What the Reds Have to Look Forward to With Baker

[wade]

Reds win tonight on a Dunn walk off. After Dunn failed to get a sacrifice bunt down. This is twice that the Reds inability to get a bunt down has helped to overcome Dusty's braindead managing.

 

You have got to be kidding me. I saw the highlight of the Dunn homer, but I didn't know he tried to bunt beforehand.

 

How the hell do you bunt a guy that hits 40 home runs every year.

 

(That was rhetorical, by the way)

[inari]

Adam frigging Dunn tried to bunt?

[CubInOK]

Adam frigging Dunn tried to bunt?

It was hilarious.

[TruffleShuffle]

Adam frigging Dunn tried to bunt?

It was hilarious.

 

see fire joe morgan for visual evidence.

[David]

“I have a lot of buddies who surf,” Reds manager Dusty Baker told his team’s official Web site. “When they catch a good wave, they ride it all the way to the beach. You ride that wave and keep on riding. You can’t worry about falling off.”

[otis89]

“I have a lot of buddies who surf,” Reds manager Dusty Baker told his team’s official Web site. “When they catch a good wave, they ride it all the way to the beach. You ride that wave and keep on riding. You can’t worry about falling off.”

 

What? Has he run out of fishing analogies?

[JGalt73]

Good ole Dusty...

 

There is concern, in some quarters, about 24-year-old Edinson Volquez's penchant for throwing extraneous pitches — 100 or more in eight of his nine starts.

 

Manager Dusty Baker insists he is being careful and said, "He has to cut down on his pitches. He is working too hard to achieve what he is doing. But he is doing good, so how do you say, 'Change,' but you know there is even better in there."

 

They limit Volquez and watch closely when the magic 100th pitch creeps in.

 

Volquez pitched winter ball and there are questions about him running out of gas. Baker couldn't disagree more.

 

"Bob Quinn (former Yankees, Reds and Giants GM) told me once that pitchers usually rust out before they wear out. Latin guys who I've seen play winter ball rarely have arm problems — Julian Tavarez, Luis Tiant played winter ball somewhere every year, Diego Segui. Japanese pitchers throw more.

 

"Almost all foreign pitchers throw more than American pitchers," he added. "Rarely do you hear anybody say some American pitcher has a rubber arm."

[CuseCubFan69]

I say pitch em 300 innings like in the old days. This way you'll know if he can last and have a good career like Gumby did. Nobody had a rubber arm like Gumby.

[abuck1220]

they rust out before they wear out. wow. may be my new favorite baker line.

[inari]

Anyone have data on how many 110+ pitch games Volquez has? 120+?

[Jon]

Anyone have data on how many 110+ pitch games Volquez has? 120+?

Four 110+ pitch games so far this season and none over 120 pitches, but since his first two starts of the season, he is averaging 109 pitches in 6.1 IP. He has yet to pitch more than 7 innings.

[SouthSideRyan]

Dusty once again turning to the wisdom of a former GM.

 

Al Campanis once told me that a player's peak is right around 37, 38 years old.

[wade]

Dusty once again turning to the wisdom of a former GM.

 

Al Campanis once told me that a player's peak is right around 37, 38 years old.

 

Dusty was 37.5 when Al told him that.

[Derwood]

I really really really hope Volquez throws a no-hitter this year, as he will probably throw 187 pitches and his arm will fall to the ground after the last out is recorded

[17 Seconds]

It's the 5th inning and Cueto is up over 110 pitches and still in the game.

[Outshined_One]

It's the 5th inning and Cueto is up over 110 pitches and still in the game.

 

Go Dusty, go!

[17 Seconds]

It's the 5th inning and Cueto is up over 110 pitches and still in the game.

 

Go Dusty, go!

 

The announcers said it was a good move to leave him in so he could "gain some confidence". Cuteo then proceeded to throw the ball into the stands on a pickoff attempt, allowing the 4th run to score.

[CuseCubFan69]

Does this guy time it right or what when it comes to good young pitching? Dusty, you just keep on surfing dude.

[jersey cubs fan]

Dusty once again turning to the wisdom of a former GM.

 

Al Campanis once told me that a player's peak is right around 37, 38 years old.

 

 

He did not, did he?

[SouthSideRyan]

Dusty once again turning to the wisdom of a former GM.

 

Al Campanis once told me that a player's peak is right around 37, 38 years old.

 

 

He did not, did he?

 

I guess it wasn't as bad as I rememberred.

 

"I remember my old general manager Al Campanis telling me that a player doesn't reach his peak until he's somewhere between 32 or 36 [years old] and beyond"

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Dusty once again turning to the wisdom of a former GM.

 

Al Campanis once told me that a player's peak is right around 37, 38 years old.

 

You can't even make that stuff up.

[17 Seconds]

Has this been posted?

 

LOS ANGELES — There is concern, in some quarters, about 24-year-old Edinson Volquez's penchant for throwing extraneous pitches — 100 or more in eight of his nine starts.

 

Manager Dusty Baker insists he is being careful and said, "He has to cut down on his pitches. He is working too hard to achieve what he is doing. But he is doing good, so how do you say, 'Change,' but you know there is even better in there."

 

They limit Volquez and watch closely when the magic 100th pitch creeps in.

 

Volquez pitched winter ball and there are questions about him running out of gas. Baker couldn't disagree more.

 

"Bob Quinn (former Yankees, Reds and Giants GM) told me once that pitchers usually rust out before they wear out. Latins guys who I've seen play winter ball rarely have arm problems — Julian Tavarez, Luis Tiant played winter ball somewhere every year, Diego Segui. Japanese pitchers throw more.

 

"Almost all foreign pitchers throw more than American pitchers," he added. "Rarely do you hear anybody say some American pitcher has a rubber arm."

 

Bronson Arroyo was mentioned and Baker said with a sly grin, "He's Cuban." Actually, he was born in Key West.

 

"Close enough. Key West is as close as you can get to Cuba," he said.

[CubColtPacer]

That's pretty crazy stuff, but par for the course for Dusty.

 

For Volquez, I don't think they should be too concerned. It has been 7 out of 9 starts of 100+, not 8 out of 9. Really, he's only had 1 stupid number (118 pitches against the Cubs with a huge lead).

 

Other then that, it's been around the 110 pitch mark. With his walk rate, if he pitches effectively that's likely the types of pitch counts he's going to be around most of his career. He turns 25 in a few months.

 

They need to make sure to conserve him with those huge leads (they should have pulled him around the 90 pitch mark in that Cubs game), but he can't be a guy who you try to pull before 100 pitches in close games. Not for a guy who while pitching great right now is averaging 17.12 pitches per inning.

 

With that said, he shouldn't have more than 2 outings all year where he goes over 120, they both have better good reasons for it, and he definitely shouldn't go over 125.

[Roast]

Len just mentioned that Dusty is suspened for two games for kicking his cap in an argument with an ump last night.

 

Good ol' dusty.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Dusty getting suspended could be a good thing for the Reds.