Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

Is it time to start taking this guy seriously? After tonight's 4 hit performance, I'm starting to think that maybe he should be factored into this team's future. I mean this guy has done everything well all season, and is doing his best Keppinger-impersonation by forcing me to believe in him every time he comes to the plate, no matter how skeptical I may be. I mean, the guy plays almost every position and is now hitting .349 and OPSing near .900.

Hairston was at one point considered a pretty good prospect coming up with Baltimore. Could it be that he has finally found himself and has truly blossomed into a very good major leaguer? Or is he just riding an impressively long hot streak? What are your thoughts?

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

I love the guy. He could either be an important cog for the Reds over the next couple years or excellent trade bait over the next couple weeks.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

I was going to post something just like the above. I've always been very skeptical of Hairston and have just been waiting for him to start regressing toward his norms. But it is starting to get to the point where it's harder to see how we just let him walk after the season.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

WOW.

12 games over .500 with Jerry in the lineup. AMAZING.

per Thom/Chris

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

T. Brennaman just said that the Reds are 12 games over .500 with Hairston in the lineup this year

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

Kinda makes you think about how Dusty's love affair with Patterson has hurt this team.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

in the same boat, the only reason Hairston is here is Dusty

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

Didn't say that wasn't the reason he was here. But he deserves to play!

I see a good month where Patterson was played and didn't deserve it.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

Exactly. Dusty gets hustle from guys he puts faith in. Patterson has few natural skills, but I know he is hustling for his manager, as is Hairston.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

He's played 870 games and has had almost 3000 career ABs. His line looks like: .258/.328/.364. That's a career OPS of .692.

He's 32 years old. Guys don't just discover how to hit at 32 years old. I wouldn't use 55 games this season to decide that he's a part of the future. I love what he's done and he's definitely been good (offensively) this year, but he's had enough ABs over his career to tell us who he is as a ballplayer. He's having a nice first half of the season, nothing more, IMO.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

No doubt. Don't extend the guy. But world champions are made from career years. Gotta find 'em often.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

This has all the makings of "career year," but I can't help but want to see him in a Reds uniform next year.

If nothing else, he makes Freel extremely expendable. Sign me up for another year of JHJ if it can be had at a reasonable price.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

nope ... just a 30 something utility guy having a career year. Just ride the wave but don't expect it be repeated in the future.

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

Dusty deserves great credit for going to, and staying with, a hot Jerry Hairston Jr. This is one of those situations where Dusty's "instinctual" management has served him well, whereas a numbers based approach would never have afforded a guy like Hairston an opportunity in the #1 spot. He see's a guy he trusts with a hot hand, and he sticks with it, and it's paid off in spades. Probably not a long-term answer to anything, but definitely a catalyst for the recent offensive improvement (along with Dunn's huge surge).

After finally becoming disenchanted with Patterson, Dusty has actually been fairly proactive in trying **potentially** productive combos at the top of the order (Hairston, Keppinger/Bruce etc..., which was the polar opposite of the horrid Patterson, Janish, Freel, Hopper detritus we for forced to endure earlier in the year).

Re: Jerry Hairston Jr.
 

What he said.