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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > March > 04 > Entry
‘C’ is for Cincinnati Cubs
It is only natural for a guy to feel comfortable with people he knows, so it is not surprising that Corey Patterson and Jerry Hairston Jr. wandered into camp Tuesday morning.
Patterson and Hairston played for Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker in Chicago. Both were free agents seeking employment and Baker said, “Come on down.”
Baker insists this isn’t becoming Chicago Cubs-East, but just filling a need for warm and tender bodies due to injuries to Jerry Gil and Jay Bruce, even though both are expected back soon.
One wonders, though — is this the end of Jay Bruce and Ryan Freel? Bakers says it isn’t, but check back when the team breaks camp and heads north.
“No. 1, we’re short of bodies,” said Baker. “No. 2, competition is healthy. We’re trying to improve ourselves for now and, possibly, in the future. We’re trying to win this thing; we’ll go north with the best possible team at the time.”
Patterson is a center fielder who Chicago fans insist was rushed to the majors, leading to setting him back two or three years. Maybe, maybe not. All that is germane now is that Baker likes Patterson.
“Main thing, he is still young (28),” he said. “To me, he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he can do. He is one of the fastest runners in the league. He plays a great center field.”
Baker said Patterson didn’t know what he was when the Cubs brought him up.
“He was caught between what he wanted to be,” said Baker. “He didn’t know if he was a get-on-base speed guy or if he had enough power just to mess him up. He was confused. Didn’t know if he was a hitter or slugger. I think, through hook or crook, he realized he is a hitter.
“He is the epitome of hype to the point where fans begin clamoring for him,” Baker added. “Where is so-and-so? He is where Jay Bruce used to be. In Chicago, they were saying, ‘We want Corey, we want Corey.’ I said once that the Cubs rushed him and I got in trouble with the organization.”
Baker probably meant that Bruce is where Patterson used to be — a blossoming star who fans want to see playing right now, but he said it the other way around.
But where does this leave Bruce? Louisville? Bench?
“I didn’t say Bruce isn’t making the team or anything like that,” Baker said. “No, no. Not at all. Bruce is a tremendous talent and this guy is going to be a star for a long time, a long time. You don’t know if the timing is right for now or not.
“If I didn’t think he had a chance to make this club, I surer wouldn’t be playing him as much as I have,” Baker said. “He has more at-bats this spring than anybody on the team. I leave my mind open for anything. But you have to figure out what’s best for the team now and what’s best for him.”
Prediction: Patterson in center field, Bruce in Louisville.
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Comments
By Big Fan
March 7, 2008 12:07 AM | Link to this
“He was caught between what he wanted to be,” said Baker. “He didn’t know if he was a get-on-base speed guy or if he had enough power just to mess him up. He was confused. Didn’t know if he was a hitter or slugger. I think, through hook or crook, he realized he is a hitter” Does Dusty forget he was the guy confusing him? I got more Dusty stories than you have space on this website
By Jon
March 6, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this
Chalk me up as another Cubs fan that feels sorry for the Reds. But this is ENTIRELY his M.O. Common Sense is clearly a misnomer, as anyone with any so-called “Baseball IQ” would realize Patterson is a sub-average player.
By RonSantoRules
March 5, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this
For anyone who says that Corey Patterson is a good pickup never watched baseball during his Cubs years. That guy is the biggest waste of human space alive. Thanks Dusty for running the Reds into the ground so quickly! I thought it would take you till at least next year but it only took less than a month. Dustbag for manager of the year, dude!
By weshouldhavehiredlarussa
March 5, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this
Common sense, I hope you and Dusty have a good time together, you must be his brother. I really hope the Reds could enjoy a winning season however when they made this hire, I knew what would occur.
By Dave
March 5, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
Bring back Jim Blowden, as bad as he was.
By sam
March 5, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
Looks like another last place finish for the Reds.
By tammy
March 5, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
Dusty Baker was a bad move on the Reds’ part!
By tom
March 5, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
Black managers prefer black players. Hence Patterson and Harriston in while Bruce and Freel are out the door.
By bill
March 5, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
When the Dust(y) settles you will see half the team will be Baker’s former players.
By Smitty
March 5, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this
Hmmmmm, so we pick up a 28 year old average centerfielder who strikes out a lot because we’re unsure about the center field position? Didn’t we just trade a 27 year old excellent centerfielder for a pitcher not expected to challenge for a spot in the Texas Ranger’s starting rotation?
By Common Sense
March 5, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this
OMG! I cant believe the lack of baseball knowledge that some of you guys have. My wife has a higher baseball IQ than some of you. Patterson was signed because he was cheap, and he’s a better baseball player than Hopper or Freel. He’s much better defensively than those two, has more pop than those two combined, and will be a pretty good fourth outfielder when Bruce gets here. And exactly why do you think Bruce has nothing left to work on in AAA? How about the kid is 20 years old and strikes out-a lot. He hasnt even played a full year of AAA baseball. Let the kid get his work in and get his AB’s in AAA and be patient. He’ll be up this summer and when he comes up, he’ll stay. Patterson will put up some numbers in this park but when it all comes around, he’s a bench player, get it? The fourth outfielder. Looks like a good signing to me. And there is no way we go into 09 without Dunn and Griffey. Bruce and Dunn and somebody else is going to be the outfield in 09, and it might still be Griffey. Lets see what kind of year he has. The Reds are building a bigtime baseball team with young talent everywhere. Some of you try to show off how much you know about the game by bitching about every move the organization makes, which ends up showing the rest of Dayton how little you know about the game.
By Y-City Jim
March 4, 2008 9:07 PM | Link to this
All I can say is we should have hired anyone but Baker! His baseball mind is in the dark ages.
By Cub Fan
March 4, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this
This is way I am SO happy that Dusty is your problem. Enjoy all the aging vets while the young players rot away on the bench or AAA. And just wait until you get to see his in game managing skills….OH BOY.
By weshouldhavehiredlarussa
March 4, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this
All I can say is, we should have hired LaRussa.
By RyanRico
March 4, 2008 6:48 PM | Link to this
I agree, pretty much, with the postings to this point. Actions do speak louder than words, and it seems that Dusty / Jocketty / Krivsky really would rather go into the season with Patterson / Fogg / Affeldt, than Bruce / Bailey / Cueto. My question is…for crying out loud, why? Patterson and Fogg are just straight-up bad baseball players, and Affeldt..while useful in the pen, could not make the Royals rotation. The Royals rotation! What we have here is poor talent evaluation, in my opinion. Jocketty and Baker are not helping things here.
By RyanRico
March 4, 2008 6:48 PM | Link to this
I agree, pretty much, with the postings to this point. Actions do speak louder than words, and it seems that Dusty / Jocketty / Krivsky really would rather go into the season with Patterson / Fogg / Affeldt, than Bruce / Bailey / Cueto. My question is…for crying out loud, why? Patterson and Fogg are just straight-up bad baseball players, and Affeldt..while useful in the pen, could not make the Royals rotation. The Royals rotation! What we have here is poor talent evaluation, in my opinion. Jocketty and Baker are not helping things here.
By RyanRico
March 4, 2008 6:48 PM | Link to this
I agree, pretty much, with the postings to this point. Actions do speak louder than words, and it seems that Dusty / Jocketty / Krivsky really would rather go into the season with Patterson / Fogg / Affeldt, than Bruce / Bailey / Cueto. My question is…for crying out loud, why? Patterson and Fogg are just straight-up bad baseball players, and Affeldt..while useful in the pen, could not make the Royals rotation. The Royals rotation! What we have here is poor talent evaluation, in my opinion. Jocketty and Baker are not helping things here.
By redfuture
March 4, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this
I don’t have access to the fielding bible but baseball-reference.com shows fielding range of players and the average. According to that Cory is a below average CF. We’re beginning to see a trend that we were warned about with Dusty. He seems to have a bit of ‘this is what I think, so don’t confuse me with facts’ type of attitude. He seems to be a very loyal man but as most people with that quality they are loyal to a fault!
By Y-City Jim
March 4, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Has there ever been an Opening Day where the manager gets booed off the field?
By Paul
March 4, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Baker is like a self-parody at this point. Bako, Hairston, Korey- these are not just former Cubs, these are former TERRIBLE Cubs. And Mercker is there too. That’s four terrible former Cubs, who will almost certainly make the roster. It’s like Cinci and SD are fighting for former Cubs- only SD is at least getting former Cubs who were, at one point, good, though they’re not now- you guys are getting the dregs. Can Todd Hollandsworth be far behind? Rey Ordonez? Lenny Harris? You guys are in for a tough few years.
By Sloth
March 4, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this
I was debating whether to say “I almost feel sorry for you all” or just “I feel sorry for you all”. But, honestly, I have no reason not to just simply feel sorry for Red fans. Jeez. The Dustbag is entirely predictable. He’s probably on the phone now with your GM asking to trade Freel for LaTroy Hawkins.
By null
March 4, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this
I like Patterson, gives the Reds more speed and right now they have nil. Bruce has not proved anything other than he can hit minor league pitching. Likely he is a year off, will get a call up this Sept. and be in the outfield next year when Jr. and Dunn are gone.
By Steve
March 4, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this
I think the Reds are worried about Bruce playing centerfield. He’ll start in AAA playing right field and we’ll see how the season goes. I always liked Patterson when he played for the Cubs. He’ll platoon with Freel or Hopper in the beginning. Hopefully Griffey stays healthy but if not who do you think they bring up in a heartbeat?
By Ty
March 4, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
This move really bothers me. Granted Bruce is young, he has proved last year he is to good for the minor leagues, and he has proved so far this year that he belongs in the Bigs. Patterson is a good player, but this is the CINCINNATI Reds, not the new age Cubs. Why has Baker been given so much power to decide who can play for the team? Last I heard he was the manager not the GM. Lets hope Wayne or Bob steps in and lets him know Bruce is the future, and the future is NOW.
By Dennis
March 4, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this
This is exactly why I did not want Baker hired to be the mananger. He says all the right things but actions speak louder than words. Everything the team has done this spring training fits with what Dusty has done in the past, not what he has been saying. Bringing in Patterson, puts Bruce (who is more talented) at AAA to start the year. One young guy down, one veteran starting. He says first base is not guaranteed to Votto - translation: Hatteberg will start at first. Two youngs guys down - two veterans starting. Josh Fogg comes in to camp. Another young player bumped. The only way this team has any chance is to catch lightning in a bottle with the young players. All of whom have greater potential than the veterans in front of them. My guess is they won’t get the chance until it is too late. Why? Baker likes his veterans no matter what he says in public. Actions speak louder than words.
By Sam
March 4, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
Somehow I just don’t believe Dusty. There’s no way they will head north with the best possible team. It will be comprised of those who are out of options and guaranteed contracts.
By Cait
March 4, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
Patterson is OK, Hairston is a waste. But I still favor Hopper, Freel and Bruce. Bruce seems to be level headed and with Jr. - who came up at 19 and Phillips, a young guy who finally learned to play within himself, I see two guys who can help Bruce figure out who he is. Maybe Patterson didn’t have that with the Cubs. Give Bruce a chance, if he fails, call Patterson up from the minors.