Can Homer Bailey hit like that?

[ChatterRed]

:

[Ghosts of 1990]

He's paid to get people out. Owings that is.

[Captain Hook]

He's actually is paid to play baseball.He shouldn't however get any extra consideration regarding his pitching because he can hit.So far I don't believe he has.

Its sad to say that he might be our best right handed bat off the bench.

[NeilHamburger]

I think he's our second best hitter period right now. I wouldn't mind him shagging some fly's in left for a few weeks

[ChatterRed]

He's paid to get people out. Owings that is.

So is Bailey. So far, Owings is getting more people out than Bailey.

[He got it!]

Its sad to say that he might be our best right handed bat off the bench.[/QUOTE]

I dont get why people say this? why is it sad? I thought it was pretty common knowledge that if he wasn't pitching he had a good enough bat to fight for a position spot ie. Rick Ankiel. Is it just because he also happens to be a pitcher or do people really think he is not a good hitter?

[PhillipsHead]

Well, if this team doesn't pick the bats up, we're gonna need him all year

[Captain Hook]

Its sad to say that he might be our best right handed bat off the bench.

I dont get why people say this? why is it sad? I thought it was pretty common knowledge that if he wasn't pitching he had a good enough bat to fight for a position spot ie. Rick Ankiel. Is it just because he also happens to be a pitcher or do people really think he is not a good hitter?[/QUOTE]

I would like to think that a guy that plays in the field and hits for a living could develop his skills for hitting a little better then a pitcher could.I can't say this for sure but I doubt that Owings takes as much batting practice or works as hard in general at hitting the ball as position players on the team do.Pitchers have a job to do and are supposed to be devoted to pitching.I hope that Owings does this and is just a naturally good hitter or else spends his spare time practicing hitting.

[Caveman Techie]

Actually his bat does figure in to the equation for his getting a spot on the team. If I have two pitchers who are comparable, then yes the edge goes to the pitcher who can also hit as good as Owings has so far this year. And at least for today it helped the Reds win another game.

[Ghosts of 1990]

He has shown some pop in spells, but I think its largely based on the league can't really create a book on how to get him out. He isn't seen at the plate enough to really do so. He has an aggressive approach. He swings at fastballs early in the count like a high school clean up hitter. Now he probably sees better pitches to hit and always will as long as he has the "P" listed by his name in the box score. Just the fact that he is a pitcher and not a full time hitter he is going to see better pitches, straight fastballs usually more often then not.

I figure that those saying he should be a full time hitter should know over a full season he's probably a .250-.260 hitter. Not bad, but he is not an offense saver. He's best in this role.

Also, his main job is to hang zeroes, not hit. I don't care if he's good for 20 hits a year as a pitcher while other pitchers are good for 5 to 10. I want his ERA and OBA to be low, that's it. I'm glad he helped us out today though.

[Captain Hook]

He has shown some pop in spells, but I think its largely based on the league can't really create a book on how to get him out. He isn't seen at the plate enough to really do so. He has an aggressive approach. He swings at fastballs early in the count like a high school clean up hitter. Now he probably sees better pitches to hit and always will as long as he has the "P" listed by his name in the box score. Just the fact that he is a pitcher and not a full time hitter he is going to see better pitches, straight fastballs usually more often then not.

I figure that those saying he should be a full time hitter should know over a full season he's probably a .250-.260 hitter. Not bad, but he is not an offense saver. He's best in this role.

Also, his main job is to hang zeroes, not hit. I don't care if he's good for 20 hits a year as a pitcher while other pitchers are good for 5 to 10. I want his ERA and OBA to be low, that's it. I'm glad he helped us out today though.

I agree completely.I wonder how many HR he could hit though.My guess would be somewhere around 20.

[Red in Atl]

Hello people...a 5th starter that is your best pinch hitter is one of the most amazing, awesome, kick ass scenarios that anyone could dream up...it's like one of those BS plot turns in a "C" movie...come on.

If he can do that regularly, and pitch 150 innings and win 8-10 games, we easily pick up 10 - 15 games over last year...our #5 starters were like 2-23 or something crazy like that, last year.

I think he was the key to the Dunn trade all along...the hope being that he could start and pinch hit...and if he has to be in the bullpen, that's not too shaby of a problem either.

I think we should all just hope that he's shaken off the cobwebs in his last start, and he's now ready to live up to his rookie year.

[xavr1]

Probably around 20. This is from Fay's blog today:

He is a lifetime .322 hitter with five home runs, 10 doubles and 23 RBI in 121 at-bats in the majors. That projects to 22 home runs, 45 doubles and 104 RBI over a 550-at-bats season.

Hey, maybe Owings can play short...

[Ghosts of 1990]

Probably around 20. This is from Fay's blog today:

He is a lifetime .322 hitter with five home runs, 10 doubles and 23 RBI in 121 at-bats in the majors. That projects to 22 home runs, 45 doubles and 104 RBI over a 550-at-bats season.

Hey, maybe Owings can play short...

But imagine if you projected everyone's first 100 at bats out to equal a full season. Think about how Bruce for instance started off.

Other teams would adjust. Jobs and dollars depend on it. No way to know how owings would adjust to those adjustments. He is impressive, no doubt.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Hello people...a 5th starter that is your best pinch hitter is one of the most amazing, awesome, kick ass scenarios that anyone could dream up...it's like one of those BS plot turns in a "C" movie...come on.

well there goes your chances to ever get into the Old Red Guard :