Dusty said in an interview today that Corey will be the starting CFer and Bruce will be traded because he's too young to play in the major leagues.
JUST KIDDING.
Dusty scares the crud out of me though.
Dusty said in an interview today that Corey will be the starting CFer and Bruce will be traded because he's too young to play in the major leagues.
JUST KIDDING.
Dusty scares the crud out of me though.
I know they signed Andy Phillips to be the opening day 1st baseman
Dusty is all talk. He talks the talk when it comes to giving younger guys an equal shot, but he already knows what the lineup will be come opening day.
You could tell by the way he described Bruce's "injury" that he had no plans of having Jay on the team, and this was his way of justifying it.
Dusty had to be the one that made the Patterson/Hairston signings happen.
I hear Dusty is trying to be a Jim Bowden and turn this team into the Cincinnati Cubs.
I've compared Dickerson to Patterson before and I don't see much difference. Both are above average CF on defense and would help the team in defense. You can't argue either of these guys dont help a lot in defense. Both are speedy toolsy guys. Patterson might steal more, but Dickerson gets on base more. Both will K a lot although Patterson has improved. Both have pop in their bat, although Patterson's 8HR last year is a concern. What separates these two players? Is it just the name recognition?
Griffey is not blocking Bruce. Bruce came as a CF and has actually said he feels the most comfortable in CF. Bruce is not bad defensively, and people don't understand this. Bruce is average, and that's good. The reason why people say he's a RF is because he has a great arm and he's not "fast". But this assuming his speed declines later on. Right now he's not bad and would not hurt the team defensively. He would be a better CF than Freel, and probably Hopper.
One of my biggest problems with Dusty Baker is his arrogant insistence on Patterson at the top of the order, especially with Patterson himself stating on a number of occasions how uncomfortable he was in a leadoff role.
I spent the 2005 season as a Cub fan fantasizing about replacing Corey Patterson with Ryan Freel. I had to settle for the "poor man's Freel"(!) -- Jerry Hairston Jr.
And it actually was an improvement. That's how bad Patterson is. And he will make the team, and bat leadoff, probably platooning with Hopper. That's how bad Dusty Baker is. Those who are saying wait and see? No, you wait and see. I've already seen.
FIRE DUSTY Never mind. The man is clearly a genius.
I actually would agree with Patterson in a leadoff role if he would get on base more. His steal percentage is pretty darn good (80%.
If Dickerson keeps it up, i'd honestly rather see him out there than Patterson.
Can't complain though, yet. After all, it was only a minor league deal.
That's my feeling. I'm all for a guy leading off that can steal bases but he can't steal 2nd if he can't get to 1st. It ends up being a wasted at-bat.
Maybe I'm naive (and anyone feel free to say so) but is the "formula" of speed at the top of the lineup really THAT important? I just want the leadoff man to get on base and the following hitters to move him around.
(And now I see the Linupology thread. Looks like I may not be naive after all.)
Last edited by durl; 03-04-2008 at 08:39 AM.
All i know is Dusty Baker can't be worse than Knight, Bob Boone, Narron, etc. that we've been seeing year after year, so i wish everyone would just quit hating on him, and give him a chance. He has a history of winning, so get off his back, and lets see what happens.
It may not be the worst thing in the world if bruce has a little more time to develop, i remember last year everyone was going absolutely bonkers because they wouldn't bring homer bailey up, (who i still think will be good btw) and now he's off of everyones radar, because he didn't pitch like johan santana. people just need to calm down, and let things play out instead of being so quick to rip dusty before he's even won or lost a game.
I can't believe anybody here is surprised by these moves. They are Baker driven, these must be the guys we were told he would attract because he's a "player's" manager. If you think he's changing now concerning preference for veterans and not caring about OBP you are mistaken. Below are 2 BP mentions that I've copied from the ORG, concerning our 2 newest out machines. I really, really wish I could believe that Patterson was honestly being brought in to compete for a job and will not be taking AB's from younger players with higher ceilings but this is exactly the kind of player that Dusty dreams about at the top of his lineup. With a .298 career OBP, he won't be clogging up the bases, I never thought I would long for Norris Hopper.
Patterson was in the Cubs`--and especially Dusty Baker`s--doghouse after a disastrous 2005, which meant the Orioles were able buy low, for a change, picking him up for two players (Nate Spears and Carlos Perez) who turned in awful seasons for the Cubs` High-A team in Daytona. Patterson is a former favorite of scouts and statheads alike, but he turned out to be one of those players who, at age 20, was about as good as he was ever going to be. The idea that the average player improves through his twenties to age 27 is mistaken, as that trend really only applies to the average major leaguer. What distinguishes a typical major leaguer from a typical minor leaguer is the ability to learn and improve. Patterson doesn`t have that talent, but his basic skills are good enough to keep him in the majors for years to come. Just keep him away from left-handed pitchers"
"Acquired from the Cubs in the Phil Nevin bake sale, Hairston batted .206/.270/.253 between the two clubs. With his production plummeting like an elevator with a snapped cable, a career of similar longevity to his pop`s, Jerry Sr., seems increasingly unlikely. No speed, no power, no patience, no batting average, no defense, no point. Hairston was released after the season ended in order to make room for Mike Wood, an excellent indication of his current perceived value. Texas gave him a one-year contract to come back and try again"
More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
by the way, I'm not worked up and not ready to jump off a building because of 2 minor league signings......that happened when the manager was signed
More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
Here's my thinking (and know this, I'm firmly against either of these guys making the Opening Day roster): this is nothing but more competition. Yeah, it's weird to me that they brought in two "veterans" after the ST season has started, but still, if this makes a Jay Bruce, or Ryan Freel, or Jeff Keppinger, or whoever else work that much harder to make the team, what's the big deal?
Then again, if Patterson and/or Hairston hits .800 and "earns" a spot, damn these signings!! Straight to hades!!!!
Originally Posted by Natty Redlocks
FACTS!
FACTS!
LIES!! There is no "injury" to Jay Bruce. It's just an excuse.
FACTS!!
Too bad he only gets on base less than 30% of the time...
I'm taking wagers, all comers, all stakes. All you have to do to win is NOT have Corey Patterson batting lead-off the first game of the Reds regular season. ANYONE want to bet?
PEACE
-BLEEDS
I think that in a year or two, one of these guys - Frazier, Dorn, Valaika, Cumberland, Stubbs - will be ready to replace Dunn. They won't hit as many home runs as Dunn, but they should have similar OPS. - 757690, July 22, 2008
Alonso will be playing 1B for the REDS and batting 4th one year from today. - Kingspoint, July 9, 2009
So either way Hamilton was the guy who had to go.
Patterson now becomes the Lefty side of the platoon with whomever makes the team out of Freel/Hopper(my money is on Hopper). Funny thing about patterson is is home Road splits,
Home .351 .474 .319 (OBP, SLG, AVG)
Away .257 .297 .218
Like instead of L/R platoon in center we need H/A Platoon. Either way Patterson making the team mean either Hopper or Freel is off the 25 man roster, which is a good thing. It doesn't mean anything for Bruce.
Bruce by far has the highest ceiling, but b/c he needs to bat everyday and the Reds must consider leadoff situation and last years lefty heavy line-up that means Bruce will start in AAA. He will likely stay down there until Griffey is hurt, Dunn is traded, a power RH bat is picked up, or a RH leadoff hitter is found to platoon with Votto.
Last edited by RSNtransplant; 03-04-2008 at 10:49 AM. Reason: spelling
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