Richie Gardner

[bucksfan2]

Is there any hope of this kid still helping out the big leauge club? He has been impressive this year in the minors and maybe his prospect status has started to rise again.

[Red Daddy]

This guy is smashing minor league hitting. I know that he used to throw 93. Does anyone know what his velocity is now???? If he has made it back up to 90, he has a shot at being in the bigs this year. Anything below 90 and he will struggle.

[Danny Serafini]

I was at his one AAA start a month or so ago, he didn't get above 88 then.

[DoogMinAmo]

Originally Posted by Red Daddy

This guy is smashing minor league hitting. I know that he used to throw 93. Does anyone know what his velocity is now???? If he has made it back up to 90, he has a shot at being in the bigs this year. Anything below 90 and he will struggle.

I have read on here high 80s peaking at 90. He may still have some strength to gain, but he is refining his craft as a pitcher in the meanwhile. I have tempered enthusiasm, but it is refreshing to see him come back.

[Red Daddy]

Originally Posted by DoogMinAmo

I have read on here high 80s peaking at 90. He may still have some strength to gain, but he is refining his craft as a pitcher in the meanwhile. I have tempered enthusiasm, but it is refreshing to see him come back.

You know his mom posted here last year when he first came back and was really struggling. She said that he was just getting back into it and was really preparing for this year. She was exactly right...and I am very excited to see him pitching so well.

[Doc. Scott]

Back-to-back shutout starts in AA are nice to see.

But he's going to have to get some of that 3-5mph in lost velocity back to merit a serious big-league look. Otherwise the climb remains an uphill one.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Gotta like his grounball rate though.

[schroomytunes]

Well there's always hope that he can be a long reliever

[fargo55]

Gardner can pitch. At the extended spring game that I saw, he was rehabbing a sore shoulder and stayed around 90. He has late break on his fastball and makes batters reach when he is ahead. Given the way the season has gone for us, I think we'll see him in the Majors, this September. Management will need to see if he can deliver against MLB competition. When I asked my son about him, they were in spring together, he thought Richie had Major League pitches with his 2 seamer, change and curve. I'd like to see him surprise a few in management and open the eyes on some ML batters.

[bucksfan2]

I think fastball speed is one of the most overused stats that I have seen. I think radar guns are slightly off but I think more of your fastball depends on your stride. For example look at Harang, his fastball sits around the 90-92 range but if you watch where his stride is compared to other pitchers he has a huge stride. This creates a closer release point to the plate which enables the fastball to get on a batter quicker. Homer is similar because of his long stride his 95 fastball is faster than what the gun says it is. The biggest thing is how the batter reacts to the fastball. As for the K/9 rate Santana's most recent start was a 9 inning complete game with 1 K. Couldn't that be a little overrated as well?

[JaxRed]

I agree with Fargo. I've seen Richie pitch both before and after the surgery. He never was a "blow them away" guy. But he keeps the ball in the park, doesn't walk guys, and for whatever reason (location, variety of stuff, speed changes, etc.) hitters seldom get good wood on his stuff.

I think he's going to do very well at AAA and you're going to see him in Cincy next year. Since he's not on 40 man roster you may not see him in Sep.

[redsmetz]

Originally Posted by JaxRed

I think he's going to do very well at AAA and you're going to see him in Cincy next year. Since he's not on 40 man roster you may not see him in Sep.

We're standing right at 40 on the 40 man roster, with Guardado and Gil both on the 60-day list, so they're not counted. I assume that Milton will be transferred to the 60-man list if, and when, Guardado becomes available, so you're right that we probably won't open a slot for him right now. Of course, a trade could effect that.

[Doc. Scott]

I know it's been mentioned that Richie's going to AAA, and that's great. If I were the Reds, I'd try to keep him as a starter as long as possible, because that's the kind of stuff he has.

Frankly, if he ends up in the bullpen, it's going to be a tough slog to get a serious big-league look. AAA relief pitchers are a dime a dozen and the Bats already have a whole staff of relievers (Stone, Wilkerson, Kershner, etc.) that can put up decent-to-good minor-league numbers but don't light up the radar gun and aren't seen as legitimate big-league contenders. Stone might get a callup this year because he's had past success (although he was a batting tee in his first Reds stint) in Houston and because he's having the best year of the Louisville 'penners right now. But that's pretty much it.

However, I'm generally in strong support of Wayne Krivsky's desire to build a stronger bullpen through youth. It worked in Minnesota and it can work here. Our conflagratory big-league bullpen is just a confluence of simultaneous growing pains and veteran placeholders fading.

[The_jbh]

Don't give up on Richie as a starter right now... plenty righties are effective in the high eighties... also remember that he still working back to full strength. Never know he could throw low nineties again by next spring...

I think he'll get some looks for a bottom of the rotation spot in the next yr or 2