Kearns to go to Instructional League for 3B

[KittyDuran]

Let's discuss!!!
http://reds.enquirer.com/2004/10/09/kearns109.rtf.html

Saturday, October 9, 2004
Who's on third? OF Kearns


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Right fielder heads to Sarasota for Instructional League

By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer



Austin Kearns sits in the dugout. The Reds plan to try him at third base next year.
(Jeff Swinger/The Enquirer)
The Reds are going to try the Austin Kearns-at-third-base experiment after all.

Kearns will go to the Instructional League in Sarasota, Fla., for a 10-day crash course beginning Tuesday.

He's a willing pupil.

"I think if it works out, it can be beneficial to me and the team," Kearns said.

The Reds are open-minded.

"We have no preconceived conclusions whatsoever," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said.

But if it works, it will be a tremendous boon for the Reds. By playing Kearns at third, the Reds could play Ken Griffey Jr. in right field to cut down on the wear and tear to his legs. That would open center field for Wily Mo Pena.

Kearns, Griffey, Pena, Adam Dunn and Sean Casey would give the Reds a tremendous lineup from the third through the seventh spots.

The Reds did not bring up the move to Kearns until after the season.

"I was a little surprised by that," Kearns said. "There had been so much talk of it in the media."

The move was Kearns' choice.

"If he was not motivated to do it, we wouldn't have done it," O'Brien said.

Kearns is coming off an injury-plagued season. He hit .230 with nine home runs and 32 RBI in 64 games. But he played much better late in the year. He hit .254 with six home runs and 19 RBI over his last 36 games. That's a 30-homer/95-RBI clip.

Kearns is confident he'll be able to play at third. He played shortstop and third in high school. His arm is the best on the team, and his baseball instincts are very good for a 24-year-old. Kearns played two games at third in rookie ball.

"Hopefully, I can do it," he said. "It's going to take a lot of work. But I'm willing to try it."

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com

[RedsBaron]

I'm skeptical of the chances of Kearns being the Reds fulltime thirdbaseman in 2005, but, if Austin is willing to try it, I suppose there is no harm in making the attempt. I can't get my hopes up that the Reds will have a fulltime healthy lineup of Casey, Kearns, Griffey, Dunn and Pena in 2005.

[zombie-a-go-go]

So the rumors are true.

How do you like this:

1B: Casey (Griffey)
2B: DJ
SS: Lopez? Machado?
3B: Kearns
LF: Dunn
CF: Freel (Griffey; Freel returns to 'super-sub' role)
RF: Pena
C: Anybody but Stinky LaRue

Hmm...

What about EdE? Does he become tradebait at the deadline next season for pitching if Kearns works out @ 3B?

There's never been a problem with our offense; it's always been the pitching. If this works and the RedLegs can focus all their efforts on the rotation and bullpen... well... I like this.

Who doesnt?

[Ravenlord]

i like this better:

C random FA/Sardinha (ditch LaRue, his trade value is probably really high despite the PB)
1B Casey
2B Freel (Jimenez traded wheather Kearns can do 3B or not)
3B Kearns
SS Lopez
LF Dunn
CF Pena
RF Griffey (is his arm actually better than Dunn's?)

[zombie-a-go-go]

I don't know about stronger, but I imagine that Griffey's arm is more accurate than Dunn's.

I like your lineup, RL, but I think if the Reds have a chance to unload Case they'll do it in the offseason, so Freel goes to CF; DJ'll be cheaper than Sean. And I like his patience at the plate.

But if they keep Case, then yeah, drop DJ before arbitration and move Freel in there.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Maybe they play EdE off the bench, though I can't imagine he'll stay if Dan'O gets even a nibble of a pitching offer for him, Kearns works out, and Freel can be swapped into 3B if something happens where Austin needs to be take out.

Because, you know, Romano can play OF.

[guernsey]

I think this is about as likely to work out as a Rule 5 drat pick; not very likely.

But it shouldn't cost as much money to find out ...

(They better issue Dunn track shoes to play left field to chase down all the balls going into the corner.)

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by guernsey

(They better issue Dunn track shoes to play left field to chase down all the balls going into the corner.)

Now that is funny stuff!! :MandJ: brought tears to my eyes.

Well gee wiz they are giving him a whole ten days to bring the Brooks out in him.

Seriously though it would be nice if it worked out.

[Chip R]

If this 3rd base thing happens with Kearns, I wonder what will happen when one of the OFers goes down with an injury. My guess is that Kearns will be right back out there in the OF - especially if it's Jr.

[Red Forman]

Best of luck to A.K. in mastering the art of the hot corner!!!

Bottom line......
a converted outfielder is far superior to b. larson!!!!! :mhcky21: :MandJ:

[MikeS21]

I've said it before. Kearns doesn't need to be a Gold Glove 3B. He only needs to be the best option for the Reds at 3B once you figure BOTH offense and defense together. And getting the fivesome of Dunn, Griffey, Casey, Pena, and Kearns into the same lineup would seem to be a pretty good option.

Plus, I think that Kearns will be a pleasant surprise at 3B. Dunn may not need those track shoes to chase down balls into the corner.

[redsfan30]

You guys have been calling for this for quite some time now and now that it's going to happen I get a negative vibe from here....what gives?

If this works out, it is a stroke of genius. It gets Casey, Dunn, Kearns, Griffey and Pena all in one lineup on an everyday basis. It may even let you move Edwin Encarnacion over to secondbase to see what he can do there and he possibly becomes the future at second.

If it doesn't work out, I think you're in a bigger hole than when you started. This pretty much solidifies the fact that we will not be in the market for a third baseman this winter. If Kearns fails, you are in a spot where you would have to finish the year out with Machado or someone like that. Then there is the hope that the move doesn't affect his offense.

I like the move, mainly because it gets all those big bats in the lineup at one time. It gives Edwin Encarnacion a full year at Triple A, possibly learning secondbase. Kearns has very good instincts so I think he'll be fine. It's not like 10 days are all he's going to have. I'm sure that is just going to be just the basics and I'm sure he will work on it everyday between now and April 4.

[guernsey]

You guys have been calling for this for quite some time now and now that it's going to happen I get a negative vibe from here....what gives?

Some guys, not all guys.

What the heck. Give it a look-see. Might work. Probably won't. But at least the Reds will know instead of speculating.

Personally, I didn't think Freel was that bad down there. It was his first real experience at 3rd. And given the offseason to work on it, I think he would be even better next season.

[RedSchmo2]

Placing Kearns at 3B would be a huge mistake in my opinion. He is the best defensive outfielder the Reds have in an outfield... and with Dunn and Wily Mo being below average defensively, you cannot take your best out of the mix.

And considering the Reds pitching staff you cannot afford to waste opportunities to get outs... Dunn and Wily Mo have very little legitimit range, and even Juniors range is vastly diminished from his prime...

If the Reds had the Cubs pitching staff, then it makes more sense because you can afford being average defensively... but not with the Reds staff.

With the injury history of the Reds outfielders... it is no problem to get all four time when healthy. Which is another point - Kearns can't get his wrists and hands and arm healthy as it is... so lets give him a new position where he does actions he is not used to and makes throws he is not used to and more frequently????... not smart.

[Spitball]

I agree, Mike. I believe you'll find that even the best third basemen average only about three chances per game. In the 60's, the Cardinals built a couple of NL championship teams, not to mention a World Championship, after switching Mike Shannon from right field to third base. Why not give this option a try? It is senseless to say it won't work until it has been tried.