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Kearns to third...


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CINCINNATI -- It's been a little more than a week since the Reds undertook the Austin Kearns project.

In an attempt to thin out an overcrowded outfield, the Reds sent the 24-year-old right fielder to the Florida Instructional League to try his hand at third base.

So far, so good.

"I think so far things have gone as well as we could have hoped for," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said. "Austin's working hard and we're committed to giving him a legitimate chance to succeed."

If he does, it would quickly solve a pair of problems for the Reds as they head into 2005.

With Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., Wily Mo Pena, Ryan Freel and Kearns all needing consistent at-bats, Cincinnati simply doesn't have enough outfield positions for them. Moving Kearns makes that possible, along with filling a gaping hole at third.

However, the project is still in the R & D stage.

"He seems to be making progress," said O'Brien. "This is going to be his first week for him to actually play in games, so we're moving from phase one to phase two, in a sense."

The Reds have been receiving daily reports from Reds minor league infield coordinator Freddie Benavides, who is in Sarasota helping Kearns make the adjustment.

"He's in very good hands down there," Reds manager Dave Miley said.

According to O'Brien, Benavides and the rest of the Reds' Instructional League staff will have a big say in whether Kearns keeps at it.

The Instructional League ends Saturday, and based on the assessment of a small sample of games and footwork drills, the Reds will decide whether or not to continue with the project.

"The next step is a bit of an unknown," said O'Brien. "It depends on the opinion of those watching him at the Instructional League. We'll base that on whether they feel he's made enough progress.

"Let's put it this way. He's handled step one. This is step two and all of us are hopeful, but we can't anticipate where things will end up."

But they can keep their collective fingers crossed.

It's fairly safe to assume that the Reds will do everything possible to keep the Kearns project moving along. After all, he already knows how to play in the outfield and moving him back to right will leave them no worse than where they started.

"The bottom line is that if he's able to play the position, it makes our lineup all that more productive," O'Brien said. "But again, the thing I keep bringing up is that this is a tremendous transition that we're asking him to embrace. The outcome is very much undetermined."

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If Kearns can pull off that switch and stay healthy...

If Griffey stays healthy...

If Wily Mo can avoid the Sophomore Slump...

If Uncle Carl dusts off his gigantic checkbook and gets some pitching; for the bullpen and rotation...

We might get to watch some meaningful baseball next September. That's a whole big bunch of "if's" though.

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If Kearns can pull off that switch and stay healthy...

If Griffey stays healthy...

If Wily Mo can avoid the Sophomore Slump...

If Uncle Carl dusts off his gigantic checkbook and gets some pitching; for the bullpen and rotation...

We might get to watch some meaningful baseball next September.  That's a whole big bunch of "if's" though.

haha sure as shit is....

biggest one is carl

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Guest BengalsOwn
If Kearns can pull off that switch and stay healthy...

If Griffey stays healthy...

If Wily Mo can avoid the Sophomore Slump...

If Uncle Carl dusts off his gigantic checkbook and gets some pitching; for the bullpen and rotation...

We might get to watch some meaningful baseball next September.  That's a whole big bunch of "if's" though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Biggest one is Carl's money. We have potential for one of the best offenses in the league, just need some DECENT PITCHING to keep us in some games.

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Uncle Carl is by far our biggest obstacle. He can buy and sell Steinbrenner 10 times. Say what you want about King George, and I certainly have, but he plays to win within the agreed upon rules. I sure wish our owner was more like him.

The way they run MLB is so f*cked up. :angry:

We share season tickets for the Reds and it sure would be nice to have a winner in town...at least one. I attend a lot of losses. :(

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Yeah, and one of the sad things is, as they claim its a small market, well St Louis is not much bigger, and look at their payroll and personell. They have done it smartly, and their payroll is not crazy. They bring in much more money due to winnning than they spend in the first place. If any one knows that it takes money to make money, it's UNcle Carl. Oh, and I officially hate Dan O'Brien. He just seems like a shitball.

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Agreed, I'm not a big O'Brien fan yet either. He's kinda greasy.

You know, Jim Bowden was an arrogant asshole and had no tact and very few PR skills but I would have loved to see what he could have done with a nice fat budget.

He made a case for bringing Edmonds here before they got Griffey and he also tried to get in on the Scott Rolen sweepstakes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

First, I don't like moving Kearns to 3rd. He can be a gold glove outfielder, and one of our better minor league prospects is a rd baseman. I wish they would re-sign Larkin, and give HIM 3rd base. Move Kearns to CF anf Jr ro RF. As much as I like Pena, trade him for pitching.

I also agree that Lindner is a stumbling block. He makes enough money from his other businesses that the Reds could take a BIG loss and he would still bring in multi millions (and he could takea tax credit for the Reds losses) and field a competitive team. And he would get the fans back out which would lessen the losses significantly.

Cincinnati will support a winner.

Spend some money Carl!

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First, I don't like moving Kearns to 3rd.  He can be a gold glove outfielder, and one of our better minor league prospects is a rd baseman.  I wish they would re-sign Larkin, and give HIM 3rd base.  Move Kearns to CF anf Jr ro RF.  As much as I like Pena, trade him for pitching.

I also agree that Lindner is a stumbling block.  He makes enough money from his other businesses that the Reds could take a BIG loss and he would still bring in multi millions (and he could takea tax credit for the Reds losses) and field a competitive team.  And he would get the fans back out which would lessen the losses significantly.

Cincinnati will support a winner.

Spend some money Carl!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

O'Brien looks like that guy off Green Acres..Mr. Cambell the dude dressed in tan outfit and made no sense what he talked about..some of old guy's know who I'm talkling about. Yeah the Great experiment. That was hiring his dumb ass!
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If Kearns can pull off that switch and stay healthy...

If Griffey stays healthy...

If Wily Mo can avoid the Sophomore Slump...

If Uncle Carl dusts off his gigantic checkbook and gets some pitching; for the bullpen and rotation...

We might get to watch some meaningful baseball next September.  That's a whole big bunch of "if's" though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isnt that the key word in every cinni sport?

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keanrs outfield skills ahve never impressed me, i think freel is a better defensive outfielder than kearns, the kid is fast and gives it up on every plAY... i think kearns at third is a good move, i fail to beleive anyone will ever come from our farm system, we trade them for cash or crap AAA pitchers before they hit the majors....

i would rather trade griffey than willy mo... pena is atleast young, ... griffey is a disapointment each year... its like watching the bengals every summer...

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Guest Claptonrocks
keanrs outfield skills have never impressed me, i think freel is a better defensive outfielder than kearns, the kid is fast and gives it up on every plAY... i think kearns at third is a good move, i fail to beleive anyone will ever come from our farm system, we trade them for cash or crap AAA pitchers before they hit the majors....

i would rather trade griffey than willy mo... pena is atleast young, ... griffey is a disapointment each year... its like watching the bengals every summer...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They should keep all four outfielders because Griffey wont play a full season. Kearns hasnt proven he can stay healthy either. Freel will play second base as they arent going to give Jimenez the money he wants. Third base will be manned by the guy in Toronto if they can swing that deal. He's got some pop and thats his natural position. Until they get the pitching straightened out its all for moot anyway.

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How could the Kearns experiment be a disaster? Spring Training hasn't even started yet! I think with the salaries/talent we have on offense (which is COMPLETELY predicated on injuries) that this is a great idea. I don't WANT to trade Wily E Coyote/Pena! He's still so young and learning and he swings a powerful bat. So does Kearns, when healthy (a BIG ? mark, can he stay that way playing in the infield?) Griffey being moved to RF to limit his running can only help that poor prima donna's injury problems, and Dunn is a no-brainer at OF (no defensive skills, the big lug, but he can whack the ball-when he isn't striking out, that is, but it's hard to argue with 46 HR's!) Our biggest problem has and always will be $ spent on pitching-we should resign Wilson (provided he proves he's fully recovered from injury), move Acevedo to the bullpen, where he's been more effective than as a starter, dump Graves and his overpaid, worthless ass, let Valentine and his 97 mph heater close games for us, and let the young arms who looked so good at the end of last year earn jobs in training (Hudson, Claussen, Hancock, etc...)

I think the Reds are actually poised to be a playoff team, they just MUST spend a little more money acquiring pitching for the bullpen and starting rotation and STAY HEALTHY on offense!

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Guest bengalrick
I've read that the Kearns experiment has been a disaster.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

w/ your internal optimism, i have to believe that you would know and tell us the truth... :mellow: <sarcasm off...>

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I just read it on www.redszone.com, somebody from ESPN said it has been a disaster so far.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cool, thanks for the tip. I'd never been to RedsZone before so I signed up. :)

Anyway, the source for the disaster comment was Peter Gammons. The next accurate piece of information I hear from him about the Reds will be the first. :angry:

It may still not turn out well but I'll wait until I hear from someone more reliable than Gammons. He gets a little out of his element when he's not talking about the Red Sox and Yankees.

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Guest BengalsOwn
Cool, thanks for the tip.  I'd never been to RedsZone before so I signed up.  :)

Anyway, the source for the disaster comment was Peter Gammons.  The next accurate piece of information I hear from him about the Reds will be the first.  :angry:

It may still not turn out well but I'll wait until I hear from someone more reliable than Gammons.  He gets a little out of his element when he's not talking about the Red Sox and Yankees.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I couldn't think of who it was. Thanks. I can't access redszone from work for some reason :(

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  • 1 month later...
Guest bengalrick

[url="http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cin/news/cin_news.jsp?ymd=20041221&content_id=924755&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp"]mlb.com[/url]

kearns project is over... at least for this year after we signed a reliable, decent third baseman, [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5298"]Joe Randa[/url]...

career .286 average... usually around 10-15 hr's... 50-70 rbi's... but lots of strikeouts i see.... not as many as dunn :rolleyes:

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The thing I thought was funny was saying that signing Radana shows how we are comitted to trying to win this year.

Yeah, right.

Until we sign a #1 starter, it won't make any difference. Our lineup can hit with anyone (if they can stay healthy). Problem is our pitching can keep a AA team in the game with our offense.

Carl, PLEASE spend some of that huge fortune. Bring us a winner ONCE. Other teams do it.

Shell out some $$$$ for a couple 1 year pitching contracts.
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[quote name='Jason' date='Dec 22 2004, 02:41 PM']The thing I thought was funny was saying that signing Radana shows how we are comitted to trying to win this year.

Yeah, right.

Until we sign a #1 starter, it won't make any difference.  Our lineup can hit with anyone (if they can stay healthy).  Problem is our pitching can keep a AA team in the game with our offense.

Carl, PLEASE spend some of that huge fortune.  Bring us a winner ONCE.  Other teams do it.

Shell out some $$$$ for a couple 1 year pitching contracts.
[right][post="29170"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]


well the pitchnig we purchased lately was an upgrade, nothing amamzing, but an upgrade, and we got rid of the shittiest of the pitching staff in the process as well, riedling was horrid, i think those upgrades alone give us 10 more wins. but still ont playoffs, .. griffey healthy all year gives us probably 10 more just for his bat and threat of his bat and pitching around hiom and so forth.... i think we still need 1-2 more pitchers of decent talent to make the playoffs...
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