With Minors looming, Bailey impresses

[OnBaseMachine]

With Minors looming, Bailey impresses
Prized prospect unlikely to start season with big league squad
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Although his chances of making the Reds rotation have been greatly diminished, Homer Bailey says he isn't dwelling on the outcome of the battle to land a spot.

"The only way I have control over it is out there. So I worry about how I do out there," Bailey said. "Anything else, whatever decisions are made, they're not my decisions. I can't control them. So why worry about them?"

Despite taking the loss on Thursday against the Twins, Bailey had one of his better outings of the spring. The right-hander allowed one earned run and three hits over four innings with two walks and no strikeouts in the Reds' 4-0 defeat.

"I threw fairly well tonight, so I was happy about that," Bailey said.

Through five starts, totaling 14 2/3 innings, Bailey is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA. He has given up 11 earned runs, 22 hits and 10 walks with nine strikeouts. Reds manager Dusty Baker said that Bailey is improving.

"He's better. His mechanics are better," Baker said. "He's still had some problems with command and consistency with staying out of that one big inning, which plagues a lot of young pitchers."

The big inning was avoided on Thursday by the 21-year-old Bailey, who did a nice job of damage control against Minnesota.

Bailey allowed a one-out walk and a two-out walk in the first inning, but kept Minnesota scoreless in the frame and then retired the side in order in the second. In the third inning, after a leadoff bloop single by Adam Everett and a double down the left-field line by Carlos Gomez, Bailey got out of it with just one run scoring on Michael Cuddyer's sacrifice fly.

Delmon Young hit a leadoff single in the fourth but was erased by an inning-ending double play.

"He showed tremendous determination," Baker said. "He threw the ball really good. It seemed like when he got into trouble, he reached back and got some more. He had good mound presence and damage control, especially after he got into trouble."

Expected to have an inside track on a rotation spot coming into camp, Bailey has been overshadowed by fellow pitching prospects Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, both of whom are expected to make the team. Volquez followed Bailey with a better outing -- two scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts to lower his Grapefruit League ERA to 3.00.

One spot remains up for grabs between Bailey, Josh Fogg and Matt Belisle. Fogg, who has a 3.38 ERA over his five games, appears to have the best chance based on spring performances and his veteran experience.

Seemingly resigned to his fate, Bailey said he wouldn't be disappointed if he didn't make the Reds roster.

"No, not really," he said. "Obviously, I'd be wanting to go to [Triple-A] Louisville and do whatever it takes to get back. But really, to see how well Johnny and Volquez have been throwing, they've definitely shown what they can do and have shown they can pitch at this level. I'm very happy for what they have done as well. It's good to know that you have other players like that around you."

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[reds44]

Until he starts striking out more guys then he is walking it's hard for me to say he is pitching "better".

Even today he walked 2 and struck out none.

[RedsManRick]

Exactly, reds44. Seems like he either misses bats and the strike zone or neither. Getting passed up by Cueto and Volquez will hopefully give him some breathing room to develop in AAA.

[WMR]

I love the idea of Homer in AAA till September.

[flyer85]

Originally Posted by reds44

Until he starts striking out more guys then he is walking it's hard for me to say he is pitching "better".

Even today he walked 2 and struck out none.

isn't really any more to say.

[OnBaseMachine]

I don't really think Baker was saying he is pitching better, just that his mechanics were better tonight than previous outings.

[remdog]

The zero K's jumped out at me as well.

Homer's game is about dominating hitters and he hasn't been able to that at the higher level. Until he does he needs to continue to work to develop his game and L'ville is the place to do it.

Also remember, he's 21.It's still early in his learning curve. If it takes this year, even next year too, if the light bulb comes on, it'll be worth the wait.

Rem

[Aronchis]

Originally Posted by OnBaseMachine

I don't really think Baker was saying he is pitching better, just that his mechanics were better tonight than previous outings.

I agree. From a strength pov, he wasn't close. But he wasn't looking like a drunk at 2:00AM.

Bailey is slower than my 85 year old grandmother.

[Triples]

We also don't know what pitches were being called from the dugout. ST is the time to work on one's weaknesses. For all we know they had him throwing a majority of breaking balls and change ups, which could explain why he's been walking so many and striking out so few.

That doesn't diminish the fact that he has to be able to effectively throw those pitches in the majors to be effective but his strikeout pitch has always been his fastball and if they have him throwing fewer of those then it could be why he's striking out fewer batters

[bucksfan2]

Homer sure has become a polarizing character. He pitches 4 innings of 1 run baseball and its not enough. Did anyone see how he pitched? Did he keep the hitters off balance? Too much is missed by just looking at the stat line.

[RANDY IN INDY]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Homer sure has become a polarizing character. He pitches 4 innings of 1 run baseball and its not enough. Did anyone see how he pitched? Did he keep the hitters off balance? Too much is missed by just looking at the stat line.

Blasphemy

[traderumor]

I think I see now the bigger problem with drafting HS pitchers in the high rounds. It is the unrealistic expectations put on them both by the organizations and fans. Homer would be starting his senior year in college or have been drafted as a junior and just starting his professional career. I think Dusty understands that, and rather than being the destroyer of young arms, he seems like he might be able to coddle these young arms into being something special over the next 3-5 years.

[RANDY IN INDY]

Good point, traderumor. I think Homer needs more time to refine a really nice arm and arsenal of pitches. He's still very young.

[SMcGavin]

Originally Posted by OnBaseMachine

"No, not really," he said. "Obviously, I'd be wanting to go to [Triple-A] Louisville and do whatever it takes to get back. But really, to see how well Johnny and Volquez have been throwing, they've definitely shown what they can do and have shown they can pitch at this level. I'm very happy for what they have done as well. It's good to know that you have other players like that around you."

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

He's saying the right things. It could be that the emergence of Cueto and Volquez is the best thing to happen to Bailey - not only does he get more time in AAA to work on things, but when he eventually does come back he is no longer viewed as the savior of the franchise.

[Joseph]

It is exciting to think that the POTENTIAL this kid has doesn't have to be rushed now thanks to the emergence of the two other young kids. With Harang and Arroyo signed for several years and these kids all on the horizon/verge of the majors I'm very excited to see what might happen.