Dayton Daily News suggests Kearns for Hill

[katway]

before we get too enamored with hill, let's remember the lineup he was pitching to last night.

 

Giants average nearly 4.5 runs per game. Hill gave up 2 in 5; so he held them just below their average. What I think people are enamored with is that he didn't tank. He faced major leaguers, got them out, and displayed a wicked curve ball. With that curve ball, he has excellent potential to become a Blyleven or Zito. Overall, his potential to be a Zito is probably closer to a reality than Kearns potential to be a J.D. Drew.

[Elrhino]

Jon Garland and Dontrelle Willis. Nuf Said

 

Could you imagine the vitriol that would be hurled at Garland the past 7 years while he struggled along at .500? Cubs fans would have run him out of town long before he gained All Star status.

 

I don't know, they've put up with 7 years of Kerry Wood being little more than a .500 pitcher rather patiently. Wrigely Field fans have earned a reputation for being many things, vitriolic is not one of them. Achoholic, perhaps.

 

 

Hill was facing a team who had never seen him before. Let's wait until teams have faced him a couple of times before we bust out with the Bly and Zito comparisons. Austin Kearns has been ranked as high been a Top 15 prospect on BA's Top 100. Rich Hill has never been ranked in the Top 100, and didn't even make the Cubs Top 10. They are the same age, and thus far neither of them have done anything but put up some nice AAA numbers.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Elrhino

[gflore34]

I'm not completely sold on Garland one magical season doesn't necessarily make him a good pitcher. However, it'll get him a bloated contract from the Yankees.

[LoneStarCubFan]

Has Rich Hill ever been ranked in the Top 100, and didn't even make the Cubs Top 10.

 

I make fun of the guy because he looks like he's 12, but I'd guess David Eckstein was never a Top 100 or Top 10 prospect.

 

Ranking minor league prospects is like ranking football recruiting classes in February. More often than not, the guys who wind up stars are the guys nobody thought much of when the rankings come out.

[ZZ Thorn]

before we get too enamored with hill, let's remember the lineup he was pitching to last night.

 

Giants average nearly 4.5 runs per game. Hill gave up 2 in 5; so he held them just below their average. What I think people are enamored with is that he didn't tank. He faced major leaguers, got them out, and displayed a wicked curve ball. With that curve ball, he has excellent potential to become a Blyleven or Zito. Overall, his potential to be a Zito is probably closer to a reality than Kearns potential to be a J.D. Drew.

 

Sure seemed in the first couple innings that he got away with some bad pitches, and I thought that if it wasn't the Giants up there he's had been hurt early.

 

But he wasn't. He lives to start another day.

[XZero771679666304]

before we get too enamored with hill, let's remember the lineup he was pitching to last night.

 

Giants average nearly 4.5 runs per game. Hill gave up 2 in 5; so he held them just below their average. What I think people are enamored with is that he didn't tank. He faced major leaguers, got them out, and displayed a wicked curve ball. With that curve ball, he has excellent potential to become a Blyleven or Zito. Overall, his potential to be a Zito is probably closer to a reality than Kearns potential to be a J.D. Drew.

 

Sure seemed in the first couple innings that he got away with some bad pitches, and I thought that if it wasn't the Giants up there he's had been hurt early.

 

But he wasn't. He lives to start another day.

 

On the other hand, he did get hurt by some real cheap hits. I suppose it will take another start or two at least to get a good read on how he'll do.

[Derwood]

Jon Garland and Dontrelle Willis. Nuf Said

 

Could you imagine the vitriol that would be hurled at Garland the past 7 years while he struggled along at .500? Cubs fans would have run him out of town long before he gained All Star status.

 

I don't know, they've put up with 7 years of Kerry Wood being little more than a .500 pitcher rather patiently. Wrigely Field fans have earned a reputation for being many things, vitriolic is not one of them. Achoholic, perhaps.

 

Yes, but Wood wasn't losing 12 games a year and posting ERA's in the 5's

[ZZ Thorn]

before we get too enamored with hill, let's remember the lineup he was pitching to last night.

 

Giants average nearly 4.5 runs per game. Hill gave up 2 in 5; so he held them just below their average. What I think people are enamored with is that he didn't tank. He faced major leaguers, got them out, and displayed a wicked curve ball. With that curve ball, he has excellent potential to become a Blyleven or Zito. Overall, his potential to be a Zito is probably closer to a reality than Kearns potential to be a J.D. Drew.

 

Sure seemed in the first couple innings that he got away with some bad pitches, and I thought that if it wasn't the Giants up there he's had been hurt early.

 

But he wasn't. He lives to start another day.

 

On the other hand, he did get hurt by some real cheap hits. I suppose it will take another start or two at least to get a good read on how he'll do.

 

That's very true, that first run was BS.

[johnnyba99]

 

That's very true, that first run was BS.

 

Feliz's HR was on a very good pitch, he hits a HR on that pitch maybe 1 out of 50 swings.

[cubweiser03]

 

That's very true, that first run was BS.

 

Feliz's HR was on a very good pitch, he hits a HR on that pitch maybe 1 out of 50 swings.

 

I agree, when i saw that highlight i was like gimme a break. Feliz is a hack with power, he hacked and got lucky he hit on the screws.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

it looks like Hill can be reasonably effective against righties. :wink:

 

 

 

<--- hates the Hill for LOOGY bandwagon.

[chicubs]

I'm not completely sold on Garland one magical season doesn't necessarily make him a good pitcher. However, it'll get him a bloated contract from the Yankees.

 

Me too.

[hawkeyecub]

I would just like to add to this Kearns thread that in his ESPN.com chat today, Gary Gillette had this to say:

 

Goose (Chicago): Why does Jim Hendry love Austin Kearns so much?

 

Gary Gillette: (1:20 PM ET ) Because with a new start and in Wrigley Field, Kearns could become an MVP candidate overnight. Plus the Cubs badly need a RH-hitting OF with power, which is why the Gerut trade made little sense other than to unload DuBois.

 

He then added this:

 

Goose (Chicago): Isn't that a little optimistic? MVP candidate overnight?

 

Gary Gillette: (1:22 PM ET ) Don't think so, but I don't think he will be traded this week, either.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I've never heard Gary Gillette's name before. Who is he?

[hawkeyecub]

I've never heard Gary Gillette's name before. Who is he?

 

From the chat page: Gillette is the editor of The 2005 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, an ESPN.com MLB Insider and the Co-Chair of SABR Business of Baseball Committee.

 

 

He also said this about Kearns: Gary Gillette: (1:22 PM ET ) But I don't think Cincy will deal Kearns because he's cheap, unlike Griffey or Dunn. They would have to be overwhelmed to make a deal for Kearns right now, especially since he's stinging the ball since his recall.

 

 

I think he's a little optimistic on Kearns, and I've been big on adding Kearns since last year. He's playing in a major hitters park right now, so I don't see how coming to Wrigley is going to give him a big boost in power.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

I'd love to have Kearns, but I can't see Hendry getting O'Brien to do it for a reasonable price.

 

Maybe Hendry should try blackmail.

[ZZ Thorn]

Fact: Kearns was a BALLER in 2002. He killed the ball, I liked him more then Adam Dunn.

 

Fact: Kearns has been hurt - he is not CP. CP got a ton of PT and stunk with the exception of the first half 2003. Kearns has a much better eye, can take a lot walks and has a better OF arm. He will K a bunch, but unlike Corey he can take a walk and unlike Dunn he can hit for a good average. He should hit 30+ homers a year.

 

Fact: Hill for Kearns is too much IMO, which I guess is not really a fact but my opinion.

 

Fact: I would be glad to take Kearns off the Reds hands for the right price.

 

Fact: That price should involve Mitre. He's a groundball pitcher and that's exactly the type of pitcher they need in that bandbox they call a ballpark. We can easily afford to give up Mitre, and Mitre has shown very good potential...as a starter. The Reds should be stocking up on GB pitchers....

 

Fact: That may not be enough to net Kearns. There's no doubt they need pitching, and we have lots of pitching. Maybe Hendry can give them a prospect or two of value and make something work.

 

Fact: Kearns would be a risk, but with a very high reward if he pans out. If he's healthy he will be a consistent player at worst, an Aubrey Huff with more Ks but also more bbs.

[dime]

I'd trade hill for kearns before I trade hill for dunn. easily.

[Guest]

I've never heard Gary Gillette's name before. Who is he?

 

From the chat page: Gillette is the editor of The 2005 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, an ESPN.com MLB Insider and the Co-Chair of SABR Business of Baseball Committee.

R.I.P. Doug Pappas...

[khufure]

I'd trade hill for kearns before I trade hill for dunn. easily.

 

are you nuts?

[abuck1220]

Either way, this is not a curveball league anymore. The pitch looks good but hitters can hit it now. That pitch will be most effective if he can keep it down and bounce it off the plate area. If he leaves it in the zone its going to get hit by righties more than it will freeze them. Hill's curve is going to be great against lefties. He needs a cutter or fork/split to really keep hitters off-balance.

 

if all hill can do is bounce the curve, he's never gonna make it. in his last AAA start, he couldn't get the curve over, and they ripped his fb. he has to throw his curve for strikes. i would venture to guess that i've probably seen hill pitch more than anybody here, and i can't think of one occasion where a guy hit his curveball hard. not one. and nobody hit it hard last night either.

 

when he did miss with the curve last night, it was waaay up and away or down and in. those are great spots to miss with a curveball. because his curve has more of an 11-5 motion than a 12-6, it seems like he hangs it out over the plate less often.

 

so, long story short, i'm going to have to vehemently disagree w/ you when you say that his curve will get hit hard by righties more than not if he leaves it out over the plate. that just hasn't been the case in the 30+ innings i've seen him throw.

[ZZ Thorn]

Murton, Pie, Kearns next year doesn't sound that bad - a lot of long-term potential.