The Last Word On Corey Patterson
Like CSG, I’m sick and tired of discussing Corey Patterson, but I just can’t let this nonsense pass without comment. From John Fay’s piece in the Enquirer, here’s our manager, Dusty Baker, discussing Patterson:
Baker said he hasn’t lost faith in Patterson.
“He’s still one of the fastest runners in the league,” Baker said. “He’s got an outstanding throwing arm. He learned to bunt in the big leagues.”
Patterson often is seen as a Baker favorite because they were together in Chicago. But that’s not why Baker believes in Patterson.
“I’m not going on liking or not liking him,” Baker said. “I like the skill. I know skill when I see skill.
Okay, maybe Baker doesn’t believe that, but he has clubhouse/chemistry reasons for saying this jibberish. I can accept that. Unfortunately, based upon his past history, I have difficulty believing that that’s the case. Baker really thinks Patterson is good, despite a career’s worth of evidence to the contrary. It’s just beyond description.
And this crazy talk about Patterson being fast and being able to bunt…who cares, if he can’t hit or get on base??!?!?!?!!?!
The article also talks about the “mechanical problems” with Patterson’s swing that he wants to get ironed out in AAA. Fortunately, we can click here to see that CSG has identified that mechanical problem.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Getting rid of Patterson was one of the monkeys on the back of this club. That’s why Bruce will provide more lift than just his numbers - the drag, the depression, that Patterson engendered is gone.
Bruce may not be a savior, but in forcing Patterson out, he has done us a huge service already.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Lots of players have skills. Jim Bowden calls them tools. There are five of them, and they typically add up to sucking.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Two days in a row the roster got more competitive. Maybe Josh Fogg next!
Old Leather pants is still collecting those 5-tool outfielders. I watched them last night and recognized that they had Wily Mo (.213 BA), Austin K (.247 BA), Lastings Milledge(.242 BA), Elijah Dukes(.149 BA), Ryan Langerhans (.000 BA). Maybe 5-Tool Corey can head to DC.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Great post Mark CC.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
The only piece still erking me is the fact that the Reds are continuing to throw Matt Belisle out there every 5 days. I don’t care if he has great “stuff”. We’ve seen all this “potential” and great “stuff” equal a lot of Reds losses over the past few years and I’m sick of the experiment. I would be okay with pushing him to the bullpen but one of the 2… Fogg or Belisle needs to be traded away for prospects or a few rosyn bags. There are plenty of pitchers down at AAA more deserving than Belisle for his spots next start.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Bruce should have made the club out of spring training. I’m still at a loss as to how anyone thought that Patterson would help the Reds more that Bruce would. Its true that Patterson had a good spring, but he is not now, nor has he ever been thought of as the future of this franchise.
By the way, extremely bad front office managment has allowed Hatteberg to leave without the Reds getting anything in return. Votto has been the firstbaseman of the future for a couple of years now. Hatteberg should have been traded last year when he had some value, not released this year after he’s spent most of this season sitting, and losing market value.
Maybe we could get those ten bats in a trade for Belisle.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I’m with Justin re: Belisle. Belisle’s been here since 2003 and can’t get it together with any consistency. You really only need .500 pitching from your #5, but he hasn’t shown that he can do that.
Marty and Thom were talking the other night about how much slack they’ve given Belisle as opposed to Fogg, who was yanked out of the rotation FAST. I have to think that if Belisle keeps throwing the way he’s been going, they should give Fogg another go, and if neither of these guys can cut it, dump ‘em both for low-level prospects. They’re starters — someone will want them.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Let’s just hope he fails miserably in the minors.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
CSG is by far the most hiliarious Reds blog. You guys could get competitive by adding some hiliarious pictures!!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
The hiring of Dusty Baker directly led to Corey Patterson, Kent Mercker, and Jerry Hariston Jr. The only thing I’m shocked at is that we didn’t get Mark Prior. I still don’t like Dusty as the manager…
May 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
In fairness, Hariston has done a nice job.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Patterson’s speed is so overrated. He is fast but not that fast. He would get smoked by every wide receiver and defensive back in the NFL.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
How is that relevant?
May 29th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Because Dusty makes a big deal out of Patterson being so fast.