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Micah Owings is a nice enough pitcher, but are he and the Reds better served with him swinging the bat full time?

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Micah Owings is a nice enough pitcher, but are he and the Reds better served with him swinging the bat full time?

  • The Hardball Times wonders outloud whether or not Micah Owings should be moved to the outfield and breaks it down sabermetrically.  What do you think?  Is it better to have a decent, league-average innings-eater or does this dude have the potential to be a real slugger?  Better the devil you know?
  • Mark Sheldon of MLB.com is re-opening his mailbag and asks for your questions.
  • Brandon Phillips pulled a prank on a nearly-blind elderly man.  This team IS loose.
  • John Fay is optimistic about the team so far, even though Dusty Baker sees room for improvement.
  • Baker also had this to say after the sweep of the DBacks:  “We’ve got to get as far away from .500 as we can and take our chances,” Baker said. “We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve looked pretty good but we have a long way to go.”
  • In case you missed the FanShot, MixFMKyle passes on the news that Billy Bray will have season-ending Tommy John Surgery on his elbow soon.  I was really hoping Bray would continue the fine work he put in last year, but the dude just cant stay healthy.  Good luck on a speedy recovery Bill.
  • Another FanShot:  Slyde passes on a link to Red Hot Mama who links us to a cool optical illusion that explains the break of a curveball.
  • Dougdirt gives a scouting report on Juan Carlos Sulbaran from his game last week against the Michigan White Caps.
  • Justin (nee Jinaz) has changed his website from the boring "On Baseball and the Reds" to "Basement Dwellers".  Whatever you wanna call it, it's still quality stuff.
  • The Reds have moved up to 12th in Ted Keith's power rankings over at SI.  
  • Dont forget to vote for your favorite Reds for the All-Star Team.  Joey Votto has been the Reds MVP so far this season, but it'll be tough for him to beat out the stalwarts like Pujols, Berkman, and Howard.  Jay Bruce has been pretty redonculous too though, and the race for the OF should be much more competitive.  Hell, just vote for the Reds starting eight!  It's 1957 all over again!
Poll
Are Micah Owings and the Reds better served with him pitching or should he be converted to an everyday player to better utilize his bat?
Pitcher
113 votes
Hitter
35 votes

148 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 43 comments

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Here's my All-Star ballot:

AL
1B – Carlos Pena, TB
2B – Aaron Hill, TOR
3B – Evan Longoria, TB
SS – Jason Bartlett, TB
C – Victor Martinez, CLE
OF – Jason Bay, BOS
OF – Torii Hunter, LAA
OF – Adam Jones, BAL

NL
1B – Joey Votto, CIN
2B – Brandon Phillips, CIN
3B – Ryan Zimmerman, WAS
SS – Hanley Ramirez, FLA
C – Bengie Molina, SF
OF – Jay Bruce, CIN
OF – Adam Dunn, WAS
OF – Carlos Beltran, NYM

by Brendanukkah on May 15, 2009 12:17 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I'll play

AL
1B – Carlos Pena, TB
2B – Ian Kinsler
3B – Evan Longoria, TB
SS – Jason Bartlett, TB
C – Victor Martinez, CLE
OF – Jason Bay, BOS
OF – Torii Hunter, LAA
OF – Adam Jones, BAL

NL
1B – Pujols
2B – Utley
3B – Ryan Zimmerman, WAS
SS – Hanley Ramirez, FLA
C – McCann
OF – Braun
OF – Adam Dunn, WAS
OF – Carlos Beltran, NYM

Man, that’s a weak SS field in the AL.

by ken on May 15, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

BOOOO!!!!!!!

No Reds????

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on May 15, 2009 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

That was posted under a rare moment of neutrality

Naturally, my online ballots will have BP, Votto and Bruce. Though it would be nice to wine an AS game one of these years.

by ken on May 15, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm not sure I'll vote for BP

and not because of my history with him, but because I’m a super-huge fan of Utley.

But Bruce and Votto will get my vote.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on May 15, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's pretty good at stealing my heart too

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on May 15, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I’m wishing you would vote for Cancer

by Brendanukkah on May 15, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

you are not a very nice person

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on May 15, 2009 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

And I have no problem with people voting for BP

I encourage it even. I just have a total mancrush on Utley that I can’t quit.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on May 15, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I tried to argue last year

to my non-sabermetric friends that his combo of speed, BA, power, and defense makes him one of the top 3 players in the game. They did not like it, but most of them are AL fans so what the hell do they know.

All I know is if Chase Utley asked for a night alone with the wife, I would readily agree, hoping for a future Chase, Jr.

PS the support payments would be nice too.

by timb116 on May 15, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

FredEx

Utley was introduced to his wife by Freddie Mitchell, who was a receiver at UCLA around the same time Chase was there. They were in a class together and Utley made a comment about his future wife. Freddie pretended to know her and introduced Utley. So, I guess I’m saying if you can find Freddie Mitchell, your decent proposal may come true.

by ken on May 15, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

How about if I let the opportunity come to me

rather than go search for it. She’s not exactly a baseball fan and it may take a few drinks and the Baseball Prospectus book to sway it.

“Look at his VORP, honey! No, that’s not a VORP. VOPR’s in the book….remember the book? Honey? Where’d you go?

I don’t want to be Woody Harrelson

by timb116 on May 15, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Edwin

Anyone have an injury update? MLB.com reports “Will start on May 15 after passing tests”

Anyone trust that?

Gimme da scoop!

by saltybiscuits on May 15, 2009 1:59 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

not likely

he’s been wearing a splint for a few weeks after they took off his hard cast. he’s reportedly working on his fielding and throws, but i dont think he’s swinging the bat yet. he’ll likely have an extended minor league rehab assignment.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 15, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hrmm

Maybe they mean starting Rehab if he passes tests.

MLB.com — reliability delivered.

by saltybiscuits on May 15, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

you got a link?

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 15, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

ahhh spoke to soon.

thanky.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 15, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Bob Miller said his chat last week

that EdE will be doing a rehab stint in Louisville. Given that his bat wasn’t exactly on when he went on the DL, I’d imagine that they really want to give him time to get into “playing shape”.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on May 15, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

yeah i remember that

those chats are pr’ cool.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 15, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Hardball Times and Owings

As long as he has the stuff he has now, a million times better to have a league average or so SP with his bat, than try and convert him to the OF and hope his bat holds.

When not lurking here, the sportsfrog is where I am.

by membengal on May 15, 2009 2:41 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Didn't he have a bum shoulder at the end of last year?

That would distort his stats. He looked pretty good when the Brewers played him, definitely not what I would call league average. Seems to me like he has the potential to be a good #3 or 4.

by ol Pete on May 15, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

with 5-man staffs

wouldn’t 3 or 4 be league average?

I’m having a tough time finding the link, but I remember seeing Micah saying that he doesn’t even like talking about his hitting, he thinks of himself as a pitcher first and foremost. So until he’s hurting the team with his pitching — which he sure ain’t doing now — I’d let him be the 5th starter.

Ali Boombaye

by Cy Schourek on May 15, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Average is one of those amorphous terms

so the answer is yes or no. Regardless, at least what I’ve seen he’s pretty good.

by ol Pete on May 15, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, a bad shoulder prevented him from pitching when we acquired him last year

The shoulder throws off his ’08 numbers. If you look at his ’07 and early ’08 he actually looks like a good #3.

by ken on May 15, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

yup, bad shoulder...

…that’s why I caveat’d with “as long as he has the stuff he has now”…

Hard to find league average pitchers who can chew innings. And his bat adds value to his arm, making him able to “make up”, if you will, in some games for runs he gives up.

If his shoulder were ever to end his career as a pitcher? Then he should def try the Ankiel approach in the minors for a year or two, and see what comes of it.

When not lurking here, the sportsfrog is where I am.

by membengal on May 15, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

re: Hardball Times

I think the article is forgetting a major factor. It is not Owings the Pitcher v. Owings the Position player. It should be looked upon as Owings the Pitcher & bench bat vs. Owings the Position player. In this regard the obvious choice is P&PH over OF.

by jacob brumfield on May 15, 2009 5:10 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

is it really so impossible

to have him start in the field a couple of days a week? If he’s pitching on day 5, then maybe he plays in the outfield on days 2 and 3?

mebbe it is — I really don’t know.

by bbjones on May 15, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's better as a weapon off the bench

Who else has proved to be a clutch pinch hitter?

And it probably is better for his pitching if he’s not playing as much. But for some, I imagine, it could be good. So, what do I know? I last pitched in 8th grade. I remember a 9th grader hitting a nearby supermarket off one of my “fastballs.”

by RedConn on May 15, 2009 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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