Red Reports
Game 160 Thread: Pirates at Reds
by Slyde on Oct 2, 2009 5:00 PM EDT
in Red Reports
370 comments
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The schedule makers knew what they were doing when they scheduled this series. Who doesn't want to watch a series between these two teams on the last weekend of the season? I suppose they realized that the only thing that will draw fans is the knowledge that it will be the last chance for live baseball for several months. Evil geniuses!
Justin Lehr will be making his 3rd start against the Pirates in the last 42 days. You might think that that is a good thing given how meekly the Pirates have played of late, but Lehr has an 8.18 ERA against the Pirates this year in 11 innings pitched. In fact, Lehr hasn't given up less than 4 runs in a start since his start against the Nationals on August 16th. He was a good story and all there for a bit, but I think he's shown us over the last month why he shouldn't be seriously considered for the 5th starter next season.
The Pirates are just 3 losses from their 2nd 100-loss season in the last decade. The Reds are just 3 wins from their second 79-win season in the last 9 years. I think we all know what needs to happen, right?
370 comments | 0 recs
The Red Report: Alex Gonzalez
by Charlie Scrabbles on Mar 27, 2009 8:20 AM EDT
in Red Reports
10 comments
Fast Facts:
- Alexander Luis Gonzalez was born in the small town of Cagua, Venezuela, also home to Reds minor league pitcher Ramon Ramirez. Gonzalez is one in a line of great Venezeulan shortstops, including Luis Aparicio, Davey Concepcion, and Oman Vizquel.
- He was signed on April 18, 1994 as an amateur free agent by the Florida Marlins.
- He was a highly thought-of as a prospect, with a rare blend of sharp defense at shortstop and decent power (19 HRs in AA in '97). He rose as high as #17 in BA's prospect rankings (1999).
- He made his debut for the Marlins on August 25, 1998 and hit a solo home run against the Cardinals.
10 comments | 0 recs |
The Red Report: Chris Dickerson
by Slyde on Mar 26, 2009 8:00 AM EDT
in Red Reports
10 comments
Fast Facts:
- Chris Dickerson was born in Hollywood, California and attended Notre Dame High School where he was teammates with current Cardinals IF/OF Brendan Ryan. Other notable alumni include current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, phormer GM Pat Gillick, Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon, a bevvy of young actresses like Rachel Bilsson, Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Staci Keenan, as well as two members of Jane's Addiction (Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins), and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver!
- Dickerson was drafted out of high school in the 32nd round by the New York Yankees but did not sign. Instead he went on the University of Nevada. He was teammates there with the Padres Kevin Kouzmanoff and Yankees pitcher Darrell Rasner. Other notable alumns include former Red Corky Miller and former Reds-killer Lyle Overbay.
- He had a fine college career, showing a strong propensity for getting on base and even a small amount of power. He was named to the Western Athletic Conference All Star team in 2001, as a freshman.
- His college success helped him get drafted again, this time in the 16th round of the 2003 draft by the Reds.
10 comments | 0 recs |
The Red Report: Arthur Rhodes
by BK on Mar 25, 2009 9:00 AM EDT
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14 comments
Fast Facts
- Arthur Lee Rhodes was born in Waco, Texas. He's one of two Reds players born in the 1960's on this year's club, although David Weathers is a month older.
- He was drafted in 1988 out of La Vega HS by the Baltimore Orioles with their second round pick, the 34th overall. It was a pretty interesting draft. The only player the Reds drafted of note that year was Jeff Branson, but Reds fans would be interested to know that the Orioles that year also drafted future Reds Joey Hamilton and Pete Rose Jr.
- Another tidbit from that draft is that with their 14th round pick in 1988, the Reds drafted a pitcher out of San Antonio named Johnny Almaraz, presumably the same one that went on to become a scout for the Reds, the director of player development, and the guy responsible for the Reds signing players like Adam Dunn, Johnny Cueto, B.J. Ryan, and Jason LaRue. Not such a bad draft after all, I guess.
- Rhodes spent his first 3 years in the Baltimore system as a starting pitcher, moving up from level to level pretty steadily. In 1990, he pitched two games where he had 16 strikeouts, but didn't win either one. After throwing 153 innings in 25 starts at A+ and AA, he was named the #6 prospect in baseball in 1991.
- He went straight from AA to the majors in 1991, but disappointed once he got there. As a 21 year old, he went 0-3 in 8 major league starts, only pitching more than 4 innings in two of them, and managing to bring his ERA down to 8.00 by season's end.
- Despite his rough first go at the big leagues, he went into the 1992 season as the #5 prospect in baseball, and #1 in the Orioles system. He pitched at AAA for the first 3 months, going 6-6 in 17 starts with a 3.72 ERA. He got called up, and picked up right where he left off.
- In his rookie season (which was only a half-season, because he got called up in July), he went 7-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 15 starts, with 77 strikeouts. That K total was good for 3rd among AL rookies, and he threw the first shutout in Yankee Stadium in 11 years. A sign of good things to come, I guess.
14 comments | 0 recs |
The Red Report: David Weathers
by Brendanukkah on Mar 23, 2009 8:00 AM EDT
in Red Reports
9 comments
Fast Facts
- John David Weathers (Baseball Reference coolly refers to him as "Dave") was born in Lawrenceburg, TN, home of amateur politician Fred Thompson and a famous Jeter. Weathers attended Motlow State Community College, but was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1988 draft by the Blue Jays at the age of 19.
- Weathers made his Major League debut on Aug. 2, 1991 for the Blue Jays at the age of 21. He pitched a scoreless inning against the Red Sox, striking out Ellis Burks. In fact, he didn't allow a run in his first four appearances, but then things got shaky. Weathers finished the season with a 4.91 ERA and an eye-popping 2.182 WHIP in 15 innings.
- After only appearing in two games in 1992 (and being left off the postseason roster), he was selected by the Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft. It was the first of many moves for Weathers. After pitching in relief during the first half of 1993 (including in four losing efforts against the Reds), the Marlins inserted Weathers into the starting rotation. He wasn't very good, posting a 5.12 ERA and 1.533 WHIP, good for an 84 ERA+.
- Weathers was a starter for all of 1994 (8-12 record), then bounced between the bullpen and the rotation for the next four years for four different teams (Marlins, Yankees, Indians, Reds). He never had an ERA+ of higher than 90 for any of those teams.
- In 1996, Weathers was dealt at the trading deadline to the New York Yankees in exchange for Aussie pitcher Mark Hutton. (Hutton and Weathers would later be teammates on the 1998 Reds). The move was great for Weathers, as the Yankees won the World Series that year. Weathers pitched extremely well in the postseason, only allowing one run in 11 innings.
- As well as Weathers pitched in the playoffs, his time with the Yankees was the worst of his career. He pitched for the Yankees for parts of 1996 and 1997, and with them he had ERAs of 9.35 and 10.00 and WHIPs of 2.135 and 2.444. As such, the Yankees weren't sorry to give him up and traded him to the Indians for Chad Curtis (who would hit two home runs for the Yankees in the 1999 World Series). Weathers was only slightly less awful for the Indians, and at the end of the year was placed on waivers.
9 comments | 0 recs |
The Red Report: Edwin Encarnacion
by Charlie Scrabbles on Mar 20, 2009 11:05 AM EDT
in Red Reports
27 comments
Fast Facts:
- Edwin Elpidio Encarnacion was born January 7th (my birthday too!!), 1983 in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Other notable Major Leaguers born in La Romana are Antonio Alfonseca, Freddy Garcia, Ervin Santana, and fellow Reds infielder Danny Richar.
- Though born in the DR, Edwin spent most of his childhood in Puerto Rico. He attended Manuel Toro High School and was drafted in the 9th round (274th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2000.
- He was traded a year later with Ruben Mateo to the Reds for pitcher Rob Bell.
- He made a steady climb through the minor leagues, hitting well at every stop. He ranked #4 among Reds prospects in '03, #2 in '04, and #2 (#56 in MLB) in '05.
27 comments | 0 recs |
The Red Report: Jared Burton
by BK on Mar 19, 2009 11:58 AM EDT
in Red Reports
7 comments
Fast Facts:
- Levi Jared Burton was born in Westminster, SC, where he went to West-Oak HS. He attended Western Carolina University, which has graduated other distinguished Major Leaguers like Mark DiFelice, and... that's about it.
- In 2002, he was drafted by the Oakland A's with their 8th round pick, the 248th overall. It's worth noting that the A's had a pretty decent draft that year, with Burton joining Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Mark Teahen, Brad Ziegler, J.R. Towles, Ty Taubenheim, and Jonathan Papelbon in the A's 2002 class. Not bad.
- The Reds drafted O.J. King in the same round. Yep, he never made it past Dayton. The only other Major Leaguer the Reds drafted before Burton was picked was Joey Votto.
- It's also worth noting that he was predominantly a starter in college, and went 7-6 in his final collegiate season, with 105 Ks in 103 innings.
7 comments | 0 recs |
The Red Report: Ryan Hanigan
by Slyde on Mar 18, 2009 9:54 AM EDT
in Red Reports
13 comments
Fast Facts:
- Ryan M. Hanigan (his middle name appears to actually be "M.") was born in Washington DC in a time of turmoil and unrest in America. Inflation was high. Terrorists were holding Americans hostage. And a guy who used to star in movies with monkeys was about to be elected President. Hanigan knew from the start that he'd have to be tough to survive.
- His family moved to Andover, MA, a colonial town where at least 3 witches were executed during the late 1600s. It is said that 350 men left Andover at the start of the Revolutionary War to fight in Lexington on that fateful night. They didn't make it in time to actually fight, but still, that's tough. Don't you believe for one second that you can make it out of Andover unless you're hardcore and rugged.
- Hanigan went on from Andover to Division-II Rollins College, a school that I can only assume was started by this guy, so you know it's tough. Rollins also produced Major Leaguers Clay Bellinger and John Castino, two of the toughest sonsabitches you've ever met.
- Hanigan went undrafted out of college, but signed as a free agent after the Reds saw him playing in the Cape Cod League - a league so poor, catchers played without any equipment. Not even a glove. (this may not be true)
- Despite being undrafted, Hanigan has fought his way up through the minors tirelessly. He's only batted under .250 over an entire season once as a pro and he's never posted an OBP under .355. Despite those facts, his lack of power has prevented him from ever being considered a major prospect in the Reds system.
13 comments | 0 recs |
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