What attitude? Dusty Baker mentioned today that Bailey was coachable and willing to listen and learn. That's gotta count for something.
What attitude? Dusty Baker mentioned today that Bailey was coachable and willing to listen and learn. That's gotta count for something.
Last edited by OnBaseMachine; 02-29-2008 at 09:57 PM.
Notes: Tale of two innings for Bailey
Right-hander struggles in the first, but tosses perfect second
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Reds pitching prospect Homer Bailey, who has logged just a few weeks in the Majors, can sometimes be a man of even fewer words.
Bailey made his first start of the spring Friday vs. the Rays. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings but allowed one hit and walked two. How did he think the outing went?
"You were watching the game. You tell me," Bailey replied to a reporter.
The two innings of work were polar opposites. In the first inning, Bailey reached ball three to four of the six hitters and issued both of his walks. His second inning was perfect and required just six pitches.
"The first Homer Bailey looked like he was overthrowing a little bit," manager Dusty Baker said. "Then he settled down the next inning. He was throwing the ball well. It was two different Homer Baileys. A lot of times that first inning is the toughest on them anyway."
Second batter Carl Crawford's one-out infield single to the shortstop in the first inning had Bailey working from the stretch early.
"I went through the windup in the first inning and I was doing OK," Bailey expounded. "A changeup [went for a] ground ball for the fastest guy on the field in the hole. Then in the second inning, I just went through the windup again. I felt fine. I was in the stretch with really fast guys on base. I was maybe rushing a little bit. Other than that, I felt it was all right."
In his nine starts over two stints with Cincinnati last season, Bailey was 4-2 with a 5.76 ERA. He also battled with a groin injury and some control issues.
Last spring, Bailey was a much ballyhooed subject in camp with an outside shot at making the rotation. The attention is less this year, but he is right in the thick of the battle with several other starters, including Matt Belisle, Jeremy Affeldt, Edinson Volquez, Josh Fogg and Johnny Cueto.
Until Friday, Baker had never seen Bailey pitch in person. The club has been pleased with how Bailey performed in camp during his bullpen and side sessions.
"[Pitching coach] Dick Pole told me that his sides are very good and have been getting better," Baker said Friday morning before taking the field. "He feels he's improving and getting better, which is what you want to see. I think he's in a better position because his mechanics are better. It allows him to throw better strikes. Everything was all arms and legs last year. Sometimes, you need to fail in order to really listen. He's been all ears, basically."
Almost perfect: Volquez was one strike from having a flawless spring debut for Cincinnati. The right-hander quickly retired two before he hit a batter with two outs and two strikes. From there, he allowed three earned runs, two hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. He was lifted by Baker for Justin Lehr.
"That was a two-out rally by them that caused three runs really on one pitch. He threw the ball well today," Baker said.
Injury reports: Lefty reliever Bill Bray threw off the mound for the first time on Thursday. Bray has been on a throwing program because of a sore left shoulder.
"They say he's progressing," Baker said. "I'm hoping he doesn't get too far behind. Those guys are getting the jump on him. He looks better in the face than he did. Earlier he seemed a little worried. Now he's a little happier, which means his arm is feeling better and he's feeling better."
Catcher David Ross [lower back spasms] was given another day off to rest and could return on Saturday.
Infielder/outfielder Jerry Gil, who hit a three-run homer to spark Thursday's win over the Twins, was scratched from Friday's lineup because of a strained left quadriceps he suffered running out a ground ball. Gil is expected to miss 5-7 days.
Transactions: Volquez, Homer Bailey and Norris Hopper were signed to one-year contracts on Friday.
Tickets, tickets: Individual game tickets for all 2008 regular-season games, except Opening Day and the June 13-15 Red Sox series, will go on sale at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday. They can be purchased at reds.com, by calling (513) 381-REDS/(877) 647-REDS (7337) or by visiting ticket windows at Great American Ball Park and Greater Cincinnati Meijer stores.
Tickets for the Red Sox series will be available as a new four-game ticket package on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET only at reds.com.
Up next: Ace Aaron Harang will start for the Reds against the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday at Ed Smith Stadium. Also scheduled to pitch are Matt Maloney, Jared Burton, Todd Coffey, Jim Brower, Gary Majewski and Josh Roenicke. Zach Duke will start for Pittsburgh.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's the most likely path or one I'm "predicting" for Bailey, just that his combination of stuff and attitude reminds me of that general path.Originally Posted by Aronchis
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Homer needs to remember that you meet the same people going up as you do going down.
More from Fay on Bailey:
Sometimes I think being terse depends on who is asking the questions, sounds like Sheldon didn't have a hard time talking to Homer. Maybe Fay said something last year that got under the kids skin, after all he is pretty young and still maturing as an adult.Every pitcher gets asked that after every game.
Bronson Arroyo will break down his start inning by inning, pitch by pitch.
Homer's the same way good or bad. No malice. But he can be terse. Which is fine.
If you have a losing record at Reds games, please stop going.
I'm with you here. I don't like Bailey's attitude either. He should really shut up and pitch instead of constantly making terse comments to the media.
Oh dear, not terse comments! Anything but terse comments! Please, let me have the rack, boiling oil, thumbscrews, just don't, don't, please, for the love of all that is holy, don't let it be terse comments!
Not the rack!
I see your point. I'm certainly not going to make a big deal out of it, people often felt this way about Jr. early in his carrer, and he learned to warm up to the media a bit. I just wish Homer would show a little respect, nothing more, nothing less.
Maybe I'm biased... I've interviewed athletes such as that, it's never much fun
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