Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Price, Reds, Mariners, Cardinals

CC is definitely gassed now.

Well said basemonkey. Phillippe Aumont has little experience in professional ball. Even in high school, he had little experience. His high school had no team. He had to wait until the weather conditions allowed baseball to be played, baseball summer, and even on the National team that he was on, he wasn't used so much that he has a lot of experience. He's at least 3 years off.

Pineda is probably more ready than Aumont, and he's still 3 years off. He's got a ton of potential, and good stuff, but needs need develop more pitches.

If you look at the past development of a Mariners stud pitching prospect, Ryan Anderson, they ruined him by pushing him through the system, and not letting the game come to him. His workload killed his arm.

Don't push 'em Mariners!

I think the Reds could be a contender soon, but maybe thats just me projecting too much. I mean they got Harang, Arroyo, Cueno, Volequez, and one of many decent rookies. I think Harang can only do better than 08, Arroyo is solid, and the two young guns will step up and could be amazing. I mean as far as the bullpen they go Bill Bray, Cordero, and some solid relief. The lineup has got Phillips, Dickerson, Bruce, and Votto. I think they can manufacture enough solid players to make that young group work. I am so excited for the Reds future.

As a Reds fan, I would feel good about 2009 IF...Dusty Baker was NOT the Manager!!!!!

Baker can only win if there is a steroid abuser (Bonds, Sosa) batting in the middle of the line up. If he doesn't have that and it depends on Baker making Managerial decisions for the team to win, then forget it.

To those who think Baker is a GOOD Manager, then WHY didn't the Giants bring him back AFTER he took them to the World Series? Name the last time a Manager took a team to the World Series and was NOT back as their Manager the next year.

Why didn't the Cubs bring Baker back? I mean they spent what, $200 million dollars, total, on player contracts and then went out and got Lou Piniella? If the players were the problem, then WHY didn't the Cubs bring Baker back and then spend the $200 million dollars and get better players?

CC pitched 241 innings last year and was 1-1 5.40 era in the playoffs. This year CC has 231 innings pitched. Yost wasnt the only problem, the GM has to absorb some blame for the bullpen he crafted. Next year Sheets and CC are probably gone and fielder will be traded cause the Brewers wont pay him.

The Reds future isn't as bright as it might seem, at least not as long as Dusty Baker is driving the bus. Remember, he just said he likes the "young nucleus" and "speed", as if speed has anything to do with the difference between a winning and losing team. Speed helps but there are more important things like OBP that Dusty has never heard of and/or won't acknowledge. He'll run that franchise into the ground before someone else comes in and leads them to anything meaningful. He's just a horrible, horrible manager.

As for CC and the Brewers, you've got to feel bad for them, especially CC. The Brewers just aren't good enough this year apparently and you just have to hope that CC isn't going to get hurt. The man deserves the money he's about to get and if something happens in Milwaukee that prevents him getting a good contract then it's the Brewers fault for riding him so hard. Yes, he's theirs and they can use him how they please but panicking and abusing a guys arm isn't the best way to treat a person and won't win them any free agents in the future.

Was Rosenthal talking during the National Anthem??!!
Sure sounded like it

Bank Street,

Look at the Reds record AFTER Dunn was traded. Look at the Runs scored per Game. Dunn (and KGJ) WERE the problem/s. Now look at the D-backs record after Dunn was traded there.

Since the trade, the Reds are something likie four Games over .500 (having to play teams in Play Off contention like the Cubs, Brewers and D-backs) while the D-backs are two Games UNDER .500 whle ahving to play teams like the Reds, Giants, Padres and Rockies.

The Reds NOW have speedy Outfielders who can get to and catch balls that KGJ and Dunn NEVER could. THAT has helped the Pitching staff tremendously. Now, instead of the Pitchers thinking they HAVE to throw Perfect Pitches (out of fear the ball would be hit to the Outfield) they can relax and concentrate on throwing GOOD Pitches because they KNOW there is a really good chance that if a ball is hit to the Outfield it will be CAUGHT!!

Offensively, the Reds are better because they are more balanced now. Instead of having KGJ and Dunn up at the plate trying to pull EVERY Pitch for a Home Run, they have quality hitters looking to just hit the ball where it is pitched. THAT is why Joey Votto and Jay Bruce are hitting Home Runs to the opposite field, something KGJ and Dunn RARELY did. Plus, with Dickerson and Hairston, the Reds have speed on the basepaths. With KGJ and Dunn, they just played station to station baseball.

As far as Baker goes, he REALLY hurt the team by continually batting Patterson in the lead off spot. Patterson HAD to play because his speed was needed to make up for the BAD Defense and lack of range that KGJ and Dunn had. BUT, he should NOT have been in the lead off spot for so long.

Baker also kept KGJ in the number three spot of the order toooooo long. His excuse for doing this? Out of respect for KGJ. What a joke. Votto was hitting in the seven spot of the order for most of the year but he SHOULD have been batting higher (as in KGJ's spot).

Baker ALSO hurt Aaron Harang by Pitching him on short rest in the 18 Inning San Diego Game and THEN by bringing him back on short rest to make his regular start. After that, it took a couple of months of DL time and rest for Harang to get back to be healthy and throwing like he did in 2006 and 2007.

Finally, Baker has overused the Bull Pen by having guys throw three days in a row or by using them day after day when they have jsut come of the DL. Not good.

Since the Reds called up a lot of guys from the Minors in September, Baker has NOT used them very much and because of that, the Bull Pen has coughed up at least three Games that the Reds SHOULD have won.

No, King Griffey Junior and Dunn were CANCERS in the Club House and Baker is NOT a good Manager. If the Reds win in 2009, it will be in SPITE of Dusty Baker and not BECAUSE of him.

Just like in San Francisco and Chicago, the talent of the team will HAVE to overcome the shortcomings of Baker and his BAD Managerial skills.

The Reds aren't balanced dude. You are judging the talent based off of one hot month on a non-contending team in September. Dusty Baker had to overwork the bullpen. When you have Edinson Volquez that can sometimes get to the 7th. Cueto who barely gets passed the 6th. Harang who barely gets to the 3rd. Arroyo who for the first half was awful. Fifth spot,Belisle, Bailey, Fogg whoever barely could do 5 innings if that. Starting pitching did not go deep. The bullpen which is one of the best in the NL and the MLB was overworked the whole year because of the starters not Dusty.Dusty hasn't used the callups? He's played every single one if I'm not mistaken. Danny Richar, Wilkin Castillo, Rosales, Janish, Roenicke, Adkins, Petty-John,R. Ramirez.

You put way to much blame on single people for when a WHOLE team is bad. How is it that Jerry Narron/Pete Mack had an almost identical team sans Bako and Patterson and Baker has matched their total wins from last year? A team that had a good hitting Dunn, a good hitting Griffey, Josh Hamilton, an on FIRE Edwin, a beastly Harang and somehow Dusty with a much much worse talent pool has matched the wins.

I'm not sure why I argue as you will never realize that Dusty isn't to blame for the team being as bad as it was this year. You will never realize that not one person involved with the Reds thought that Griffey or Dunn were "club house cancers" but obviously you know better. Who's the next scapegoat on your list? I bet it's Brandon Phillips.

Also to pageian, Dusty actually said earlier this year that he likes OBP. Of course his reasoning wasn't what most stat geeks would want to hear though.

"There's a lot more to the minors than just developing your pitch repetoire." I completely agree---I should have been more nuanced in the post.

I think that if the writer of the above article is as enthused as he sounds about Aumont's pitches, it seems odd to then turn around and give him a three-year projection. Factor in Aumont's size and assume reasonable innings limits (as I certainly hope the Mariners are) and it seems reasonable to think he could handle a faster schedule---if, of course, the writer of the MLB.com article is not overhyping his stuff.

I don't think the potential impact on his trade value is really a counter-argument to taking it slow. A better counter-argument for doing that, from Seattle's standpoint, would be to delay the clock starting on his option/arbitration years.

They'll play it slow with Pineda but with Aumont and Raben they will rush them to AA is my best bet then based on performance they'll either move up during the season or down. Then I think the M's were being a little too cautious with Aumont about the sore arm(because he hasn't pitched with that type of workload so it's gonna come naturally) and we shut him down as a precaution. I can see Aumont getting a 09 sept call up same with Raben.