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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > June > 01 > Entry
It is Homer Bailey time — again
Home Bailey is pitching Thursday — in Philadelphia, not Louisville.
When the Cincinnati Reds said they were putting Josh Fogg on the disabled list Sunday, I was tempted to ask, “With what, inflammation of the earned run average?”
But that would be cruel and he says he has back spasms. I’ve had back spasms. Nothing funny about it, especially when you can’t untie your shoes.
To replace him, the Reds called up relief pitcher Gary Majewski, which begs the question. Who starts Thursday in Philadelphia, Fogg’s turn?
Manager Dusty Baker was coy about it, but it is finally Homer Bailey time. Bailey was scheduled to pitch for the Class AAA Louisville Bats tonight and will, but is expected to pitch only two innings and take the rest of the night off.
He’ll face the Phillies Thursday in Philadelphia.
“After Saturday’s game, Fogg complained about his back,” said Baker. “We need some pitching help bad, so we couldn’t wait. We put Fogg on the DL and called up Majewski.”
Next start?
“Scuffling,” said Baker. “We’ll come up with something. We have a few days before we have to come up with something. There are a couple of guys lined up.
“Going into Philly …”
Somebody mentioned the Phillies are averaging like 12 runs a game over the last week and Baker said, “Be quiet, man. Every time I look in the paper, it’s like, oh my God. That’s why we have to get our pitching together.”
The Reds, Holy Terrors at home, are Holy Terribles on the road, and Monday open an eight-game trip — four in Philly (hello, Jim’s Cheesesteaks) and four in Florida (hello rain showers and humidity).
What do the Reds need to lift the road anvil off their shoulders?
“Try not to think about, just play hard,” said Baker. “Score early, play hard, play defense, close out games you are supposed to close out. Don’t let it get into your head. I’ve seen it get into some teams’ heads. And the law of averages are on our side.”
Baker’s assessment of one of Atlanta’s young players:
“I’ll tell you who is fast becoming a good ballplayer is that Johnson kid for Atlanta (second baseman Kelly Johnson),” said Baker. “All I know is I see him running around the bases a lot. I yell at him, ‘Get on the bench. I’m tired of you running around the bases.’ “
Baker, suspended two games in San Diego for bumping an umpire, watched Bobby Cox get ejected Saturday.
“I watch Bobby,” he said. “Bobby is the King of Ejections. I learned something. He crossed his arms and kept his distance from the umpire. I was really studying Bobby. I really was. I ain’t lying to you. I was like, ‘OK, he was careful not to turn into anybody, he backed up before he turned so he wouldn’t hit anybody.’”
When Thom Brennaman wanted to interview Ken Griffey Jr. about 600 home runs (he had 599), Griffey recoiled. He pointed to several writers in the clubhouse and asked each one individually, “Have I talked to you about it? Have I talked to you about it? Have I talked to you about it?”
Each one said no.
“I’m highly superstitious, very superstitious,” said Griffey. “I’ve sold cars and I’ve sold houses because of bad luck. The only thing sacred is my wife and kids. I sell everything else like cattle.”
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment | Categories: Dusty Baker, Homer Bailey
Comments
By MAC
June 4, 2008 3:45 AM | Link to this
Jared, I know the truth hurts, but it’s still the truth; Dayton and Cincy are tough towns period. Likewise, who cares if Homer is a country bumpkin and carries a Bowie knife on his hip and dresses like a cowboy? The ignorant one is the guy who keeps bringing it up in article after article as if it matters and the folks who jump on the discrimination bandwagon w/ him. We don’t hear about all the a*s clowns and their bling or the guys w/ their bluetooth and IPODs stuck in their ear, so why keep slaming Homer? Dunn plays video games and Homer reads hunting mags; so the hell what!By Michael
June 3, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
Tom Shearn was sold to a team in Korea last week. I guess his future was not bright in Cincinnati. Jim Brower was traded to the Chicago Cubs for cash.By Dave
June 3, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
Ummmmm….. Nick…. Shearn was dealt to the Cubs last week. That’ll make it awfully tough to call him up.By nick
June 2, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this
Baily should be left in Louisville for this season. Bring up Tom Shearn. The way he pitched for the Reds last season, he should get another shot. The Reds last home stand was some really great baseballBy nick
June 2, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this
Baily should be left in Louisville for this season. Bring up Tom Shearn. The way he pitched for the Reds last season, he should get another shot. The Reds last home stand was some really great baseballBy preacher,franklin,ohio
June 2, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
he,s not ready leave him down get more work geter done for jesus god bless you all. love in chirst preacher.By Homer J
June 2, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
Hal, This can’t be stated clearly enough! As a hometown Philly boy, forget Geno’s and Jim’s. Pat’s is simply the best cheesesteak in the history of the world. It was true 10 years ago when I lived there and I did another sampling last year. Pat’s is #1!By VietVet
June 2, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
Give Bailey another chance.Didn’t do well initially. Might be worse than Belisle or Majewski but I doubt it. No need to think about bringing either back up. Both have demonstrated that they can’t pitch consistently and have hurt the team with past performances. If Bailey doesn’t produce in four or five starts, send back down and select next best performer from Louisville.By Chuck
June 2, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this
Hey Hal, skip Jim’s and get a real cheesesteak at Geno’s on the corner of Passyunk and 9th, you’ll thank me.By Jesse
June 2, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this
Is that ‘taps’ I hear playing in the background? What I’m trying to say is that I would rather have Homer Simpson pitching against Philly than Homer Bailey.By Jared
June 2, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
MAC, you’re ignorantBy Jack
June 2, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this
Its so nice seeing changes that a normal fan could see needed to be made. If Homer can pitch, I dont care what the attitude is. It will get fixed in a hurry in the clubhouse. Livingston is on the 60 day DL or something. Not sure he will be able to pitch this year. Shern was just sold to Korea. (are both of those correct?)By MAC
June 2, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
Time to “Saddle Up” Reds fans and give the guy a chance to be successful instead of picking on his Cowboy ways! I’ve lived in Dayton and visited Cincy on numerous occassions and anyone w/ 1/2 a brain knows you need to be packing something when you walk those streets. Cowboy boots and a Bowie knife probably aren’t enough, but they’re better than nothing! How about we rate the kid on his pitching performance and keep the personal attacks to ourselfs.By David Bauer
June 2, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
What ever happened to Tom Shearn? He did pretty good for us last year when we needed him to pitch for us. And also what about Bobby Livingston? He pitch very well last year as well. I would love to see him in the rotation. I remember he was on the injury list for something, but I have not heard about him for a while. Can anybody help me out?By DWC
June 2, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
Would anyone agree that listening to Thom and Jeff on Sunday was about as boring as it gets? Thom can never shut up and has gotten worse as time has gotten long. I would hope the Reds dump him from TV and soon.By Reds Fan
June 2, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
The energy one callup can make!! Wow!! I realize Jay Bruce isn’t the savior but if maybe he can do something to get this team out of its funk on the road. By the way whoever was noted the Reds play 4 in Philly and 4 in FL. The energy of this past week and recent homestand record of 11-1 is exciting. Boy if they can string a few together on the road who knows? I think we give Bailey the shot why not? Can anyone confirm that this actually took place, Josh Fogg turned down $5 Mil from Rockies to sign with Reds for $1Mil. Not only is he absolutely rotten he’s gotta be dumb too. Gary Majewski up again, time to get more gray hairs. Only pitch him and Bray in games the Reds are up by at least 5. Hopefully this forum will be excited this week after we exercise some demons on the road.By Joe
June 2, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
Homer Bowie, errr, I mean Homer Bailey is not ready for this call up. Why not Maloney? Not on the 40 man roster. Why not Thompson? Just one start at AAA, needs development yet. I hope I am wrong and Bailey does well, but I would bet otherwise. Someone tell Bowie to leave the knife in his car in the parking lot and show up with his fan friendly personality!By michael
June 2, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
I guess if the Reds can stick with Belisle as long as they did, they should at least give Homer B a shot.If the Reds can continue to put runs on the board, then the typical Reds ERA of 5 may just get it done!By Pete
June 2, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
Anyone but me notice that Cueto shook off his catcher several times on Sunday? Thought he had orders from Dusty NOT to do that anymore. Regardless, he left those pitches in the 6th exactly where his catcher didn’t set up. Shame on him. But hey, as long as doesn’t go the route of Belisle, he’ll be OK.By Stocc
June 1, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this
Do you think Homer knows that he wasn’t such an a*s he’d have been up sooner?By Deaner
June 1, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this
I will be looking forward to seeing Homer back in a Reds uniform, but I’m not so sure pitching against the Phillies in that ballpark will be the best for his confidence.By Florida Buckeye
June 1, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this
Great game today; the kid was down, put bowed his shoulders and made it through the seventh. I’m more concerned with the catcher’s pitch calling than Cueto’s pitching…then again, they go hand in hand…and anothering: I don’t understand why people read a blog, and expect it to be as flawless as an article that has made it through an editor,re-writes etc., Relax and enjoy the insights…By ZBro
June 1, 2008 5:49 PM | Link to this
Hal, What is the possibility of trading Arroyo? I know that his next two years of salary look really scary if he’s not pitching well (like he started off the year). Wouldn’t it be great if we could get some good prospects for him if he keeps up the recent play? We’d have a rotation of Harang and 4 rookies—what a future. It seems like we have two or three excellent prospects that will be ready to pitch up in the majors over the next year. Is this going to happen, do you think?By Y-City Jim
June 1, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
Maloney is the only other possibility. I give the nod to Bailey because he has experience, better stuff, and his stats reflect that he has been working on the weak aspects of his game. Once he perfects his change-up to the level of Volquez and Cueto, the Reds are going to have one nasty rotation.By _Sir_Charles_
June 1, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this
To reitterate, here’s the ORIGINAL text of this article. “To replace him, the Reds called up relief pitcher Gary Majewski, which begs the question. Who starts Thursday in Philadelphia, Fogg’s turn? Manager Dusty Baker was coy about it, but it is finally Homer Bailey time. Bailey was scheduled to pitch for the Class AAA Louisville Bats today and did, but only ppitched two innings and was pulled. He’ll face the Phillies Thursday in Philadelphia.” Now, where in there have I (or Grizz) “not payed attention” or “was always an idiot”. To Hal, thanks for the correction and the updates as always.By _Sir_Charles_
June 1, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
Okay, to those of you choosing to BASH ME for typing that, how about you realize the simple fact that Hal went back and CHANGED his original article. I copied and pasted what he wrote in my post. I certainly didn’t change it. So how about you shut it and accept the fact that HAL made the error and not me. While I respect Hal’s opinion and knowledge of the game, I’m not some blind homer (points to the recent posters’ of comments here) who thinks Hal never makes a mistake.By Kyle
June 1, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
Hal, I’ll take care of your light work for you. Um, Grizz and Chuck, Hal clearly states that Bailey is EXPECTED to pitch two innings and take the rest of the night off. If you guys would just read his material instead of looking for mistakes (which weren’t there) hoping to be the cool guy to point it out, you might enjoy it more.By Gary Maloy Jr
June 1, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this
Hal writes that Bailey is EXPECTED to only pitch two innings, then take the rest of the night off. Geez, people, read what is written!!! The Reds are turning up the heat. If they can take 2 of 3 from the Phillies and again from the Marlins, we’re good to go. They’re making there move. Hang on for the ride, people!!By SirCharlespay attention
June 1, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
Always an idiot.By Coach
June 1, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
I saw it today with Cueto, and I’ve seen it lots of previous times—three or four pitches of the same kind—in a row, and in the same spot! What gives with that?Although the kid pitched well; I am seeing some stupid calls from the catcher, or the bench.These calls will catch up to them.Go Reds!By _Sir_Charles_
June 1, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this
Ummm…I’m a bit confused. Hal, you state that “Bailey was scheduled to pitch for the Class AAA Louisville Bats today and did, but only ppitched two innings and was pulled.” but everywhere I look, the Bats’ game is scheduled to start at 6:15 tonight. Care to clarify? Has the game already begun, or not?By Grizzlyfox
June 1, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this
Hey Hal the game in the Ville doesn’t even start until 6 tonight. What’s going on here? And that was a donkey bomb I just witnessed.By Wally Post
June 1, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
Let’s take a look at Homer’s numbers — stats can’t lie. And let’s also take a look at this young man’s make up…his emotional state and his attitude. We have lots of conflicting info on these pages. Is Homer ready? He’s not tearing up AAA so what makes anyone think he’s re-ready for the big show? Maybe a few other guys deserve a chance that Homer has already blown once. I don’t know anymore than what I read. It’s a tough call. But could anyone be worse than Fogg? I’d Corey Fogg and promote somebody from the farm.By Beard
June 1, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
Well this regime will finally have to go with the youth even if it basically was forced upon them. First Krivisky and Narron last year then Baker and Jocketty this year have to see the fact that the young kids in the organization can play and contribute. Case in point Votto, Bruce, Volquez, Burton, Cueto,and now hopefully Bailey. And like you said Hal if someone else needs to start let’s not be afraid to try Thompson.