Madison graduation 2012
Warren County CC graduation
New Miami graduation 2012
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 > 15 > Entry
Bailey to Louisville?
It was probably the biggest start of Homer Bailey’s spring, but there are indications that the decision about his immediate future already has been made.
Is is Loo-ee-ville or Lew-vull or Loo-iss-ville?
Ever how you pronounce it, Bailey is probably headed there to open the season, especially with the emergence of Johnny Cueto, Edison Volques and with the five scoreless innings Josh Fogg pitched Friday in Bradenton against the Pittsburgh Pirates - although my Aunt Fanny probably could shut down the Pirates.
Nevertheless, somebody deeply imbedded in the Reds system told me Bailey’s destination is Louisville, “Where he can get some innings, work on the command of his breaking pitches and adjust his attitude.”
Bailey isn’t really a bad guy. Just different. Stubborn? Yes.
Before Saturday’s assignment, Bailey was by himself in the clubhouse, dressed in civvies, stretched out on his back on a rubber mat on the floor. His teammates were taking batting practice before facing the Boston Red Sox and Bailey wasn’t required to be out there.
I was in there with him, just the two of us, and he was smiling and affable.
Asked about why he sometimes is short and terse with the media, he said, “I don’t like questions. It is perception. What a writer or somebody else might perceive, I perceive differently, and somebody else might perceive differently.”
Bailey, the 21-year-old No. 1 draft pick in 2004, permanently tattooed with Can’t Miss ink, was ready with an example.
“Some people might say Homer Bailey is struggling this spring,” he said. “But I’ve pitched against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and now the Red Sox again, all at their places where I face their best players.”
Bailey quickly added, “I’m not complaining. That’ll help me if I’m with the team this season because we play both those teams (interleague). If I make mistakes to their big hitters, I’ll know what not to throw them when I face them in the season.”
Bailey then went out and gave up a leadoff double in the first to Julio Lugo and walked Kevin Youkilis on a full count. Bailey bowed his back and struck out both David “Big Papi” Ortiz (blew a fastball past him) and Manny Ramirez (called third on a breaking pitch).
But with two outs, MIke Lowell blooped a run-scoring single to left and Jason Varitek shot a run-scoring single to right for a 2-0 Red Sox lead. With one out in the second, he gave up a home run to the No. 9 hitter, Brnadon Moss, the not only cleared the center field wall, it cleared the 30-foot black batter’s eye behind the wall.
It continued in the third when Bailey gave up another run, ignited by a leadoff double by Ortiz. Two more runs scored in the fourth, with Bailey leaving with one out and two on in the fourth, both runners scoring and charged to Bailey when Tom Shearn gave up a two-run double to Youkilis.
For the day, Bailey gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings with twol walks and three strikesout, using 76 pitches to get only 46 strkes. And it’s Bye-Bye Bailey.
Bailey needed 30 pitches for the first inning and it looks as if he is Louisville-bound to get command and discover the world of pitch efficiency.
Seems to be to be the correct decision, based on what I’ve seen, but only if Jeremy Affeldt and Matt Belisle get it together, plus Cueto and Volques continfue to dazzle and Fogg keeps it going. The option are sinking.
Agree?
Personal aside: My son, Brent McCoy, visiting me this week with his wife, Tammy, caught a foul ball hit behind first base by Kevin Youkilis and did himself proud by giving the ball to a young fan.
Tweet
Comments
By eraser
March 20, 2008 9:36 PM | Link to this
Maybe Mr. Krivsky does know what he is doing…. If my (sometimes limited) memory serves me, reds fans could not understand why Bailey didn’t make the roster last spring, and complained all early season that he should be in the rotation. Mr. Krivskey insisted he was not ready. Well, here we are, and now the same people are blasting Bailey for struggling! Go figure. He is 21, relax. The Reds have done a good job beefing up the pitching staff. This move could turn out to be great for the future of this pitching staff. I guess we shall see!
By weshouldhavehiredlarussa
March 17, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this
With Bailey struggling, let’s hope they send him to Louisville. Heaven forbid, DICK and DUSTY doesn’t help him. If they do Bailey will ready for an MRI rather than the MLB.
By weshouldhavehiredlarussa
March 17, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this
With Bailey struggling, let’s hope they send him to Louisville. Heaven forbid, DICK and DUSTY doesn’t help him. If they do Bailey will ready for an MRI rather than the MLB.
By redsfaninMontana
March 16, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this
I am disappointed to hear that Bailey is making excuses for his performance. Who cares who he faces. A competitor wants the ball against anyone because they beleive they will get the outs. Clearly Homer is to immature and can’t handle the preassure.
By Y-City Jim
March 16, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
Bailey’s issues have to do with walks and they have existed even through the minor league levels. He has averaged a walk every two innings. Compare that to a Tom Seaver, who over his career averaged a walk every 3.5 innings. You have to throw strikes consistently to succeed at the major league level.
By Mike
March 16, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
Bailey is young. Send him to Louisville and help him learn to pitch. He is not yet ready for MLB.
By got milk
March 16, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
The problem with sending Homer to AAA is that he’s already shown he can dominate that level without a great breaking ball or offspeed pitch. I’d rather see him in the Reds ‘pen as a long reliever, getting major league coaching, facing major league hitters, and ‘getting’ to watch Cueto and Volquez take their turns in the rotation. Maybe sitting in the ‘pen and seeing his contemporaries getting the starting jobs will spur his development.
By Richard
March 16, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
I think Homer thinks he is better than he is and has already made the roster, but he better get his head out of his butt and look at the stats. I don’t see were he is any better then he was last year. Playing in high school and playing in the minors is one thing, going against the big boys is another. I would have traded him when they had the chance. I hope I am wrong , but I don’t see him getting any better. I think the media has his head so swollen up, it is stuck in his butt.
By redfuture
March 16, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this
It would be nice to hear Homer say something like, “I need to learn …..”. Fill in the blank. He certainly needs to learn a changeup. Something to put guys away. He threw 5 or 6 consecutive strikes to Youkilis in the first inning in a 10 or 11 pitch at bat. Granted Kevin is good at that. For Homer to imply that he would be the one able to make successful adjustments against the BoSox & Yanks during the season interleague games is so immature. He made it sound as if he already has the arsenal to pitch them differently next time. I don’t see it. Oh, I wish he would stop carrying his sheathed 8” hunting knife on his civilian belt.
By Gary Maloy Jr.
March 16, 2008 4:44 AM | Link to this
We’ve - I repeat: WE’VE - been clamoring for pitching forever, it seems. When they go out and get it, we complain??! Of course I’m talking about the Hamilton-Volquez trade. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved an outfield of Dunn-Hamilton-Bruce the next 10 years or so, but it didn’t work out that way. And remember, Reds fans, we’ve still got Dickerson and Stubbs in the organization. I read somewhere on-line that it’ll go down as the worst trade of all-time. That’s impossible. Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas will never be topped. Let’s do as Max suggests, give the trade 2-3 years before judging it.
By MAC
March 16, 2008 4:00 AM | Link to this
Hal, it all sounds very familure-Baily’s struggles make me think of B. Tomko another guy who had the fastball but little else and then it became his attitude that was the problem. W/ Bedard already gone, I think it’s time both sides take a step back and really try to give this kid the time and confidence he needs to bounce back. Hopefully he’ll realize he needs a good change up to go w/ the outstanding fastball and go about trying to learn & use one in AAA.
By Y-City Jim
March 15, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
Homer needs about two months in Louisville then the failure of Fogg will require the Reds to call him up. I hope Ted Power has him ready by that time.
By redfuture
March 15, 2008 7:30 PM | Link to this
I certainly had hoped Homer would prove himself ready, but he apparently is not. I think your article said 46 of 76 pitches were strikes. That is a high enough % but he needs to learn the changeup and do something to put late life on his fastball. The fastball is too straight.
By Max
March 15, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
I am also anxious about Fogg pitching at GABP. I’m still not sure whether Belisle, even though he has struggled, would do better than Fogg would. I still see a lot in Belisle. I like Cueto and Volquez, though. And I would like to refrain from making a judgment on the Hamilton-Volquez trade. It will take 2-3 years, at least, to judge the full effects of the trade. I’ll just say this: while I miss Hamilton, pitching is valuable, and I think Volquez will improve over the long-term, even if he has some trials this season. The premature rush to judgment in some circles is not befitting.
By Deaner
March 15, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
The way Homer has pitched so far (and especially today) he doesn’t deserve a spot on the big club. Of course I’m skeptical about Fogg’s ability to be successful in GABP but as long as he is getting it done, he deserves an opportunity.