Prospect Profile: David "Homer" Bailey

[membengal]

Paul, I am probably going to make that one too. He pitched on Sunday. If no offdays, then he would go on Friday. If one offday, he will go on Saturday, as near as I can figure.

[dougdirt]

I read that his next scheduled start is Friday.

[Gallen5862]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today...int261873.html
Prospect Hot Sheet: June 27-July 5
By Matt Eddy, Aaron Fitt, Chris Kline, Matt Meyers and Bryan Smith
July 5, 2006

Not enough of a prospect for the Hot Sheet, too young for Blast From The Past and too old for Helium Watch, it is a conundrum that we often face when putting together this list.

This week, the player that fits that bill is Dodgers righthander T.J. Nall. The 25-year-old moved into the Double-A Jacksonville rotation on May 28 and since then he has won all eight of his starts. In those eight starts, he has 77 strikeouts in 61 innings with a 1.33 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .167 against him.

An eighth-round pick in 1999 out of Schaumberg (Ill.) High, is having by far the most successful season of his career. The only other stop in his minor league career that would approach it would be his 43 innings of relief for low Class A South Georgia in 2002 when he posted a 0.63 ERA. He didn't make Hot Sheet because he is not enough of a prospect (short righthander with fringe-average stuff) at this point, but his performance warrants mentioning.

This week's list is headlined by Homer Bailey, whose performance gets better and better as he moves up the minor league ladder. We also worked in Edinson Volquez, who finally cracked the list.

Remember, this is not a rewrite of our Top 100 prospects list. This is simply a snapshot of which prospects are currently riding the biggest hot streaks.

If you have any comments, feel free to email Chris Kline or Matt Meyers with your kudos or complaints.



THE HOT SHEET


1. Homer Bailey, rhp, Reds (Double-A Chattanooga)
The reports on Bailey over his first three starts--all wins--in the Southern League have been as impressive as his numbers there. In 17 innings, the 20-year-old righthander has yet to allow an earned run, given up seven hits, struck out 22 and walked just four. His fastball has been in the 96-97 mph range, topping out at 98, and his 12-to-6 curveball has been a major asset. The big news concerns his changeup, which has developed into an average to above-average offering this season.

.

[OnBaseMachine]

Homer Bailey, Chattanooga Lookouts (Double-A, Reds)
The former first-rounder (2004) has proven to be everything the Reds hoped he would be and more. He worked on a pitch count last season and still managed to go 8-4 in 28 games (21 starts) in the Midwest League. Bailey hasn't been under any restrictions this year and has blossomed, starting the season in the Florida State League before earning a promotion to Double-A Chattanooga. The big right-hander was 3-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 13 starts for Sarasota before the Reds bumped him up early last month. He didn't dissapoint, winning his first two starts after the promotion, pitching 12 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out 13 and walking two. Like so many of the youngsters in the Futures Game, there is no reason to rush Bailey, who only turned 20 in May. But a strong showing the rest of the way in Double-A may earn him a ticket to Triple-A Louisville or even a September look in Cincinnati.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...milb&fext=.jsp

[cincy09]

FYI:
article on milb.com states Bailey is scheduled to enter as the second US pitcher.

[dougdirt]

Also they claim he isnt on any restrictions, when that is not true at all. Bailey is still on a very strict pitch count. Just because the Reds arent talking about it organization wide, its still there for almost all of the pitchers.

[SirFelixCat]

With the big club stinking it up today, I am eagerly awaiting the Futures game today

[dougdirt]

You and me both....

[Gallen5862]

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASAp...9/c1549242.jsp
Early outburst lifts U.S. past World
07/09/2006 7:47 PM ET
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

PITTSBURGH -- The United States entered the XM Satellite Radio Futures Game with a roster that conjured up images of great offensive production. Sporting nine former first-round picks among their position players, the Americans weren't lacking at the plate and it showed Sunday at PNC Park.
Gary Carter's charge's blasted a pair of two-run homers and banged out 11 hits en route to an 8-5 victory over the World Team. The victory was the fifth in eight Futures Games for the U.S. and its first since 2004.

The victory also marked the second consecutive season that Kansas City prospects had a big impact on the game. Alex Gordon (first round, 2005) and Billy Butler (first round, 2004) combined to go 4-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. Butler, who connected for one of those two-run homers, was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Justin Huber took home the MVP honors in last year's World Team victory.

"When you look at our roster, there's a lot of offensive potential," Butler said. "I knew if we got some good pitches to hit, we weren't going to miss many of them. The pitchers were only going one inning and usually when he's throwing just one inning, he has more life on his fastball.

"I just tried to do the best I could and it was great to be a part of this. You can't ever replace this."

The Americans broke open a close game in the third inning, scoring five times off Toronto prospect Davis Romero. Gordon had an RBI single that inning but the big blow was a two-run homer by Rockies farmhand Joe Koshansky.

"After a scoreless first inning, I figured everyone was just trying to get a feel for things, because they were a little nervous," Koshansky said. "It was just a matter of getting acclimated and getting a feel for it. Just because you're playing in a big-league park, it's still the same game. Once you realize that, you start hitting the ball well.

"I thought I had a shot at the MVP after the homer, but I figured I had to get another hit. When Billy came up with another hit, well ..."

The U.S. team grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the second inning on Butler's blast, a two-run shot off Marlins prospect Jose Garcia, who was charged with the loss. Josh Fields (White Sox) got the rally started with a one-out double and Butler followed two batters later with a towering shot to center on a 3-2 offering.

The homer snapped a nine-inning scoring drought for the Americans, who, after getting shut out last season in Detroit, hadn't scored a run since the fifth inning of the 2004 game at Minute Maid Park in Houston.




Complete All-Star Game coverage >"When we talked among the coaching staff, we kind of looked at the top of the order -- with Stephen Drew and Howie Kendrick and Alex Gordon and Hunter Pence -- and thought that's where the runs would come from, and who ends up winning the MVP but Billy Butler," said Carter. "I'm real happy for him."

The World squad touched former Cincinnati top pick Homer Bailey, who got the win, for a run in the top of the second as George Kottaras (San Diego) and Chin Lung Hu (Dodgers) connected for back-to-back doubles. Kottaras also smacked a two-run homer off Phil Hughes (Yankees) in the World's three-run fourth.

Though the World Team pecked away, adding another run in the fifth, the U.S. bullpen held as Josh Sharpless (Pirates) and Matt Lindstrom (Mets) combined to pitch a scoreless final two innings. Lindstrom earned the save, recording the final out on a 100-mph fastball that produced a fly ball to left.

"I thought our pitching was great," World manager Ferguson Jenkins said. "We have a young staff. Some of these guys are only 17-18 years old. When I was 17, I was in high school. They weren't shaky out there. I thought the young men performed well."

World starter Humberto Sanchez (Detroit) pitched a scoreless first inning while Radhames Liz (Baltimore) combined with Juan Salas (Tampa Bay) to pitch a scoreless sixth. Otherwise, every other World pitcher gave up at least one hit or one run.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[Gallen5862]

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASAp...9/c1549242.jsp
The World squad touched former Cincinnati top pick Homer Bailey, who got the win, for a run in the top of the second as George Kottaras (San Diego) and Chin Lung Hu (Dodgers) connected for back-to-back doubles. Kottaras also smacked a two-run homer off Phil Hughes (Yankees) in the World's three-run fourth.


Thats the great thing. Homer got the win in the Futures game.

[Gallen5862]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today...me/261894.html
The second inning was the game's best. Homer Bailey got the game really going by blowing away Carlos Gonzalez in a much-anticipated matchup, hitting 96 and 97 on the stadium radar gun, then reared back and threw nothing but fastballs the rest of the inning after cutting his finger on a pitch. He said he simply rubbed some dirt on it and pressed on, hitting 98 at least three more times and breaking the bats of both Wladimir Balentien and Jose Tabata.

Then Bailey came into the dugout and predicted a home run by Billy Butler, who delivered a two-out, two-run shot on a 3-2 pitch. In between, Bailey paced up and down the dugout, clearly full of adrenaline after having fun with his one-inning outing; discussed guns with the security officer ("Why do all cops always carry Glocks?"); and offered help with the wireless Internet connection that never quite got going from the third-base dugout ("I have that same laptop at home, but I'm not too familiar with Firefox. I usually use Safari.")

[WMR]

Homer sounds like a renaissance man!

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS

Homer sounds like a renaissance man!

Not sure about that watch he was wearing in the dugout after his performance, though. It had 20-year old cheeseball kid written all over it. Even the guys on MLB Homeplate this morning noticed it.

[goreds2]

On the Tracy Jones Extra Innings show yesterday (WLW), he said Homer is not ready yet to come to the Reds because there was no movement on his fastball plus his breaking pitch was subpar. Tracy was for bringing him up BEFORE he saw Homer pitch yesterday.

Tracy's opinion counts because "he played the game".

[OnBaseMachine]

Scouts came away impressed with Bailey despite throwing all fastballs:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today...me/261899.html