Denorfia quote.....

[jimbo]

"I looked when we sat down in the dugout and you start counting when you're going to be up," Denorfia said. "The situation was right there. I'm going to be up with the bases loaded, if I get up. It's going to be a tie game. I was preparing for it as soon as I got to the dugout."

This is the kind of comment that I love hearing from a player. He was looking ahead as soon as he hit the dugout. This is the kind of attitude that says a lot about a player. You may get more pop from the bat of Kearns, but you won't get the discipline and game awareness that you get from Denorfia. I'm glad he is finally getting his chance and I think he will become a fan favorite very soon.

[realreds1]

Imagine...

You were called to the majors three days ago. You've grounded out every time up tonight. You've caught heat from the doofuses in right field earlier because you didn't "get to the double in the corner soon enough." Your team is down 2-1 now. There are 2 outs. It's the bottom of the 9th. The bases are loaded. There are two strikes on you. And... it's your birthday!

Sheesh... clutch stuff there. Had it been me, I might've rolled over and died.

[Razor Shines]

It's sad that we have to praise players for thinking like that. You'd like to think that every player is always that much into the game and wants to be up with the game on the line, but you know it's not true. I really don't see how you can play the game any other way.

[StRedlegs900]

You know, what makes the whole thing possible is Denorfia's speed. The Rockies shortstop even said so. If Kearns hits that ball, it's game over, but b/c Deno can get down the line, he had to play it differently, causing him to let it get by him. I think that's what I'll like the most about Deno--the flat out hussle. Can't with the game without guys that play their butts off every night.

[reds44]

If Denorfia can just hit a little he is going to be a big assest to this team. He play flat out amazing defense, and has amazing range. I don't know if he is a leadoff man (he could be), but if he can just be a decent hitter he is going to be a starter on a Major League team.

It is a shame that his range is stuck in RF and not being used in CF.

[Jpup]

You know, what makes the whole thing possible is Denorfia's speed. The Rockies shortstop even said so. If Kearns hits that ball, it's game over, but b/c Deno can get down the line, he had to play it differently, causing him to let it get by him. I think that's what I'll like the most about Deno--the flat out hussle. Can't with the game without guys that play their butts off every night.

Austin Kearns had plenty of hussle. I don't think anyone can accuse Austin Kearns of not playing hard this season for the Reds.

As far as Deno is concerned, yes it turned out well, but he didn't do anything special. He grounded out to shortstop for the 4th time in the game. Barmes just made a boneheaded play and the Rockies manager Clint Hurdle made a boneheaded call by playing the infield back as far as he did.

It's a nice win, but it was more of the Rockies undoing than it was of the Reds doing. I will give Narron credit for making some good calls in the 9th.

[Jpup]

If Denorfia can just hit a little he is going to be a big assest to this team. He play flat out amazing defense, and has amazing range. I don't know if he is a leadoff man (he could be), but if he can just be a decent hitter he is going to be a starter on a Major League team.

It is a shame that his range is stuck in RF and not being used in CF.

I hope he starts hitting with some pop, but it doesn't appear that he has any. I think he is going to be more of a singles hitter that can play some good defense. I don't think he has the arm of Kearns but he does appear to have more range.

As far as moving him to center, yes that would be a good idea, but where are you going to play Jr.? Denorfia would then have to cover 75% of the outfield due to lack of range at the corners. I think Deno will help Jr. a lot by staying in right field.

[reds44]

I hope he starts hitting with some pop, but it doesn't appear that he has any. I think he is going to be more of a singles hitter that can play some good defense. I don't think he has the arm of Kearns but he does appear to have more range.

As far as moving him to center, yes that would be a good idea, but where are you going to play Jr.? Denorfia would then have to cover 75% of the outfield due to lack of range at the corners. I think Deno will help Jr. a lot by staying in right field.
He isn't a power hitter. He is a good defense CFer who is going to be a speed/singles guy. If you expect the power of Kearns it's not going to happen. He isn't a power guy and he really doesn't have near enough power to play COF, but luckily for us we have powerhitters in center and left.

Deno won't be playing CF until at least next year. I doubt Griffey moves during the offseason, so Deno will be stuck in RF until Griffey is traded or his contract runs out. Probably the latter.

[Ravenlord]

in Denorfia, think of a more athletic and slightly more talented Brady Clark.

[jimbo]

As far as Deno is concerned, yes it turned out well, but he didn't do anything special. He grounded out to shortstop for the 4th time in the game. Barmes just made a boneheaded play and the Rockies manager Clint Hurdle made a boneheaded call by playing the infield back as far as he did.


It's not so much what he did, but those words give an example of what type of player that he is. His mind is always on the situation at hand and what scenarios that may be presented to him. It's an old-school type of baseball mentality that is rare in today's players, who seem to be more concerned about what they are doing after the game than the game itself.

[jimbo]

in Denorfia, think of a more athletic and slightly more talented Brady Clark.

That's exactly how I would describe him.

[KronoRed]

in Denorfia, think of a more athletic and slightly more talented Brady Clark.
I still say the righty Mark Kotsay :D

[Jpup]

It's not so much what he did, but those words give an example of what type of player that he is. His mind is always on the situation at hand and what scenarios that may be presented to him. It's an old-school type of baseball mentality that is rare in today's players, who seem to be more concerned about what they are doing after the game than the game itself.

i disagree. most of the players are very professional. you have little basis to say something like this. it's what the media and some other would like you to believe, but the hundreds of games that I watch every year, tell me something totally different. You don't play baseball at the major league level for 200 days or more, every year, and not be somewhat dedicated to what you are doing.

If he hits, that's good, but I think some need to temper their expectations of Chris Denorfia. I hope that I am wrong, but I don't see him as anything other than a 4th outfielder for most teams.

[jimbo]

i disagree. most of the players are very professional. you have little basis to say something like this. it's what the media and some other would like you to believe, but the hundreds of games that I watch every year, tell me something totally different. You don't play baseball at the major league level for 200 days or more, every year, and not be somewhat dedicated to what you are doing.

If he hits, that's good, but I think some need to temper their expectations of Chris Denorfia. I hope that I am wrong, but I don't see him as anything other than a 4th outfielder for most teams.

Well, I just disagree with you. Maybe you see him as only a 4th outfielder and you have the right to your opinion......but please do not tell me I need to "temper" my expectations of any player.

[Team Clark]

He isn't a power hitter. He is a good defense CFer who is going to be a speed/singles guy. If you expect the power of Kearns it's not going to happen. He isn't a power guy and he really doesn't have near enough power to play COF, but luckily for us we have powerhitters in center and left.

Deno won't be playing CF until at least next year. I doubt Griffey moves during the offseason, so Deno will be stuck in RF until Griffey is traded or his contract runs out. Probably the latter.

He's got more pop than you might think. Without seeing him right now I can almost for certain say that he is still having some jittery AB's. Give him 30-40 more AB's and he will rake. Brady Clark II with more speed.

If you watch very closely between innings he may even rip off his shirt and show you this cool "S" emblem he wears when he's not playing baseball. :devil:

[Cyclone792]

If he hits, that's good, but I think some need to temper their expectations of Chris Denorfia. I hope that I am wrong, but I don't see him as anything other than a 4th outfielder for most teams.

I'm pretty sure that Chris Denorfia is the best defensive center fielder in the entire Reds organization. I said it way back in spring training, and I'm going to hold true on it, but Denorfia could pile up 15-20 win shares easily as a full-time player during the course of a season as a center fielder, with probably over a half dozen of those win shares coming from his defense. Nearly 20 win shares is nothing to sneeze at out of a great defensive asset in an important defensive position like center field.

Offensively, I can see him giving us a dozen win shares via the means of singles, doubles and walks. He's not a power hitter, and he's not going to hit many home runs, but he'll put up a decent enough on-base percentage to not be a liability offensively, and he does have enough pop to rack up the two baggers. In 2005, the average major league center fielder put up a .757 OPS (.334/.423). I can easily see Denorfia at least matching that slugging percentage while also putting up an on-base percentage ~.350. Right away, that'd pit him as being an above average center fielder offensively, and we already know he's outstanding defensively.

Tally it up, and we've got ourselves a solid, above average overall center fielder who truly belongs in center field. Of course, Narron being Narron, Denorfia will be stuck in right field because of our manager's inability to move the worst defensive center fielder in all of baseball to a corner outfield spot. That's not the fault of Denorfia, though, and Chris shouldn't take the blame for being misused in a corner slot. He's not going hit like a prototypical corner outfielder, but then again, he rightfully belongs in center field instead of a corner slot.

[jhiller21]

Deno admits:

"I really didn't hit that one hard at all, It was probably the softest ball I hit all night. That one, I think I would have had"

There you go folks, a ball hit so softly Deno would have thrown himself out if he wanted to.

[Jpup]

Deno admits:

"I really didn't hit that one hard at all, It was probably the softest ball I hit all night. That one, I think I would have had"

There you go folks, a ball hit so softly Deno would have thrown himself out if he wanted to.


:laugh:

[Ravenlord]

I still say the righty Mark Kotsay :D
offensively isn't that the same thing as a slightly more talented Brady Clark?

defensively, Denorfia has more range than Kotsay ever thought about having.

[KronoRed]

There you go folks, a ball hit so softly Deno would have thrown himself out if he wanted to.
If it hadn't been the 9th..he would have :cool:

[KronoRed]

offensively isn't that the same thing as a slightly more talented Brady Clark?

Sure..but I like Mark Kotsay better then Brady Clark;)

[edabbs44]

in Denorfia, think of a more athletic and slightly more talented Brady Clark.
I think he could end up somewhere btw Shannon Stewart and Brady Clark.

Btw, isn't it funny that the white guys always get compared to other white guys? Like if you are a PG, you're the next John Stockton or Nash? WRs are the next Largents, forwards are Birds, Deno is Superman, and so on and so forth? Just found it interesting b/c I thought Shannon Stewart was Deno's ceiling and that would be fine by me. But I also compared him to Clark at first.

[RBA]

I have been watching a few Kearns/Lopez at bats on T.V. Kearns looks like he's hustling a little more. Maybe he's trying to impress his new team. Kearns hasn't performed for the Reds at a level that I expected him to when he came up. Hopefully a new team, a little farther away from Kentucky might do him some good.

As far as Chris Denorfia, so far he has seemed lost at the plate. I think Narron should bat him lower in the order until he get's rid of the jitters and get's his swing. When Pete Rose came up, he took about two to three weeks to get in a groove also. People were about to throw in the towel on him too. But Pete played 2nd base when he came up where not much was expected as far as the batting.

[goreds2]

It's sad that we have to praise players for thinking like that. You'd like to think that every player is always that much into the game and wants to be up with the game on the line, but you know it's not true. I really don't see how you can play the game any other way.

I posted this in another thread but Denorfia mentioned on the Star Of The Game that he always chokes up on the bat with two strikes on him. I wish more players would do this.

Kevin Mitchell was the only power type hitter that I knew of who would adjust with two strikes. He would always try to hit to right field.

[realreds1]

You know, what makes the whole thing possible is Denorfia's speed.

I think it's also that everyone in the stadium last night - myself included - felt like Denorfia could do it because he had put the ball into play every at-bat previous.

[Doc. Scott]

As far as Chris Denorfia, so far he has seemed lost at the plate. I think Narron should bat him lower in the order until he get's rid of the jitters and get's his swing. When Pete Rose came up, he took about two to three weeks to get in a groove also. People were about to throw in the towel on him too. But Pete played 2nd base when he came up where not much was expected as far as the batting.

Denorfia should have been the fourth outfielder since April 1st and Quinton McCracken never kept. This way he wouldn't have to have been thrust into holding down the leadoff slot on a playoff-contending team. I think that's risky- like taking a junior associate three years out of school and making him a partner.

Although it's possible that Freel's injury is the only reason Denorfia is leading off.

I'm sure that the argument is that "he needed to play every day", but the guy finished developing last year as far as I'm concerned.

[Ravenlord]

I think he could end up somewhere btw Shannon Stewart and Brady Clark.


Denorfia's shown more patience and power than Stewart ever has, though they're probably as close as it gets athletically.

[edabbs44]

Denorfia's shown more patience and power than Stewart ever has, though they're probably as close as it gets athletically.
? Stewart has consistently been in double digits in HRs throughout his career in the majors. I think that looks to be Deno's max. Also his OBP has been around .360 or higher almost every year. He's been solid and if Deno ends up with his production, I'll be happy.

[Ravenlord]

? Stewart has consistently been in double digits in HRs throughout his career in the majors. I think that looks to be Deno's max. Also his OBP has been around .360 or higher almost every year. He's been solid and if Deno ends up with his production, I'll be happy.

Denorfia minor league IsoD: 085
Stewart minor league IsoD: 092

Denorfia minor league IsoP: 146
Stewart minor league IsoP: 113

so i was wrong on the first part.

[Chip R]

Deno admits:

"I really didn't hit that one hard at all, It was probably the softest ball I hit all night. That one, I think I would have had"

There you go folks, a ball hit so softly Deno would have thrown himself out if he wanted to.

Of course he would have had it. But could he have thrown himself out?

[TeamBoone]

"I looked when we sat down in the dugout and you start counting when you're going to be up," Denorfia said. "The situation was right there. I'm going to be up with the bases loaded, if I get up. It's going to be a tie game. I was preparing for it as soon as I got to the dugout."

This is the kind of comment that I love hearing from a player. He was looking ahead as soon as he hit the dugout. This is the kind of attitude that says a lot about a player. You may get more pop from the bat of Kearns, but you won't get the discipline and game awareness that you get from Denorfia. I'm glad he is finally getting his chance and I think he will become a fan favorite very soon.

Don't get me wrong, I like Denorfia, but I hardly believe he's the only player who thinks like this. The difference is that his thought made it into print.

[REDREAD]

I think he could end up somewhere btw Shannon Stewart.

I always laugh when I hear that name brought up in a baseball conversation because once I did a google search on Shannon Stewart and was very surprised at what came up. Don't do it at work, it's not too bad, but if you search images, it's not something you want the boss to see.