In case you are interested...

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by Jpup

Hey TC, how about Tom House? Any chance the Reds could bring him into the fold? Everything I have read says that House is the premiere guy as far as mechanics. Why isn't he working for a big league club?

He's making a pant-load of money selling videos, books, doing clinics, etc. https://www.npadirect.com/vcc/design...tching/135138/

[johngalt]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

Team Clark...great responses so far. Here's another question if you don't mind. 2 words that pop up on these threads whenever Bailey is mentioned seem to be "arbitration clock". What significance does that actually hold when considering calling someone up to the bigs. You mention bringing Votto coming (ideally) for 30-40 at-bats and then starting out in AAA next year. Many on here would be up in arms for the team to actually plan Votto's MLB path in that way. Do GM's/Scouts not take into effect the players arbitration status as much as some on these boards do??? Just curious. Thanks!

I doubt you'd see many people "up in arms" if that scenario played out with Votto since 1) he's already on the 40 man and using an option year and 2) his time in the bigs to get 30-40 at-bats wouldn't really affect his arbitration time much. He'd still be able to get three full seasons in before being eligible. His situation is a bit different than Homer's.

[Cedric]

Originally Posted by StillFunkyB

Homer Bailey essentially only has two pitches.

Slowing down while throwing you changeup pretty much eliminates that from being used at the major league level.

So, that leaves the curve, which has already been stated that he has trouble throwing for strikes on a consistent basis.

If he was to be called up, he might get a couple of good starts until the word gets out and hitters are sitting on the fastball.

Major League hitters will sit on his fastball, and take him to the cleaners.

He needs to either harness that curve, or learn how to throw the change so hitters don't know it's coming.

I don't think you can use previous success, or failure by other players to really determine if someone is ready or not. You have to go by what HB can do himself, and right now his secondary pitches are not good enough to fool big league hitters.

HB is not ready, yet. It's very easy to see that.

When did you watch him pitch? I'm not being a smartass, just wondering.

[TeamBoone]

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

HOMER UPDATE: As well as Homer Bailey has pitched, there's a possibility his season will be coming to an end shortly.

He has thrown 123 innings this year. That's near the limit the Reds want for a 20-year-old.

"We're cognizant of it," general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "You've got to be careful about it. What you always want is 30 innings more than the year before."

Bailey threw 1032/3 innings at Single-A Dayton last year.

SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS: Krivsky hasn't decided how many players will be called up when rosters expand Sept. 1.

"When you're in the race, you bring up more," he said. "You never know when a pinch runner could help you win a game. I can tell you cost won't be a factor."

The Reds will get an influx of arms around Sept. 1 as players come off the disabled list. Right-handers Gary Majewski, Jason Standridge and Matt Belisle all should be ready by then.

Outfielder Chris Denorfia is pretty much assured of a call-up.

Other players on the 40-man roster who would be candidates: infielders Ray Olmedo and Joey Votto, outfielder Brandon Watson, left-handers Michael Gosling and Phil Dumatrait and right-handers Ramirez and Mike Burns.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...608160362/1071

[Team Clark]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

Team Clark...great responses so far. Here's another question if you don't mind. 2 words that pop up on these threads whenever Bailey is mentioned seem to be "arbitration clock". What significance does that actually hold when considering calling someone up to the bigs. You mention bringing Votto coming (ideally) for 30-40 at-bats and then starting out in AAA next year. Many on here would be up in arms for the team to actually plan Votto's MLB path in that way. Do GM's/Scouts not take into effect the players arbitration status as much as some on these boards do??? Just curious. Thanks!

I would say it comes into account "very little". You need the best 25 guys on your roster if at all possible. I'm sure it has happened at some point but I would have to say it happens very little.

[Team Clark]

Originally Posted by Jpup

Hey TC, how about Tom House? Any chance the Reds could bring him into the fold? Everything I have read says that House is the premiere guy as far as mechanics. Why isn't he working for a big league club?

Tom is very successful with his own business. Not sure if he would do it. Tom is a great mechanics guy. He'd be great in High A. Not that he couldn't be a ML PC again.

[Team Clark]

Originally Posted by johngalt

I doubt you'd see many people "up in arms" if that scenario played out with Votto since 1) he's already on the 40 man and using an option year and 2) his time in the bigs to get 30-40 at-bats wouldn't really affect his arbitration time much. He'd still be able to get three full seasons in before being eligible. His situation is a bit different than Homer's.

Totally agree. I'd love to see him get those AB's but that is highly unlikely at this point.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by STLRedsBacker

I'd like to see Homer take the same path as Francisco Liriano. Slowly, then to the 'pen, then dominating as a starter (although I'd like to skip this latest part with the injury).

Isn't this the way it used to be, especially with phenomns? IIRC the Orioles did this with many of their starters through the years. Didn't Bonus Baby Koufax spend his first 4 or 5 years pitching mostly out of the 'pen? I think the Reds did this with Rijo the first year they had him.

Seems to me lately, though, that pitchers get deemed "starter" or "reliever" before they ever get to the bigs. Then when a starter gets the call up he's thrust into that role as soon as possible, sometimes making his debut, without an amount of time in the 'pen to get used to the rigors of pitching against ML hitters. (Tomko and Josh Hall are 2 recent examples for the Reds.)

[SeeinRed]

From the looks of it, I might be in the minority. I don't see the urgency to bring up Homer, even if it is in a relief roll. If the Reds are contending, and you are looking for a 20 year old AA player to put this team into the playoffs, there is something wrong. For one, he may have a fastball that could blow away a major league batter.... once.... if it is in the right spot. Major league batters can hit a 98 mph fastball. Especially when they see it a few times, and it doesn't move much. The only thing a 98 mph fastball would do at that point is fly farther when hit.

Besides, a lot of what most people know about Homer is what they hear about him dominating the level that he is pitching at. Not to say there aren't good players in AA, but there is another level above that before you even get to the Majors. The biggest difference between the levels is the adjustments that the hitters make. If you only have to adjust to one pitch, it makes the hitters job a whole lot easier. Let him develope his pitches. You learn so you can play in the majors, you don't play in the majors to learn (the basics that is). If you are still trying to learn about your own game and trying to get big leaguers out, you are going to get into some tough situations. There is a reason that there is a player developement side to baseball. Kids don't just come in ready to play on the big stage. The goal is not to get him good enough to help out, the goal is to get him to be as good as he can be. You don't accomplish that by telling him he is already good enough to play on the big league team. You do that by letting him play his way through the system.

I guess the best example in professional sports is Freddy Adu. This kid was suppose to be able to go into the MLS at 16 and absolutely dominate. He was supposed to change the face of soccer. He clearly wasn't ready to play in the MLS. He has struggled to become average. The reason he was supposed to be so good was because he could dominate at every level he had played at, but he hadn't played on a comparable stage to the MLS. He had failed to refine his game and adjust to professional soccer. Now, I know that it is kinda comparing apples and oranges here, but just because a kid succeeds at lower levels, it doesn't guaruntee anything. Yeah, Bailey could come up and dominate out of the bullpen throwing just fastballs. But there is just as good of a chance, if not better, that he gets rocked. Remember, he throws hard, but with not a lot of movement right now, and really no secondary pitches to speak of. Nothing to make a major leaguer do anything but sit on a fastball anyway. That will all come down the road. But right now, if hitters can sit on one pitch, their jobs just got a whole lot easier.