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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 > 11 > Entry
Of Hoot and Homer
Dusty Baker recently recounted how former St. Louis pitcher and noted head-hunter Bob “Hoot” Gibson drilled rookie Jon Milner in the back the first time he faced him, “To get his attention and get him in line.”
Some of you wanted to know what Gibson did the first time he faced Baker.
Baker said he had dinner that night with Hank Aaron and Gibson, and when Aaron asked why Gibson drilled him and Gibson told him, Baker said, “I was hoping he didn’t know my name.”
So Baker was asked what Gibson did the first time Baker faced him. Said Baker with a laugh, “The son-of-a-so-and-so ended my 17-game hitting streak. A big oh-for-four. At least he didn’t hit me.”
And for the guy who mentioned that Baker trained with the Dodgers in Florida, Baker didn’t say it was the only time he was in Florida. He said it was the only time he was in ST. PETERSBURG. Big difference.
BAILEY BABBLE
On to other things, specifically Homer Bailey and some pointed remarks about him from Baker, beginning with: “It’s not easy being Homer. It’s not.”
How so, Dusty?
“I’ve seen it a thousand times. It is not easy being that Mr. Everything, Can’t Miss,” said Baker. “No matter what you do, unless you don’t do it great … well, I learned a long time ago that the most dangerous word for a young kid is ‘potential.’ If they don’t do great, no matter what they do they don’t reach that potential.
“Some guys take longer to get it than other guys? I mean, what is Homer, 21 years old? This Dude is barely drinking age, you understand that? There are kids in college who haven’t even signed a contract yet.
“Homer already has this experience,” Baker added. “That’s the thing, let’s not forget. This Dude is three years ahead of whoever is in this year’s draft. He may not be where we want him to be or he wants to be, but he is still ahead of the program.
“In three or four years you might have a different thought process. Right now, though, he’s like a freshman competing against seniors and I’m big on how a guy does compared to his graduating class.”
Instead of going to college, Bailey signed right out of high school and pitched in the big leagues last year at age 20, while some kids his age who attended college haven’t even been drafted yet.
The question here: Is Baker greasing the skids for Bailey to get more experience in the minors or is he justifying Bailey’s erratic mound behavior, like not making it through his scheduled three innings against the Yankees Monday night?
He threw 59 pitches in 2 1/3 innings and Baker had to go get him.
But Baker defended him, too.
“I’ve only seen Bailey three times in my life and (Monday) was the first time he wasn’t pitch-efficient,” he said. “He was the first two times he pitched.”
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Comments
By Y-City Jim
March 12, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
Homer begins the year at AAA where he learns to consistently throw all his pitches for strikes.
By Mac
March 12, 2008 3:06 AM | Link to this
Hal, any chance Homer ends up in the pen? Likewise, any talk of improving our catching position; I hear the Braves are stacked @ the catching position?
By Justin
March 11, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
Hal, You really should do some research. Your articles are often riddled with minor factual errors. Homer Bailey’s birthday way May 3, 1986. He debuted in June last season and was 21. The number of factual errors found in your articles should be embarrassing to you.
By Brian
March 11, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this
The order should look like this. 1. Bruce 2. Keppinger 3. Dunn 4. Griffey 5. Phillips 6. Encarnacion 7. Votto 8. Valentine 9. Pitcher I could really care less about the back to back left handers. I think that the idea of breaking up your two best hitters is complete garbage. As far as starting pitchers go my line up would be… 1. Harang 2. Arroyo 3. Volquez 4. Belisle 5. Cueto Sorry Bailey but you are a cocky little bleep and need to learn how to locate you fastball and learn how to throw a changeup. Get your head out of you rear and start respecting yourself and the team. What do you guys think?
By NevadaReds
March 11, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this
I saw some very good things from bailey. I also saw a lot I didnt like. IMO this kid has tons of talent, he just needs to work to control it. He hung a ton of breaking balls, and I saw why people are telling him to shorten it up. His FB looks good he has better control of it and he wasn;t afraid to throw inside to hitters, thats very positive for a 21 yr old w/ a 94+mph FB. that screw-ball change thing he threw was nasty!!! do that more that was rediculous. all in all I like the guys potential, but he needs to start in AAA its where he belongs he is NOT ready for the bigs. Volquez was electric, loved watching that kid throw, BP or rotation Neither is better than Cueto. I can’t wait to watch this kid pitch!!!!!
By NevadaReds
March 11, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this
I saw some very good things from bailey. I also saw a lot I didnt like. IMO this kid has tons of talent, he just needs to work to control it. He hung a ton of breaking balls, and I saw why people are telling him to shorten it up. His FB looks good he has better control of it and he wasn;t afraid to throw inside to hitters, thats very positive for a 21 yr old w/ a 94+mph FB. that screw-ball change thing he threw was nasty!!! do that more that was rediculous. all in all I like the guys potential, but he needs to start in AAA its where he belongs he is NOT ready for the bigs. Volquez was electric, loved watching that kid throw, BP or rotation Neither is better than Cueto. I can’t wait to watch this kid pitch!!!!!
By Greg
March 11, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
After last nite, you have to adjust the MY team to swap out Bailey and insert Volquez. He was very accurate and consistent while changing speeds effectively, mowing down ARod, Giambi, and Matsui. The two (Bailey and Volquez) were worlds apart in confidence and performance.
By jarrod
March 11, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
it appears volquez now has a leg up on bailey, but its still somewhat early and bailey still has a chance to grab that spot. by the way hal, that blog picture looks like youre testifying before congress and saying something extremely important.
By got milk
March 11, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
I interpret Dusty’s comments regarding Homer to mean that he’s not looking for the first excuse possible to send him to AAA. Trying to read between the lines further, I think Dusty’s not too keen on what he’s seen out of Affeldt, Belisle and Fogg and would like for Homer to grab ahold of one of the open starting rotation spots (kinda like Cueto seems to have done). However, when Jeff Brantley was on the Hot Stove League last week, he commented that Homer’s got to get rid of his big, loopy curveball in order to be successful in the majors. The curve Homer throws now is either going to be called a ball or be hung and hit out of the park. As for Florida vs. St. Pete, here’s the sentence that was posted on the DDN blog a couple of days ago. “The only time Baker was in Florida was when he was a player in the early 1970s with the Atlanta Braves.” Scroll down a couple of blog items and you’ll see it.