[Brutus]

Team Clark,

It's my observation that perhaps Homer is a victim of his own success. Think about it, why would a kid continue to work on a changeup when he's striking out guys at the Double-A level to the tune of over once per inning, and giving up just one earned run every nine innings?

It's a very short-sighted way of looking at things, but when you're a kid like Homer, you're probably too naive to understand that big league hitters will rip him apart if he doesn't develop that changeup.

One clarification - do you think it will take until next September until you feel he's ready or do you think the Reds will wait that long? I will defer to your insight as to whether he's ready next September, but I can't see the Reds waiting that long to get him up there - although I admit Wayne Krivsky does seem dedicated to not rushing the kid.

Another question - what do you think of Joey Votto and how far away is he? Obviously Scott Hatteberg has him blocked in the immediate future, but could he make the team next spring or is he another half-season or year away?