Homer Bailey returns to the mound for the Reds today, making his first start since last August. Here’s a timeline for the right-handed Texan while with the Reds organization, including a few posts about him at Redleg Nation:
2004 (age 18): Drafted in Round 1, Overall 7 in the amateur draft out of LaGrange High School, Texas. Named 2004 Baseball Athlete of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association. Assigned to Reds Rookie League.
2005 (19): Plays for Low-A Dayton, makes 21 starts. 125 strikeouts in 103 innings.
2006 (20): Splits season between High-A Sarasota and AA-Chattanooga, for a total of 26 starts. 156 strikeouts in 138.2 innings. 1.59 ERA at Chattanooga.
May 9: First mention (that we can find) of HB on Redleg Nation
2007 (21): Begins season with 10 starts for AAA-Louisville. Debuts with Reds on June 8. Back to Louisville for 2 starts in July. In total, makes 9 starts for Reds.
June 3: The Future is Now: Homer Bailey Arrives
June 8 Debut: Game Thread, Post-Game Round Up
2008 (22): Begins season with 12 starts for AAA-Louisville. Called up for 3 starts with Reds in June. Then back to Louisville for 4 starts. Then makes 5 starts for Reds. Back to Louisville for 3 starts. Total of 8 starts for the Reds.
December 7: Homer Bailey Traded for Jermaine Dye (or not)
2009 (23): Begins season with 14 starts for Louisville, 89 innings of 2.71 ERA. One spot start for the Reds on May 23. Then makes 19 consecutive starts for Reds, 113 innings. Totals 33 starts, 202 innings.
2010 (24): Pitches in April, May, August and September for the Reds, making 19 starts. Spent time on the DL in June and July.
May 12: Complete game shutout against Pirates, allowing 4 hits, no walks and 6 Ks.
2011 (25): Starts season on DL, makes three rehab starts in Louisville and another DL stint in July. Finishes season with 22 starts for Reds, including last 12 in a row.
March 3: This is Homer Bailey’s Year (Chad Dotson)
2012 (26): Makes 33 consecutive starts for the Reds, 208 innings
July 2: Pitches 8 innings against Dodgers, allowing 2 runs, 1 walk and 7 Ks
July 20: Pitches 8 innings against Brewers, 0 walks, 10 Ks
September 28: Pitches no-hitter at PNC Park against Pirates, 1 BB, 10 Ks
October 9: Bailey pitches maybe the best game of his career in the most pressure-packed moment. In the NLDS against the Giants, Bailey pitched 7 innings, giving up just one hit and one walk, striking out 10. 88 pitches, 60 strikes. “I wrote this back then: I’ve been to many sporting events. The NFL. March Madness. Michigan vs. Ohio State football in Ann Arbor and Columbus. Kentucky basketball against Bobby Knight. The Fab Five vs. Duke. Rose Bowls. And I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a better atmosphere than the Great American Ball Park rocked tonight. (At least until the last ten minutes.) Homer Bailey gave a breathtaking performance. Six strikeouts in a row the second time through the line-up. After the fifth inning, fans were on their feet chanting Ho-mer, Ho-mer, Ho-mer as he walked back to the dugout. I’ve never seen anything like that for a pitcher at GABP.” The Reds lost Game Three and the series. I’m still not over it. (Box Score)
2013 (27): Makes 32 consecutive starts for the Reds, 209 innings. He finished in the top ten in the NL in K%, K-BB%, xFIP, SIERA, fastball velocity, slider velocity, swinging strike rate.
February 24: Homer Bailey Roars into 2013
April 16: Pitches 8 shutout innings against Phillies, 10 Ks, 0 BBs
May 14: Pitches complete game in Miami vs. Marlins, 10 Kx, 0 BBs
July 2: Pitches no-hitter at GABP against San Francisco Giants, 9 Ks, 1 BB.
July 3: Reflections on the No-Hitter from a Homer Homer
September 3: Pitches 7.1 shutout innings against Cardinals in St. Louis, allows 2 hits, 1 BB and strikes out 8
2014 (28): Signs 5-year/$19 million AAV extension in February. Despite battling a pulled groin, a herniated disc and getting hit in the jaw by a batted ball, Homer makes 23 consecutive starts for the Reds, 145 innings, shut down in early August for flexor mass surgery.
February 19: What the Bailey Extension Means for the Reds
February 20: Risk/Reward and David Dewitt Bailey (Richard Fitch)
February 21: The Toys of Our Adulthood
May 11: Homer’s Fastball
June 29: Pitches complete game shutout on the road against San Francisco, 3 hits, 1 BB and 7 Ks
August 8: In Bailey’s final start, he pitches 7 shutout innings against Cleveland, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk and strikes out 8
September 7: Homer’s Flexor Mass Surgery
2015 (29): Starts season on rehab from flexor mass surgery. makes two starts for Reds in April then is shut down for Tommy John surgery. Misses rest of season.
September 14: Tommy John Prognosis and Homer Bailey
2016 (30): Starts season on rehab from Tommy John surgery. Makes first of six starts for Reds on July 31. Reds decide to shut him down after August 28 start of 1 inning.
July 31: Homer’s Odyssey
August 12: Pitches 6 shutout innings against the Brewers, with 11 Ks and 1 BB
2017 (31): Starts season on rehab from bone spur surgery. Makes rehab starts at Dayton, Pensacola and Louisville. Makes first start for the Reds today.
February 1: What to Expect From Homer Bailey (Jason Linden)
February 9: A Little Bit on Homer’s Bone Spur
Bailey has pitched 230 innings (total) under current contract. In the same period, Leake has pitched about 700 (ML) innings of 3.50 ERA.
It’s all easy in hindsight. Neither baseball nor the lottery work that way.
Better to have Bailey back and (hopefully) healthy than to not have him at all, no matter what anyone thinks about his performance or injury history. I hope he really is healthy and can help stabilize what has been an awful starting staff. If nothing else, swapping Bailey for Arroyo is already a big upgrade. I’m disappointed that it’s Winker who loses this numbers game to make room for Bailey. Isn’t it time to send Turner back to the Twins, or to AAA with a PTBNL headed to Minnesota?
Your timeline forgot to mention 10/9/2012. Best day of his career, in my opinion, because it mattered more than the no-hitters. If you omitted this because you chose to delete games 3-4-5 of that series from your brain archives to relieve the pain, then I understand.
You aren’t kidding. When he was rolling in the middle innings I really thought he was going to throw a series clinching no hitter. If only they could’ve scored another run. IIRC they scored a run without a hit. HBP, steal, moved up on an out, then sac fly. In hindsight the HBP changed the course of events. Giants go home without it.
You aren’t kidding. When he was rolling in the middle innings I really thought he was going to throw a series clinching no hitter. If only they could’ve scored another run. IIRC they scored a run without a hit. HBP, steal, moved up on an out, then sac fly. In hindsight the HBP changed the course of events. Giants go home without it.
I hope today was not a vision of what the future holds for Homer. Today was really, really ugly. It is hard to come back after basically being out for 4 years. Homer is really trying, but I am not sure his arm will ever be a quality major league arm again. I hope he proves me wrong.
60 career wins with a plus 4 era. $ 100 million
contract. Another reason it’s the worst rated front office. Will they ever learn?
Went to the game at Nats park…not worth the sunburn I got. Have to say though that Homer did make some wicked pitches. That said, why can’t the Reds pitchers pitch strikes!!?? Coaching, catching, pitch calling, prep, talent (lack of), afraid of GABP when home>>??