Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Google
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Y! MyWebDragons Insider
Reds not exactly pros at developing pitchers
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Just because you see a pitcher at Fifth Third Field with the Dragons doesn't mean he's going to the Reds, or even the big leagues.
The parent Reds have had much more success developing position players — and they're even a little behind in that category.
A few scouts at the Dragons homestand last week wanted to know how the Reds stood up to the rest of baseball when it comes to developing pitchers for the major leagues.
It was my contention the Reds don't do very well, and current rosters prove that point.
While the Reds have three starters they drafted and signed — former Dragons outfielders Adam Dunn and Jay Bruce as well as first baseman Joey Votto — they have only one pitcher in that category — Johnny Cueto.
Sure, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion came up through the Dragons, but he originally was signed by the Rangers. Pitcher Daryl Thompson came from the Nationals even though he pitched with the Dragons, too.
Where are the pitchers? Well, reliever Todd Coffey is at Class AAA Louisville, as is starter Homer Bailey.
Meanwhile, teams in the Reds' division seem to be doing a little better.
The Cubs, led by Carlos Zambrano (currently on the disabled list), have five players on their active roster (not counting Zambrano) they originally signed and cultivated.
The Cardinals have four, Brewers three, Astros three and Pirates a whopping seven.
Only the Padres in the National League match the Reds with just one home-grown pitching talent, Jake Peavy, a 15th-round draft choice from 1999.
Ironically, the Padres also have three pitchers the Reds originally signed — Carlos Guevara (7th round, 2003), Brett Tomko (2nd round, 1995) and Trevor Hoffman (11th round, 1989). Hoffman originally was signed as an infielder.
Buddy Carlyle of the Braves also falls into that category. He was drafted by the Reds in the second round of 1996.
Dustin Moseley of the Angels has been up and down with that team and John Koronka is in the Rockies system. Both are former Dragons.
Retired at last
Jim Ferguson covered the Reds for the Dayton Daily News from 1959-72 before joining the team in public relations, a job he held through 1990.
He then spent five years in that capacity with the Padres and the last 13 with Minor League Baseball in St. Petersburg.
Last month, at age 76, Ferguson retired.
"Sure, I'm that old," said Ferguson, who is spending the summer visiting grandchildren in Cincinnati. "I was in baseball 50 years. I didn't start when I was 12."
Look for him at a Dragons game this summer. He might show up as a color commentator on one of the Time Warner Cable broadcasts.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157
or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
