Off Day Open Thread: Who Should Do What?

1. Some position questions. Who should be playing…

    * CF: Willy Taveras or Chris Dickerson?
    * 1B: Ramon Hernandez or Jonny Gomes?
    * SS: Alex Gonzalez or Paul Janish?
    * C (when Votto comes back): Hernandez or Ryan Hanigan?

2. Who should be the next minor league hitter to get the call up for the Reds? Who should be the next pitcher making the trip to the Majors? Depends on the need of the team for both questions

3. Where should Jay Bruce be in the batting order Tuesday night? 2-5 is fine by me

4. Overall, how has Dusty Baker performed as a manager this season? I will give him a B- so far

5. How many wins will this team finish with this season? 84

    * CF: Willy Taveras or Chris Dickerson? – C-Dick as long as he’s hitting, both players bring different offensive skills to the team. Dickerson’s defense > T-Virus defense
    * 1B: Ramon Hernandez or Jonny Gomes? – Ramnon is acceptable but Hernia at first means that Hanigan plays. Hanigan’s offense>Jonny Gomes offense
    * SS: Alex Gonzalez or Paul Janish? - Gonzo, if you play him and he does all right then I see him as more tradeable. Jannish, I fear will revert back t a .229 hitter if he plays daily.
    * C (when Votto comes back): Hernandez or Ryan Hanigan? Hernanadez, with a little more playing time Hanigan, and let Ramon spell Votto at first to give Hanigan more opps.

2. Who should be the next minor league hitter to get the call up for the Reds? Who should be the next pitcher making the trip to the Majors? Hitter – Don’t know, Pitcher – Keep Maloney up

3. Where should Jay Bruce be in the batting order Tuesday night? 2nd or 6th

4. Overall, how has Dusty Baker performed as a manager this season? I’ve grudgingly become more of a Dustbrain fan as time goes on. I like how he handles the players, they seem to really like him and respect him – B+ – On the other hand he is not a great strategy/tactical guy – C- total Grade B

5. How many wins will this team finish with this season? 85

1. Dickerson. I really dont know why Chris wasnt the Day 1 CF. Big mistake by Walt.
1b. Hernandez.
1c/d.. I would split both SS and C 7 games to the Veterans/ 3 games to the rookies for every 10 game period and see how it works out.
2. Get crazy and call up Frazier- send Rosales down.
3. anywhere just keep him in the lineup. I have a good hunch the Reds would have won Sunday if they started Bruce.
4. C+ he sacrifice bunts way too much/ does little things like double switching and leaving Taveras in the game instead of Bruce. On the plus side I think he has done a real good managing the pitching staff. And I could see why players would like to play for him.
5. 87 wins- as long as Votto returns in a reasonable time frame.

give me a good write up to read about tomorrow’s game.

1.
   A. Dickerson I guess, but i’m not sold that either is very good. If Tavares isn’t starting, I still think he could bring value to the team in some situations.
   B. Ramon Hernandez. I guess I’m just not sure why people are down on Hernandez. I think he has done a more than admirable job on 1st, as well as behind the plate.
   C. Alex Gonzales, until we trade him, then Janish. Although, to be quite honest, when EE comes back I wouldn’t care if we put Cherry Hudson there.
   D. Hernandez. Once again, I don’t know why people are down on him. Granted, Hanigan is younger, and the future at that spot, but whats it hurt to save a year off his legs by keeping a more than able Hernandez catching 4 times a week?

2. Hitters: It depends on the situation, Drew Stubbs? I mean, he wouldn’t play, but i guess…. Pitchers: Depends, Robert Manuel? His numbers look goodish. Although, after we dfa Lincoln and move Owings to the pen, i’ll be fine with our staff.

3. 2nd, 5th, or 6th.

4. C-. If I were to give him an above average grade, he may have had to make some sort of managing move that 99% of fans wouldn’t have thought of and had it been successful. I’m not sure that that has happened. On the flip side, I think the base coaches have done pretty well with helping to pick up extra bases here and there.

5. 89 wins. Assuming Votto comes back soon, and EE gets in a groove at some point.

1. Dickerson, but I’d still give Taveras 1-2 starts a week, obviously all the starts against lefties.
      Ramon Hernandez for 1B
      Janish, unequivocally. I’m not under any illusions that he’s going to be Rafael Furcal, but Gonzalez has been Patterson-level bad at the plate thus far, and Janish would definitely be a better defender too.
     I’d try to do an even split for the catchers. Hanigan has been better, but Hernandez has been just fine too. My concern at this point is that Hernandez’s knees are going to fall off because of overuse

2. I’d call up Stubbs before the end of the year to get time in CF. I’d bring up Roenicke this very second and DFA Lincoln.

3. I’m with Doug, anywhere 2-5

4. B I’m actually not that troubled by Baker this year. He’s been dealt a tough hand, with no offense to begin with, and now two of the best hitters on the shelf for an extended period, as well as maybe the best starter. He’s managed the pen very well. Other than excess bunting, I’m not too upset with his in-game management. As far as personnel decisions, I’m not going to blame the McDonald/Gomes thing on him, or anything else. He might have had a say, but at the end of the day those are Walt’s calls. I really wish he would play Hanigan and Janish more, but it’s hard to say that, not being in the clubhouse. I really do understand the whole “giving the veterans every chance to perform” thing. How many of us at our jobs want some young punk with a couple good ideas coming in and making VP right away? That stuff pisses people off in everyday life, but for some reason in the MLB it doesn’t apply. I understand it’s all about performance, but I think if you are constantly chucking guys under the bus, everybody would constantly be looking behind their back and playing scared. It’s probably a really tough balancing act, and I think Baker understands that. Having said that, FREE PAUL JANISH!!!

5. Votto comes back soon-85 wins. Votto’s out a long time-80 wins.

1. Some position questions. Who should be playing…

    * CF: Willy Taveras or Chris Dickerson? This isnt as easy as it appears. ive liked Dickerson for some time now, and i advocated him being the OD CF before the Taveras signing. i would love it if the T-Virus signing had never happened, which would lead me to bring up Stubbs to play CF, but alas that wont happen. so i say platoon them. not a strict knifey-spooney, but more of a 50-50 split.
    * 1B: Ramon Hernandez or Jonny Gomes? I’d rather have Gomes. Ramon has proved to be a really shrewd pickup by Walt, but that’s as a catcher. he hits fine for a catcher, but as a 1B he just cant stack up.
    * SS: Alex Gonzalez or Paul Janish? this is the easiest one yet. Derek Fuckin’ Jeetah.
    * C (when Votto comes back): Hernandez or Ryan Hanigan? i would play this one like the CF sitch, give Hernandez 4 days a week and Hanigan 3.

2. Who should be the next minor league hitter to get the call up for the Reds? Who should be the next pitcher making the trip to the Majors? next hitter depends upon need. i really wish Valaika had stayed healthy so he could come up and play SS, but i never get what i want. the pitcher should be one of Manuel, Roenicke, or Viola. i’ll say Roenicke.

3. Where should Jay Bruce be in the batting order Tuesday night? i think people have overblown the whole “why the F is Bruce batting clean up???” thing. it really isnt like we have 5 guys on the team hitting better than he is. but i’d like to see him hit 2nd.

4. Overall, how has Dusty Baker performed as a manager this season? Dusty has really surprised me with the way he’s handled the pitchers. we are more than 50 games into the season and no one has been hung out to dry yet. he’s put together some of the best lineups available to him and it seems like he’s been a saint to all these young hitters. when he was hired he had a reputation as a veteran’s manager, but he’s been anything but. A-

5. How many wins will this team finish with this season? 81

    * CF: Willy Taveras or Chris Dickerson? Neither. Drew Stubbs should be playing CF. If he can’t though, Willy over Dickie for now, unless Willy can’t hit when he comes back.
    * 1B: Ramon Hernandez or Jonny Gomes? Ramon. Even though the numbers won’t bear it out, I think Gomes is more valuable off the bench than a Hernanigan (that isn’t catching) would be.
    * SS: Alex Gonzalez or Paul Janish? Soft Baby J. Gonzalez has a nice little streak, but he’s back to not hitting, and he’s not even half as good of a fielder as Janish is.
    * C (when Votto comes back): Hernandez or Ryan Hanigan? Hanigan’s earned it. He’s handled the pitching staff great, thrown out runners, and is leading rookies in hitting. With some playing time, we could have a ROY on our hands.

Who should be the next minor league hitter to get the call up for the Reds? Drew Stubbs is really the only hitter that deserves it.

Who should be the next pitcher making the trip to the Majors? How about that Homer Bailey guy? The IL player of the week should be the next starter in line, and what about a bullpen experiment to switch things up at the major league level? Maybe a new role to ease him into pitching in the big leagues? If they won’t bring him up for that, Roenicke gets my pick.

Where should Jay Bruce be in the batting order Tuesday night? If Dickerson isn’t playing, I like putting him 2nd. He’ll get better pitches to hit there, and after the off day, should be enough to break him out of his slump.

Overall, how has Dusty Baker performed as a manager this season? Much better than he’s getting credit for. He’s handled the pitching staff and the clubhouse well, which is more than we can say about any Reds manager since Trader Jack probably. His handling of Janish has really been the only big gripe from me. Most of the frustrations of this team has been from Walt, terrible handling of the active roster. I’d give Dusty a solid B+ and Walt an F for being in a coma for the last two months.

How many wins will this team finish with this season? 78

My brother in law, a Cubs fan, was insisting that Chris Dickerson compares to Hanley Ramirez. An old Hanley Ramirez . . . . but their skills were off the charts even though their minor league numbers didn’t show it.

My question is if this is the case, why isn’t EVERYONE compared to Hanley Ramirez?

I like Chris Dickerson. But he’s not showing me that he will be anything more than Michael Tucker . . . . or Marlon Byrd at best.

On Bruce . . . Time to put Jay back in the leadoff position. I like getting him at least one at bat where there is no situation. Just Jay and the guy on the mound.

Where’s my Farmer’s Only, Weekend Edition? Someone get laid off?

1. Dickerson should have been playing CF all season and Tavares should have never been signed.
2. I like Hernandez at 1B while Votto is out. I just think Ramon is a gamer and hits better than Gomes.
3. AGon at SS. Janish is nothing more than a utility guy who should only be brought in, in late innings for defense.
4. When Votto comes back, I like both Hernandez and Hanigan at C. I’d like to see them split time more equally. I think the Reds have one of the best catching tandems in all of baseball. One of the good moves management has made.
5. I’d bring Heisey up from double A and see what he can do, the next time an OFer goes on the DL. It really depends on what position of need we have.
6. Jay Bruce should bat leadoff. And he should avoid any inside pitches. He’d probably end up with 4 walks if he did.
7. Dusty is a players manager and not a very good strategist. I think he does get alot of effort from his players because they like his managing style and he really tries to have confidence in his players. I don’t like how he handles certain situations though.
8. 85 wins…….coulda been more had Votto stayed healthy all season.

1. I’m going to try Taveras and Dickerson together. Dickerson has played much better in center, and I’m not sure if Taveras has ever played a corner spot, but let’s put them both out there some and see what happens. I’d put Nix at first and keep Hernandez behind the plate. I’m obviously in the minority, but I think Gonzalez is a gamer who’s been there before and can come up clutch sometimes. I was at the Indians game on Sunday Memorial Day weekend when he single-handedly beat the Tribe. I still think Janish should get more than one at bat per month though.

2. Apart from the obvious return of Darnell McDonald, I’m going to go off the board a little here. I’m going to go with Drew Sutton and Justin Lehr. I’d like to see what we got for Keppinger, and Sutton could be an upgrade over Rosales at this point at third. And Lehr is a nice veteran guy who can start or pitch long relief and is having a really good year. His seven wins tie for the IL lead.

3. Jay Bruce at the sixth spot.

4. Dusty Baker: B-. Has had to deal with a lot of injuries and slumps and has kept this team in contention throughout. His negatives have been discussed ad nauseam, but it could be a lot worse.

5. I would be thrilled with 81.