Stats:
17 innings pitched, 4 walks, 22 K, .000 era
I know this has been beat to death, but come on....why is the 2nd best pitcher in our organization in AA ball? We need pitching now! Should he be allowed to pitch 120 pitches per outing? No. He's not fine china. If his head can't take a couple of losses then he's not major league material.
I remember when Kearns came up a couple of years ago...just a few weeks, no big deal...he will go back down. We all know how that ended up. A late season injury from winning the Rookie of the year award.
The Reds could do the same with Homer. "a couple of starts, no big deal..he will go back down." This would take the pressure off of him and sort of hedge the reds bet. If he has some dissipointing starts, then he was going back down anyway, he earned those starts to replace an injured Claussen, or whoever.
What would 2 starts hurt? If he's not ready then he will know and so will the Reds, no big deal. He has to go to bed at night and say, " Claussen and Milton are starting....and I'm not?"
How come its ok for quarterbacks with great arms to "take their lumps" and learn the league under fire and not pitchers? Are pitchers getting hit by 275 pound linbackers? There are cases where it has worked out not playing your best QB...Palmer of the Bengals, but the Superbowl champs started a rookie and it turned out sort of good...right? I remember in the 80's the Bronco's started a QB that took some lumps as well, he won 2 rings.
Oh.. the lookouts must have one heck of a pen to save 3 wins for Homer with 17 innings pitched...lets give a couple of them a chance as well. Could they do worse than our pen...seriously?