Jeff Keppinger

[NarrowStairs]

This guy has to start. I don't care if it's at SS, 3B, LF, or Pitcher. He has to be on the field.

He has the best baseball "instincts" I've ever seen. The guy is also a pure hitter. He was on pace to hit .330 last year before that unfortunate injury.

No, he doesn't have the best range. BUT, he doesn't make errors.

He also does not strike out.

This guy is so underrated. It hurts me to think about how everyone here wants AGon to start at SS.

Good Luck, Jeff.

[berryluther]

Originally Posted by NarrowStairs

This guy has to start. I don't care if it's at SS, 3B, LF, or Pitcher. He has to be on the field.

He has the best baseball "instincts" I've ever seen. The guy is also a pure hitter. He was on pace to hit .330 last year before that unfortunate injury.

No, he doesn't have the best range. BUT, he doesn't make errors.

He also does not strike out.

This guy is so underrated. It hurts me to think about how everyone here wants AGon to start at SS.

Good Luck, Jeff.

If your hurting now wait till May 1st when we are 12 games back

[NarrowStairs]

Originally Posted by berryluther

If your hurting now wait till May 1st when we are 12 games back

I see us starting strong, but fading, ala 2006.

[redsfanfalcon]

Originally Posted by NarrowStairs

This guy has to start. I don't care if it's at SS, 3B, LF, or Pitcher. He has to be on the field.

He has the best baseball "instincts" I've ever seen. The guy is also a pure hitter. He was on pace to hit .330 last year before that unfortunate injury.

No, he doesn't have the best range. BUT, he doesn't make errors.

He also does not strike out.

This guy is so underrated. It hurts me to think about how everyone here wants AGon to start at SS.

Good Luck, Jeff.

I hope he does well also but to say he has the best baseball instincts you've ever seen might be a stretch. They are decent but I wouldn't say the best, but of course I don't know how much baseball you've seen. I would say a guy like Griffey Jr. when he first came up had them. He still can get a good jump on the ball, doesn't make the dumb baserunning error, throws to the correct base, etc.

[thatcoolguy_22]

(Thanks jnwohio for the correction) "Sparky Anderson" has a quote (I can't find it right now) that says something along the lines that if you give a bench player enough playing time he will eventually show you why he is a bench player.

I think Keppinger is a solid role player for the Reds and can provide quality at bats from multiple positions. Lets take a closer look at his numbers though


2006 (he had 60 PA with the Royals) here are his AAA numbers
Mets/Royals
PA 366/144
OPS .712/.872
ISO .059/.110
BABIP .317/.371

2007 (Reds)
PA 276
OPS .877
ISO .145
BABIP .335


2008 (Reds)
PA 502
OPS .657
ISO .081
BABIP .275


In AAA with the Mets over 366 PA he maintains an incredibly low ISO of .059 and a BABIP of .317. These low numbers equalled out to a .712 OPS at the age of 26. Over a smaller sample size with the Royals his ISO spikes to .110 with his BABIP jumping to an unreal .371. In 2007 over 276 PA he OPS's .877 with an ISO of .145 with a slightly higher than normal BABIP of .335. In comes 2008 and the opportunity to play a full season. Kepp logs over 500 PA and as the season progresses he proves his bench worthiness. Posting another low ISO of .081 with a very typical and sustainable BABIP of .275.


Who is the real Keppinger? The guy with low ISO and OPS's or the one with Huge BABIP #'s and gaudy OPS's?

I know people like to point at his injury from last year as a the reason he fell off but, I don't completely buy into this logic.

Once again, If you give a bench player enough PT he will eventually show you why he is a bench player.

[JBChance]

This guy has to start. I don't care if it's at SS, 3B, LF, or Pitcher. He has to be on the field.

He has the best baseball "instincts" I've ever seen. The guy is also a pure hitter. He was on pace to hit .330 last year before that unfortunate injury.

No, he doesn't have the best range. BUT, he doesn't make errors.

He also does not strike out.

This guy is so underrated. It hurts me to think about how everyone here wants AGon to start at SS.

Good Luck, Jeff.

I see Keppinger as a "super sub" type. He was a good hitter in '07, but it remains to be seen how he comes back this season. Defensively, when he gets a ball, he gets the putout, but his range is very limited. He's serviceable as a sub for 2B,SS,3B, but not a starter. Maybe if second was open.

AGon, in his day, was considered one of the finer defensive SS, but he's never been an offensive force. I'm not convinced that he'll have his range back. I don't believe he'll swat it like '07 either.

IMO, neither of them is going to be a great solution this season. They are just placeholders for Valaika (or a trade/ free agent), really.

[jnwohio]

Originally Posted by thatcoolguy_22

Pete Rose has a quote (I can't find it right now) that says something along the lines that if you give a bench player enough playing time he will eventually show you why he is a bench player.

Pete Rose may have made a similar statement or expressed this opinion at some point; but I believe in regards to the Reds, it is usually attributed to Sparky Anderson who was explaining why he typically sat members of the "regular 8" one game at a time even if their sub had a big game. As I recall, Sparky's next sentence was that it was his job to make sure they did not get the chance to remind folks why they were bench players.

I think the jury is still out on Keppinger. By and large, the player I saw last year before the injury was the basically same player I saw the year before, not the one I saw the rest of the season after he returned. Maybe he wasn't fully recovered. Maybe he doesn't have the body to grind out a full season as a starter.

I think he played too long of a stretch at too high of a level in 2007 to fall under Sparky's dictum. However the just remains out until he puts together an entire season at that level and then backs it up the next year.

[thatcoolguy_22]

Originally Posted by jnwohio

I think he played too long of a stretch at too high of a level in 2007 to fall under Sparky's dictum. However the just remains out until he puts together an entire season at that level and then backs it up the next year.

That raises the question of how many PA gives enough information to formally evaluate a players skill level. In 2007 Keppinger had only 276 plate appearances.

[Jerome]

Keppinger, if healthy, will hit over .300. Put it in the books and rub it in my face in October if I'm wrong.

http://jeromesredscare.blogspot.com/...keppinger.html

[JBChance]

Keppinger, if healthy, will hit over .300. Put it in the books and rub it in my face in October if I'm wrong.

The guy has done that exactly once in the majors. And that was over only 6o odd games.

I'll be definitely pulling for him. Maybe "the light came on" in '07 and last season was the knee alone.

I know this. My Dad loves that guy. He loves scrappiness.

[fitz1]

I agree with you Jerome. Kepp's the man. He faltered after returning too early from the DL last year and struggled. Other than that, he is a proven hitter. I don't care where he plays, but given enough ABs he will be a +.300 hitter. I don't think he will win a starting position unless AGonz goes down and then even Haiston or Valeika might be given the job. But I do see him being a possible backup to Votto at first, Phillips at second, challenging EE at 3B if he falters and maybe even playing some outfield. I love Kepp's game and can play for my team any day of the week.

[thatcoolguy_22]

Originally Posted by fitz1

I agree with you Jerome. Kepp's the man. He faltered after returning too early from the DL last year and struggled. Other than that, he is a proven hitter. I don't care where he plays, but given enough ABs he will be a +.300 hitter. I don't think he will win a starting position unless AGonz goes down and then even Haiston or Valeika might be given the job. But I do see him being a possible backup to Votto at first, Phillips at second, challenging EE at 3B if he falters and maybe even playing some outfield. I love Kepp's game and can play for my team any day of the week.

I like Keppinger as a super sub but, thats it. I don't think he can sustain a .300 BA without the assistance of a .350 BABIP or better. I will be rooting for the guy, don't get me wrong but, I will be surprised if he can OPS .800. If Ward makes the team (I predict he will) he will receive the majority of the days that Votto needs a breather. However Kepp can fill in all IF positions (minus catcher) and is an asset to the squad. Every team needs role players.

[UPRedsFan]

Kepp is our best right handed bat in left field. He will OPS well over .800 against left handed pitching. Platoon him with Dickerson and let him spot start for Votto or Bruce when they need rest.

I like Gonzo at ss though for the defense assuming he's healthy.

[Nasty_Boy]

Kepp is anything but proven. The man is a black hole in the lineup against RHP, and while he hits lefties well I'm not sure that he would hit well enough or play LF well enough to warrant platooning him. I really fine with Kepp in small doses but the man is nothing more than a backup. Reds fans love the scrappy white dude that comes out of the minors (Stynes, Freel) like a house on fire, gets his uni dirty, and hits .310 for 35 games. Kepp is nothing more than a backup and a platoon guy at best on a pennant contending team.

[JBChance]

Kepp is our best right handed bat in left field.

I don't think he'll be a part of that logjam out there.