Farmers Only: With the Reds off, the minor leaguers carry on the losing
by BK on Aug 7, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
in Farmers only
Email
Print- Louisville beat Rochester 5-2 behind a solid start by Matt Maloney. Matty went 6 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 9. Logan Ondrusek pitched a perfect 1 1/3 for his 3rd save. Most of the runs were scored by Kevin Barker's grand slam, his 21st HR of the year. Up next: The Soulsucker takes on Rochester at 7:05.
- Carolina lost to West Tenn 7-4 behind a bad start by Luis Montano. He gave up all 7 runs in his 5 2/3 innings of work. Juan Francisco and Sean Henry both had big nights, each with 3 hits, and Shaun Cumberland homered and drove in 2. Up next: Zach Ward takes on West Tenn at 8:05.
- Sarasota got down early and lost to St. Lucie 8-3. Denis Phipps and Justin Reed homered for the S-Reds, and Dave Sappelt was 2-for-5 with a stolen base. Travis Webb struck out 8 hitters in his 4-inning start, but gave up 4 runs in the process. Up next: Sarasota takes on St. Lucie at 7.
- Dayton got destroyed by Great Lakes 10-1. Oscar Castro and Chase Ware were responsible for the damage, and Byron Wiley, Carlos Mendez, and Humberto Sosa each had two hits. Up next: Mark Serrano takes the hill against Lansing at 7:05.
- Billings scored in the 9th to beat Helena 4-3. Ricky Bowen only pitched one inning before a rain delay, and James Walczak and Daniel Corcino pitched two scoreless innings each in relief. Yorman Rodriguez had a double and Tyler Stovall drove in a run. Up next: Luca Panerati takes on Helena at 9:05.
- The GCL Reds killed the GCL Rays 12-0. The pitching was great, with Harold Johnson pitching 2 scoreless innings in his start, Tyler Cline going 6 innings while striking out 8, and Matteo Pizziconi finishing it off. Jefry Sierra was the star on offense, going 3-for-4 with 5 RBI, and 5 other G-Reds had two hits on the night. Up next: The G-Reds take on the GCL O's at noon.
55 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
"Must keep moving"
Son: “Papa – is Dusty one of the Good guys…?”
Father: “We must keep moving”
Son: " Is he papa?"
Father: ’In a post apocalyptic world no one give a fuck about baseball anymore, but yes Dusty is one of the good guys."
Son: “OK papa, ok..why did he play Corey and Wily then? Papa?”
Father"Keep on the Road, just keep moving".
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
George Carlin
by Madville on Aug 7, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I hope they don't rush him
His K-rate and his walk-rate are moving in the right direction, but both still need work. And since he’s not absolutely murdering the ball like Jay Bruce was, I think it’s okay if it takes him a full year at each level. Especially since it feels like players skills stagnate once they get to the big leagues with the Reds (as always, Joey is the exception).
"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty
Regarding this
I’m wondering if the reason prospects (Stubbs, Frazier, Cozart, Francisco) have been moved so slowly this year is because of guys like Bruce and Homer.
Those guys were kind of rushed up by Krivsky and have struggled a bit as 22 y.o. major leaguers. I wonder if the plan is to take it really slow with prospects so they are ready to produce immediately once they arrive and there is a shorter learning curve. (ala Joey) That way they are more productive before they get expensive. We’ll (hopefully) have had three really solid years from Joey before they pay him more than 500k
It seems like all of these guys are on pace to hit the bigs at age 25 (or late 24). I’ve been frustrated with some of the lack of promotions, and I’m not ready to give management this much credit, but if this is the plan it kind of makes sense.
Isn't there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?
There are a lot of cases where rushing guys has worked just fine, too.
Most prominently this year, Gordon Beckham has become awesome.
you know, that's a good point
Votto was not rushed. He didn’t get to the bigs until his sixth year as a pro. Maybe that’s why he’s done so well?
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
Would have to see comparative analysis of "rushed" vs "not rushed"
players to conclude. I think it’s a crapshoot. Some guys are rushed and do fine. Some guys aren’t and do fine. The inverse is true of both, too.
Agreed
I’m not saying it’s the way you have to do things, I’m just wondering if they are doing things that way as a reaction to Bruce and Homer’s struggles.
Also, it kind of makes financial sense too, although I’m not sure Bob and Walt even know how to add and subtract.
Isn't there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?
Votto had a different background
Nobody’s going to rush a Canadian HS kid through the minors. A guy like Stubbs who comes from a major college program is a different story, though in general I’m in favor of a slower track to the bigs.
But "rushing" is different for college players vs high school players
Jay and Homer didn’t play three or more years of college ball, so taking five years to reach the Majors makes sense. Frazier, Cozart, etc spent at least three years in college. What’s the definition of rushed for them I wonder, cuz it happens. You can ask the ghost of Mark Prior
FWIW
Bruce was brought up by Jocketty, not Krivsky.
I think it’s a somewhat valid point. I think someone like Stubbs is a lower impact prospect, and so it is logical to try to “catch lightning in a bottle” with him and bring him primarily for his peak seasons. The only problem with this idea is that defensive value peaks well before offensive value, especially for center fielders. They are risking wasting that value, especially if his bat doesn’t adjust to the big leagues. But that was a decision they made when they signed Taveras and is irrelevant right now.
"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty
True, but he was rocketed through the system under Krivsky
Not sure how much minor league promotions are up to the GM and how much are up to the minors director
Isn't there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?
I'm not sure Bruce is a good comp for anyone
He’s a once in a generation prospect. When you have a player that dominates the minors so thoroughly, you have to move him along or he’ll never get better. Eventually it gets to the point that he’s just too much better than the competition. Unfortunately, the downside is that he’s not going to be able to fix his flaws mainly because lesser competition is unable to exploit those flaws.
This is why he is different than other players. It takes the best of the best to find the holes in Bruce’s game. That’s not true of most prospects, and that’s why most prospects take more time to get through the minors. The problem for Bruce is that there is a lot more pressure to perform in the big leagues, and so it’s a lot harder to mentally make the adjustments that he needs to make. Hopefully he’ll be able to do so eventually.
"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty
I think he will with good coaching.
Which means, probably not under this administration.
"If it wasn't this, it'd be something else."
Unfortunately this is probably true
During the civil rights game weekend when they had Frank Robinson in the booth, he noted Jay Bruce’s struggles this year with his average and quickly broke down his approach. Robinson mentioned that Bruce was trying to pull outside pitches and needed to start hitting to the opposite field again. I wondered as I watched it, “If Frank Robinson can figure out what Bruce is doing wrong on the spot, why can’t Brook Jacoby after several months”.
"My brain is almost the size of normal human being," he said. "Almost. Real pleased with that." -Scott Rolen
by RedsMasochist on Aug 7, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Frank was not exactly a good manager
On to the more salient point, I don’t have the time or energy to look this up, but anecdotally I remember Jay hitting a million cans of corn to left fielders this year. True, to have a BA that low means he probably hit a ton of easy flies to all fields, but I specifically noticed the weak flyball after weak flyball he to left field in the last few weeks before he was hurt
So, the whole pulling too much thing rings true.
Maybe Robinson would be a better coach than manager.
well, keep in mind,
telling a player he’s doing something wrong and getting him to change his approach are two different things.
Not that I want to on record as a defender of jacoby.
Will you stop it with the vegetables
Questions about Bruce:
What can explain his awful LD rate this year? His K rate is down, his BB rate is up, ISO power up (even with a lower HR/FB rate) O-Swing % is down, overall swing % is down, Z-contact rate is up.. so is there anything to explain it? Is he really just getting unlucky? Or do we know what’s causing the LD rate to plummet and take his BABIP with it?
He also has an uppercut in his swing
I think Chris Welsh (of all people) noted during one telecast that Bruce’s back elbow is nearly vertical as he goes to hit creating an uppercut in his swing. Which of course causes a lot more weak fly balls.
"My brain is almost the size of normal human being," he said. "Almost. Real pleased with that." -Scott Rolen
by RedsMasochist on Aug 7, 2009 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought uppercuts resulted in beating more balls into the ground, counter-intuitively.
I could very easily be wrong here.
It’s just a shame – it must be that his approach or swing has changed. He’s shown improvement in EVERY statistic except LD rate every year.
I was just repeating what was said (as best I could remember)
I was trying to find either of those videos online (with no success). The increased fly-ball rate does help explain the falloff in LD% and BABIP. If an adjustment in his approach and a minor mechanical correction are in order, Bruce could start to put up numbers more similar to his minor league stats now that his discipline has improved
"My brain is almost the size of normal human being," he said. "Almost. Real pleased with that." -Scott Rolen
by RedsMasochist on Aug 7, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
As a lefty with an uppercut
I’ve found that when you hit the ball squarely or at the bottom of it (more fastballs, some change-ups) you’ll pop the ball up. On breaking balls, you tend to chop the ball into the ground.
"If it wasn't this, it'd be something else."
Halberstam's books feature lengthy arguments between
Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr over how to swing. Williams was emphatic that a slight uppercut was absolutely necessary to driving the ball (because the pitcher is throwing the ball on a downward plane toward the hitter). Doerr felt an even swing caused more line drives. If I had to think about it, I would say mortals should follow Doerr’s advice, because a god like Williams would have been able to hit with a bicycle pump
Uppercut leaves more room for error, as ZJiff points out.
A level swing logically would be more consistent. Dunno if that is true physically.
if you watch the videos on MLB.com from his first week as a big lea
you’ll notice a slightly different swing—more level and a much shorter stroke. i don’t think he got homer happy this year, but he did appear to be trying to pull a lot of balls.
Discipline improvement is a huge thing, for me.
His K% was down 5% this year, BB percent up 2%. If that improves slightly next year, which I expect it would, and he can start hitting more liners and using all fields, the BABIP will come up, and he could at least be a .250/.340/.500 type next year, with a much higher ceiling..
I always think of Ryan Howard,
who was stuck behind Thome until his age 26 season. Because of this, he is just now entering his arbitration seasons, and whether you think he’s overrated or not, he’s produced a motherfuckin’shitton of value for the money he’s being paid.
It’s an interesting theory: stretch out a player’s minor league years for as long as you can so you get their peak years at basement prices, then let ‘em go to FA. It’s a bit cynical, sure, but it seems to make sense.
I forgot to mention it in the column, but I covered it in the radio show
Dickerson is in Louisville on rehab, and started last night, going 1-for-1 with 2 walks.
"We, as for me all seasons you are affected peculiarly in the edge of my seat and are happy concerning the fact that the Adam Dunn fan has been mixed up exactly." - Reynard-san
by BK on Aug 7, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Update on players who might help the Reds in 2010
Todd Frazier: 1-3 w/ a 2B and 2 BBs, slash line is .308/.364/.500
Zach Cozart: 2-5 w/ a 2B, BB rate about 12%, K rate 19%. Slash line is .271/.367/.421
Seems like a pretty mature hitter, I’d love to see him get a shot next year.
Stubbs and Heisey had bad nights, but damn, they could still kick Taveras’ ass. On the bright side, CDick got on base 3 times for L’Ville last night in a rehab start. Come back soon, Chris!!!
Isn't there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?
His walk rate is down a bit, which I don't like
but then again, his K-rate is down 10% this year. That’s awesome!
"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty
I feel like BB/9 is a product of time and maturity.
In 5 years if all goes to plan, he’s a .850 OPSer in MLB!
Also, his K rate is down so much
that his B/KK ratio is actually the best of his career.
Combine that with a ridiculous 24% line drive rate, and I’d say he’s got AA figured out.
Isn't there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?
Poor Ben Jukich.
If he ever googled himself, RR is #4 on his list, mocking his picture the whole time.
Then again, his facebook page has this same picture as its header, so I don’t know, maybe he likes it.
is that really him?
Or just a fan page?
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
well
He does have one fan at least, who came here and posted about him.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
Billy Hamilton
what happened to billy hamilton it sounded like he was doing pretty good when he stared now i havent heard anything about him.
He started out great
But hit .158 in July and is at .214/.278/.255 on the season.
"We, as for me all seasons you are affected peculiarly in the edge of my seat and are happy concerning the fact that the Adam Dunn fan has been mixed up exactly." - Reynard-san
by BK on Aug 7, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Does Billy Beane’s contract extension signal an optimistic dawn for Oakland fans?
- Ask Alex: Will Alex Avila be an All-Star again?
- Create-a-Caption: Matt Cain’s great pair of golf pants
- Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries autographed ball being auctioned by Twins
- George Brett lawsuit claims his company falsely advertises ion necklaces’ health benefits
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
