as we all know.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Sadly, I think he truly believes some of these players can be as elite as he makes them out to be.

He is a combo. of both though, based on his insisting on keeping undeserving players around: "just because he says so!!".

[Geki Ace]

Rich Hill is a relief pitching prospect, which instantly eliminates talks of him being the best in the minors. Throw in shaky control, and it's not even close.

[awefullspellare]

Hill wasn't great when he came up but has been pretty good at Iowa. Not nearly the best pitching prospect though. Y'all are right.

[missionhockey21]

Homer Bailey is a better prospect and he might at best be a top 15 or top 20 pitching prospect at this point. Hill has put up nice strikeout totals but he has been hittable and had suspect control. Not to mention he's on the old side for a prospect.

[Dunn#44]

Baseball America doesn't even have him as one of the cubs top 10 prospects coming in to this year.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today...p10s/cubs.html

[aTrUeCUBsFaN]

Rich Hill is a relief pitching prospect, which instantly eliminates talks of him being the best in the minors. Throw in shaky control, and it's not even close.

He is a starter. He has been starting for the Cubs' minor league team for at least 2 years. I don't know why BA did not rank him in Cubs' top 10, he is a much better pitcher than Pinto. He's probably the best pitching prospect we have.
I would not include Hill in this trade for Dunn. Dunn will not solve this team's problem, why waste a top pitcher.

[theFatty]

Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry showed up at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday and Reds GM Jim O'Brien returned Thursday from Sarasota.

Nobody else noticed that?

I really hope we keep Kearns, always liked him better than Wily Mo.

[Wally Mo Pena]

we need to keep and play all of them. Wily Mo is 22, and arguably as good as Kearns. Certainly i think Kearns is a mpre polished player overall, but look at their career numbers:
Wily Mo ABs 709 2b 29 3b 2 HR 44 .302 .482 .250
Kearns ABs 1056 2b 57 3b 5 HR 43 .362 .455 .270

if wily mo had as many ABs as kearns at those rates, he'd have 66 HR to kearns 43 and be close in doubles. And he's got three years to catch up to kearns. I don't know if Wily will ever be graceful in the field, but he can get better, and he can certainly improve his plate discipline. When he does that he'll be a monster.

For this team it just doesn't make sense to ship any of them out, which means it has to be Casey or Griffey.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry showed up at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday and Reds GM Jim O'Brien returned Thursday from Sarasota.

Nobody else noticed that?

I really hope we keep Kearns, always liked him better than Wily Mo.

I noticed it...I just didn't think that was a big deal. But it again speaks poorly about Hal's editor, who should catch stuff like that.

Anyway, Hill looks like he gives up way too many HR, especially for GABP.

[Geki Ace]

I could've sworn Hill was supposed to be a relief prospect...