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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2009 > September > 11 > Entry
What should the Reds do with Gomes?
Before I rush off to Rush Street for a pizza from Giordano’s tonight, how about some chatter about Jonny Gomes?
The question: Do you think the Reds should sign him for next season? Is he good enough offensively and not a big enough defensive distraction to be the regular guy in left field? Is his defense too messy? Is he a role player? Should they not sign him at all.
Here is what he did Friday and what his thinking is.
With Elimination Day lurking over the Cincinnati Reds like an angry mother-in-law, what’s left?
How about a Comeback of the Year Award for Jonny Gomes, whose three-run home run Friday was pretty much the extent of a moribund offense in a 6-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field.
The Reds trailed, 4-1, in the fifth, but Gomes ripped his 19th home run in only 239 at-bats into the snout of a stiff wind blowing in off Lake Michigan.
“I picked a bad day to hit three fly balls,” said Gomes, who flied out deep to center twice, once in the third with two on.
After Gomes tied it in the fifth, Reds starter Justin Lehr gave the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth and the Reds never scored again.
“My biggest mistake of the day was walking the leadoff guy (Kosuke Fukudome) to start the fifth right after Gomes got us back in the game,” said Lehr. “He came all the way around to score.”
As they have done so often this year, the Reds littered the bases with bodies that didn’t move because the hitters couldn’t move them — nine more stranded runners.
And Gomes threw himself under the bus in talking about it.
“We left a lot of guys on base and I’m guilty of that, too,” he said. “It’s our job to get them in and we were guility of not doing that today.”
So here is the day’s quiz: do the Reds want Gomes back next year and does Gomes want to come back?
“He has been our biggest and best run producer, producing runs big-time,” said manager Dusty Baker. There are, though, some defensive issues and that plays into it.
Gomes?
“Come back here? For sure, for sure,” he said. “I like it here a lot. You have opportunities for the most money, you have the opportunities to play close to home (he lives in Phoenix) and you have the opportunities to get playing time. That’s where I’ll be at this off season — go where I can get the most at-bats. I would love it if it would be here.”
Gomes began the season in Louisville when he probably should have made the team, then was called up and platooned in the outfield, but with all the injuries he is playing more and more and producing more and more — .279, 19 homers, 11 doubles, 67 runs scored, 48 RBIs.
“I’m just bearing down these last few games,” he said. “They have a pretty good idea what I can do and won’t find out much more in 30 more at-bats. The door is open for me right now and I have one foot in. I just have to get my other foot in the door.”
The Reds have both feet dangling over the edge of being eliminated from the pennant race. Figuratively, they were eliminated a couple of months ago, but now it is mathematically.
“We can’t get the big hit early in the game,” manager Dusty Baker said of Friday’s defeat. “(Pitcher) Rich Harden had 100 pitches after the fourth inning. I don’t know how many guys he walked, a ton (five), but he struck his way out of trouble (six strikeouts). Whenever you’re struggling, you don’t get the big hit.
“They got some, especially from Aramis Ramirez, who wasn’t hitting before we got here,” said Baker, referring to the three hits and three RBIs produced by the Cubs third baseman. “We didn’t make very good pitches on him - some balls up in zone and out over the plate and you can bet he isn’t going to miss ‘em.
“And how many did we leave on (nine)? We’re having trouble getting that big hit,” Baker said. “The difference was they got the big hits when they needed them and we didn’t. Our only big hit was Jonny’s home run, then we didn’t get anything else.”
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Comments
By Tom
September 12, 2009 11:41 AM | Link to this
Gomes and Dunn are much alike, good hitters and poor defensive players. Even if the Reds sign Gomes, will Baker play him consistently in left field with his penchant for not sticking to a regular starting eight. Then again with the budget restraints the chance of signing an all around left fielder is slim.
By Mike-Cinci
September 12, 2009 10:49 AM | Link to this
Gomes has had a very nice year playing on a very bad team. I would sign him on a one year deal at low $. I don’t think there will be much interest in him as a free agent. He is a good fill-in player and OK as a right hand bat off the bench. Next year or the year after Yonder Alonso will be at 1B and Votto will be in LF. Of course one of them could be traded if the Reds find a true left fielder. Bruce will get a full shot as the permanent right fielder. It is too early to tell about Stubbs but he does not appear to be a high average hitter. He and Dickerson could platoon in CF until something better comes along. Both strikeout far too much. People raved about Stubbs defense in the minors but it has been so-so in the majors. Maybe it’s rookie jitters. Dickerson has value as a back-up.I hope the Reds have the smarts to just drop Taveras and his $4 million salary. I can’t imagine anyone trading for him. Janish can field but it will be a major surprise if he hits enough to merit an everyday job. He looks like Juan Castro to me. The Reds need a left handed hitting catcher to platoon with Hanigan. The Reds have loads of just OK players which simply proves their farm system has been short of talent for several years. The pitching looks to be the strong point on this team which is really strange to say about a Reds team.
By ShockMonkey
September 12, 2009 10:26 AM | Link to this
Where would we be without Gomes?? It’s a joke people. Of course we resign him. Extrapolate his numbers for a full season and he’s our MVP. Gomes, Stubbs and Bruce. Works for me. What doesn’t is our manager. Can’t get rid of him soon enough. Memo to Dusty: Gomes is your cleanup hitter, not Phillips. Hello!
By LucianoJJ
September 12, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this
I doubt either Gomes or Nix can duplicate their 2009 output. Both are just fill-ins. Gomes is Dante Bichette, without a stop in Colorado to pad his stats. He will probably be re-signed just as Hairston was, given a good half-season as a stopgap sub. He could be trade bait in 2010, or role player. This lineup is too right-handed as is. Bruce is the future of the franchise, or the next Austin Kearns. Stubbs and Dickerson should split time in center, to see if either is legit. If Taveras comes back, there is absolutely no way he should hit leadoff. As a Clermont County transplant here in Chicagoland, Giordano’s is hands down my favorite stuffed pizza. There’s a place called Spaccanapoli at Sunnyside and Ravenswood that has the ultimate thin crust. Brick oven heats it up in a couple of minutes, great ingredients, great stuff, and made the authentic Neapolitan style. I am sure your busy schedule is full, but it’s worth the cab fare.
By Jack
September 12, 2009 9:47 AM | Link to this
You always see whats out there, but I could live with Gomes, Stubbs, and Bruce. Some pop on offense, some speed, and some defense. Not great, but not bad.
By michael
September 12, 2009 9:14 AM | Link to this
In another boring season in Cincinnati, Gomes has been fun to watch. He plays the game hard, and I get a kick out of watching him smash his helmet onto his head in between pitches. I have seen him make some pretty good Plays from left field too, so I am not sure what the ‘DEFENSE” issue is.
By Jack D.
September 12, 2009 8:41 AM | Link to this
Th Reds would be stupid not to keep Gomes. He is the type of player this team needs. Baker…not so much.
By Mike
September 12, 2009 8:03 AM | Link to this
Baker comment of Gomes ” he has defensive issues” makes you wonder if he was paying attention to Dunn’s defense ( If you could call it that )..This team needs OFFENSE! Did you hear that Baker???????
By MAC
September 12, 2009 2:26 AM | Link to this
What’s the plan; most of us still want to know? IMO, they need to re-sign Gomes, but not for starters $$ as Steve warned. Can he play 1st, can Votto play LF, can BP play SS? More importantly, why draft Alfonso (now in AAA) and move Frazier to 2B when Votto and Phillips R entrenched there? Francisco is playing well @ 3B in AAA and more than likely he’ll start the season there next yr along w/ Valika?, Frazier and Alonso in the infield. With those guys progressing in AAA and Cincy likely to struggle again next season, it should make for a very interesting period around the trade deadline? Then again, what’s the plan?
By Fundy
September 12, 2009 2:10 AM | Link to this
Dont dog on CDick, in limited time the kid has proven he can run, and hit pretty well…nobody needs to be reminded of who the other “centerfielder” the reds have on their team is…i really think johnny gomes brings legitimate fire to a team that otherwise seems to mail-it-in on some nights…the guy really needs to sit in the bullpen so that maybe some of those guys will throw a beaner at guys that seem to have no respect for us, and like to kick us while we are down…how many times this year have our pitchers just totally backed down from guys that intimidate them…and someone tell corky and ryan that the high fastball doesnt fool MLB hitters twice in a row, and that the changeup should be used before the 6th inning with two on and no one out…
By Bruce
September 11, 2009 10:56 PM | Link to this
Lets see, CD has allowed the ball to hit his bat at .277 and rising{much better than the guy they played forever in CF,and the guy playing there now}!CD’s OBP is better than both—WT and DS!He’s also better than both as a centerfielder{his natural position}.He takes charge when playing the position! He also has equal, or better, speed and range! So,unless there is a better prospect among our posters-lets just go with our best CFer, CD. Simply because he has yet to be given a worthy tryout in center, as in length of time; and still performed wonderfully well, with four HOF catches in two games, prior to being benched, in favor of Dusty’s ‘Zero’, WT. Bench Dusty. Play CD. Nuff said.
By worn cleat
September 11, 2009 10:28 PM | Link to this
Ha,ha. Brar, you’re a brute; and a hoot.Gomes-LF; Dickerson-CF{Stubbs, Louisville}RF-Brarhopper,then, maybe Bruce-but, only if the Brar gets tuckered out.
By Mr. Redlegs (Original)
September 11, 2009 8:41 PM | Link to this
What the hell has Chris Dickerson ever done—ya know, besides getting picked off bases and having balls glance off his glove—that make so many Reds fans think he has some entitlement to playing time? And to be playing above Jay Bruce, who has nothing to prove in the minors and, at age 22, on-the-job training is more important than an easily replaceable oft-injured, strikeout-prone 28-year-old (next April) spare outfielder?
By Steve M
September 11, 2009 8:35 PM | Link to this
The reason this is a tough decision is that Gomes will only sign with the Reds if they promise to give him 500 AB next year, so basically the everyday LF job. Yes, he is having a great year at the plate. Yes, he is a terrible, really terrible left fielder. He has poor mobility, doesn’t take good routes to balls, has a weak arm and is incredibly undisciplined in his throws. This week alone he has twice tried to throw runners out at the plate instead of throwing to second base to hold a hitter to first. Because he always overthrows the cutoff it always gives up the extra base. If I were the Reds I would not resign him if he insists on being named the everyday LF. His hitting has varied a lot from year to year, so he might just be having an unusually good year at the plate. But his defense is certainly going to be bad. I’d sign him if we could use him as we did this year. But not if we have to promise him a regular job to get him.
By Trace
September 11, 2009 8:22 PM | Link to this
This points out the Reds biggest problem…evaluating talent! He should have been the starting left fielder all year but didn’t even make the team out of spring training. What if hey sign him and don’t play him? They play players to try to “get them going” instead of playing the hot hands…. They have played the wrong guys in center for two years in a row. It’s s joke and I’m not sure why I care anymore.
By BrarHopper
September 11, 2009 7:12 PM | Link to this
Of course you keep Gomes. Silly question. He’s better than what they have and he’s got a bat. Can’t say that for any of the others. Bruce needs to spend a year or two in the minors. OF = Gomes, Dickerson and Stubbs + one other. NOT WT! Tie WT and Baker together and drop ‘em in Lake Michigan with concrete boots.