Valaika is getting a lot of praise lately. Yesterday he was named to the Topps All-Star team and today Milb.com named him the short season Hitter of the Year. He was the only Reds prospect to win any awards from milb.com.
posted by Doug Gray @ 12:26 PM
Justin Turner (22) of Bellflower, Calif., provided a spark at the top of the Billings Mustangs' lineup. Hitting primarily first or second in the order, Turner finished tied for fourth in the Pioneer League in batting average and runs scored. The Cincinnati Reds picked Turner in the seventh round this June.
Chris Valaika (21) of Valencia, Calif., was among the league leaders in hits, runs, RBIs, doubles and extra base hits for the Billings Mustangs. His 32-game hitting streak was the longest in the Minors this season and also broke the Pioneer League mark. The Cincinnati Reds tabbed Valaika in the third round this June.
posted by Doug Gray @ 10:22 PM
Top prospect lists have started to roll out and Projectprospect.com just released theirs. Three Reds made the top 25. Here is what they had to say about each guy.
posted by Doug Gray @ 8:53 AM
First off, I am going to highly recommend that you visit www.minorleaguesplits.com any and every time you want to see more than just traditional stats for any minor leaguers. The site now has up defensive stats for players. It is broken down by innings, plays made (pl), plays made above average (+/-) and plays made above average per 150 games (/150). Below I posted defensive stats for some Reds prospects.
Jay Bruce
| Pos | Team | Lg | IP | Pl | +/- | /150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Dayton | MDW | 362.0 | 98 | 11 | 42 |
| RF | Dayton | MDW | 452.7 | 90 | 1 | 2 |
With the speed that Jay has, I doubt he has played much, if any right field in a long time. He probably was not used to reading the ball off the bat at a completely different angle from right field. In centerfield, he was well above average. Comparably, BJ Szymanski who shared centerfield with Jay, was 2 plays above average in center, while Jay was 42.
Drew Stubbs
| Pos | Team | Lg | IP | Pl | +/- | /150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Billings | PIO | 455.7 | 121 | 14 | 41 |
Drew Stubbs has been said to have Major League Gold Glove caliber defense right now. Well, like Jay Bruce, he was well above average, and was roughly 41 plays above average while in the Pioneer League. No one ever questioned his defense though.
Chris Valaika
| Pos | Team | Lg | IP | Pl | +/- | /150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | Billings | PIO | 572.7 | 171 | 9 | 21 |
Chris Valaika was the Pioneer League MVP thank in part to a league record hitting streak, but he played solid defense and was 21 plays above average.
Javon Moran
| CF | Chattanooga | SL | 109.7 | 21 | -6 | -82 |
| RF | Chattanooga | SL | 303.3 | 84 | 22 | 97 |
Javon Moran played right field quite a bit more than centerfield, and by the looks of the numbers, its a good thing. He was very below average in center, but well above average in right field.
Paul Janish
| Pos | Team | Lg | IP | Pl | +/- | /150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | Chattanooga | SL | 34.0 | 13 | 3 | 120 |
| SS | Dayton | MDW | 206.3 | 70 | 11 | 70 |
| SS | Sarasota | FSL | 725.3 | 219 | 2 | 3 |
| SS | Total | FSL | 965.7 | 302 | 16 | 22 |
Paul has always been said to be a very good, top flight defender. It is interesting that he was well above average in Dayton, but just slightly above average in Sarasota. One thing that jumped to mind was that Dayton has one of the best playing surfaces in baseball, and I am not so sure that Sarasota does. Overall at all three of his stops, Paul was well above average at SS.
Chris Dickerson
| Pos | Team | Lg | IP | Pl | +/- | /150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Chattanooga | SL | 949.0 | 250 | 11 | 15 |
Chris Dickerson may be the best athlete in the entire system. He played centerfield for the Lookouts last season and played it pretty well. He was above average at one of the most important positions on the field. Chris made 15 plays above average.
posted by Doug Gray @ 11:12 AM
www.projectprospect.com
Bruce will likely start 2007 in High-A Sarasota. The Reds hope he can be Ken Griffey Jr.'s successor in center field. By the time he breaks into the majors, Bruce could be one of the top five prospects in the game.
posted by Doug Gray @ 10:09 PM
Dan Ochsner won the Sports Turf Manager of the Year Award for the Midwest League for the Dayton Dragons. The award goes to 1 team per league for having the best prepared fields for the game. Like most things in Dayton, they have the best of it.
posted by Doug Gray @ 2:59 PM
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and to enjoy being with your families.
posted by Doug Gray @ 11:48 AM
OF Chris Dickerson (below), RP Calvin Medlock and RP David Shafer have been added to the Reds 40 man roster. All players are 24 years old.
I would imagine that only one of the relievers has a shot at the 25 man out of ST though, and Dickerson has about no chance whatsoever. I think Medlock brings more to the table than does Shafer, but Shafer is no slouch.
As a side note, how strange is it that Chris Dickerson is on the Reds 40 man roster....and Homer Bailey is not? I would say the odds of Bailey seeing Cincinnati next season are about 90%, while the odds of Dickerson seeing Cincinnati are about 5%.
posted by Doug Gray @ 7:21 PM
Well the last AFL game has been played. Below are the last game numbers, then the AFL season final stats for Reds players.
Hitters
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLG | AVG | OPS |
| Drew Anderson | 67 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 4 | 2 | .315 | .358 | .269 | .673 |
| Cody Strait | 109 | 19 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 14 | 28 | 12 | 2 | .341 | .358 | .257 | .699 |
| Javon Moran | 58 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 1 | .277 | .259 | .224 | .536 |
Pitchers
| Player | W | L | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HB | BB | SO | WHIP | HLD | GF |
| Tyler Pelland | 0 | 1 | 4.95 | 7 | 4 | 20.0 | 25 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 1.80 | 1 | 0 |
| Phil Dumatrait | 2 | 0 | 5.59 | 7 | 5 | 19.1 | 27 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 2.07 | 0 | 0 |
| Calvin Medlock | 0 | 1 | 4.30 | 10 | 1 | 14.2 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1.02 | 1 | 2 |
| Jonathan Coutlangus | 1 | 0 | 2.70 | 12 | 0 | 10.0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 1.60 | 2 | 0 |
posted by Doug Gray @ 1:00 PM
This is all available for free, you will need a subscription to read past just the names though.
1. Homer Bailey, RHPI think its a very solid list. I think Stubbs is a little high, but to each his own.
2. Jay Bruce, RF
3. Joey Votto, 1B
4. Drew Stubbs, CF
5. Johnny Cueto, RHP
6. Travis Wood, LHP
7. Sean Watson, LHP
8. Milton Loo, SS/3B
9. Chris Valaika, SS
10. Paul Janish, SS
posted by Doug Gray @ 3:40 PM
Cody Strait went 0-3
posted by Doug Gray @ 3:26 PM
Bill over at redlegnation.com posted this earlier this morning.
Prospects improve for prospectReds draft pick Kainer working way back after kidney transplantThe odds say Carson Kainer will never play for the Reds. He's a 14th-round draft choice.
Fourteenth-rounders fall well short of can't-miss on the prospect ratings scale.
But so far in his 21 years, the odds haven't stood much of a chance against Carson Kainer.
People in the Reds organization have seen that. Why else would the club pay Kainer $60,000 in bonus money six weeks after he underwent a kidney transplant?
That's correct. Kainer, an outfielder from the University of Texas, received a kidney from his father, Ron, on Sept. 12. He signed with the Reds on Nov. 1. Kainer expects to be ready to go when minor-leaguers report to spring training in March.
"I'm getting where I need to be," he said. "I started jogging two weeks ago. I had my first full workout the other day. I'm hitting off the tee."
The Reds knew of Kainer's condition when they drafted him. He's dealt with kidney problems his whole life.
"They told me, 'We know you're not a 14th-rounder, but there's the concern with your health,' " Kainer said. "I wanted to play, but I didn't want to sign and then have the Reds feel like they were stuck with me. I was very truthful with them."
Kainer considered going back to Texas - he was drafted as a junior - but the surgery kept him from enrolling for the first semester. A player can sign until he enrolls in school.
The Reds did their due diligence, but they didn't back off Kainer because of the transplant.
That wasn't totally for altruistic reasons. Kainer has had a very impressive career at Texas.
"He can really swing the bat," scouting director Chris Buckley said.
Kainer was a teammate of the Reds' No. 1 pick, Drew Stubbs, at Texas. In fact, the two roomed together.
Kainer doesn't have Stubbs' speed or power, but his overall numbers at Texas were better than those of Stubbs. Kainer hit .364 with four home runs, 66 RBI and 25 doubles in 2006. He led the Longhorns in RBI and doubles.
He hit .312 with three home runs and 65 RBI on the Longhorns' national championship team in 2005.
"We always liked him," Buckley said.
Kainer's kidney problems go back to birth, but they worsened right at the time of the June draft.
Kainer is well-versed in telling his story. Here's the condensed version:
He was born with an infection in his right kidney. That, however, wasn't discovered until he was 2 years old. Surgery was done to remove the infection, but doctors also discovered his "good" kidney was extremely small - a third of the size of a normal kidney.
He had more surgery at age 6 to reconstruct the valves leading to the kidneys. Doctors told his parents that Carson would be able to function, but somewhere down the road he'd need a transplant.
Kainer lasted much longer without a transplant than anyone expected.
"Most patients don't make it to puberty (before a transplant)," he said. "Here I was at 21 playing baseball at a high level."
But, again, around the time of the draft, Kainer noticed a drop in his energy level.
"I knew something was wrong," he said.
Kainer came close to signing in June. He was set to go to Billings to join the Reds' rookie team there. But his doctor told him that would be a mistake.
"The doctor told me she couldn't let me go to Montana," Kainer said.
Tests showed his kidneys were functioning at only 12 percent.
Though Kainer knew he'd eventually need a kidney transplant, he did not know if anyone in his family was a match.
"For insurance purposes, they won't let you test until your function goes below 15 percent," Kainer said.
Kainer's father and two brothers all matched on blood type.
"My dad was ideal," Kainer said. "He's very healthy at 53."
The reason his father was chosen is transplanted kidneys tend to last about 20 years, so he might need one of his brothers to donate one down the line.
Kainer kept his own kidneys. The one from his father was placed in his hip socket on the right side.
That's key, said Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek, who investigated Kainer's case before the Reds signed him.
"Sometimes when we talk to other doctors, they have no idea what we do in sports medicine," Kremchek said. "His doctors were very aware. The kidney was placed in a spot where it's well-protected.
"It's something that should not cause a problem. And, God forbid, if something happened, he could always have another transplant."
Kainer knows of no other baseball players playing at such a high level who have had kidney transplants.
"The two precedents are Sean Elliott and Alonzo Mourning in the NBA," Kainer said. "What they do is more physically demanding than baseball. I should have no problem."
Kainer would be closer to being ready right now, but he chose to do the non-steroid protocol.
"Because I'm an older patient, they decided to go that route," he said. "There are a lot of side effects of steroids. It's worked out perfectly for me."
The Reds haven't decided where to send Kainer for next season. He'll be eight months removed from playing live baseball when he reports to Sarasota.
"They want to see how I do," he said.
Kainer is just happy the Reds are giving him a chance. He thought once he had the transplant, they'd back off from signing him.
"I was really surprised," he said. "I'm extremely glad they were still interested."
Once Kremchek signed off on his health, the Reds did not hesitate to sign Kainer.
"He's a good kid, from a good family," Buckley said. "We're excited to have him."
posted by Doug Gray @ 11:04 AM
Drew Anderson went 1-4
posted by Doug Gray @ 9:52 PM
Javon Moran went 1-4
posted by Doug Gray @ 6:55 AM
Cody Strait and DrewAnderson both went 0-5
posted by Doug Gray @ 8:27 PM
Drew Anderson went 0-5
posted by Doug Gray @ 10:17 AM
11/9
posted by Doug Gray @ 6:46 PM
Reds looking toward Bailey, Billings duoValaika opened eyes with Minors-best 32-game hitting streakBy Lisa Winston / MLB.comWhen we took a look at the Cincinnati Reds system before the 2006 season, the story was pitching, pitching and ... well, hopefully, more pitching.
The fates had not been very kind in that department in previous years. In the Majors, the Reds staff had a bloated 5.15 ERA in 2005 and an even chubbier 5.19 mark in 2004, mired near the bottom of the 30 teams.
And while the club had several prospects on the rise, most notably 2004 first-rounder Homer Bailey, many hopefuls had health issues that had the Reds understandably edgy. How would they fare? It was a "stay tuned, folks" proposition.
The results were mixed, but the best news of all was undoubtedly the outstanding year enjoyed by Bailey, who may have even surpassed the great expectations that had been placed on his 20-year-old right arm. He went 10-6 with a 2.47 ERA between Class A Advanced Sarasota and Double-A Chattanooga and was widely regarded by season's end as one of the top pitching prospects in the Minors.
Other good news came on the Major League front, where the Reds' 4.51 ERA ranked 14th overall, though they did it with virtually no influx of talent from their own Minor League system.
Not all the news was good, however. Once-highly regarded Thomas Pauly and Richie Gardner, both of whom slipped through the Rule 5 draft due to shoulder surgery, continued to ail. Gardner went 0-3 with a 6.97 ERA in limited time at Sarasota, while Pauly, a Princeton product, has not pitched since 2004. In addition, the system took a big hit when Zachary Ward, Cincinnati's third pick in 2005 who did not make his pro debut until '06, was dealt to the Twins for Kyle Lohse. Ward arguably was the Reds' top pitching prospect behind Bailey. Cincinnati also dealt 2003 first-rounder Ryan Wagner to the Nationals in an eight-player mega-deal.
On the field, the Reds saw two of their farm teams, Double-A Chattanooga and Rookie-level Billings, make it to the postseason while Triple-A Louisville fell just short.
At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five players within each organization fans might want to keep an eye on. Here's a look at the quintet and how they fared.
Five faves
At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2006:
Homer Bailey, RHP
The Reds took the kid gloves off with Bailey in 2006, after having him work on a strict pitch count in a tandem starting (aka piggyback) situation in 2005, which he admittedly did not like. He combined for an organization-high 156 strikeouts in 138 2/3 innings between stops at Advanced A and Double-A, scattering 99 hits. He pitched even more effectively after a promotion to Chattanooga, going 7-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 13 starts. Before his move up, he struck out the side on 12 pitches at the Florida State League All-Star Game. Bailey throws a mid-90s fastball and plus curve, and there already has been talk of joining the Cincinnati rotation in 2007.
Miguel Perez, C
The defensive stalwart has still not gotten into an offensive groove, though he's shown flashes. At Chattanooga, he hit .241 in 111 games, his average dipping 20 points from 2005. His work behind the plate is so strong that all he needs to do is show something there and he could earn a big-league job. The Reds may have been a little disappointed that he didn't rise past Chattanooga this season, but he'll get some Major League Spring Training time to show his stuff and work with the established pitchers.
Chris Denorfia, OF
An overachiever who plays way beyond his solid-but-average tools, the Wheaton College product hit .349 with seven homers, 45 RBIs and 15 steals in 83 games at Louisville and .283 in 49 Major League games. He can do everything just well enough to stick around there for awhile.Joey Votto, 1B
The Canadian-born Votto came off a disappointing 2005 that saw him mired at Sarasota, and both he and the Reds hoped desperately for a breakout 2006 season at Chattanooga. Did they get it? Well, a Southern League batting title (.319), finishing tops in the system with 22 homers and leading the league in hits (162), doubles (46), on-base percentage (.408) and slugging (.547) added up to Southern League MVP honors. Oh, he added 24 steals. Look for him in Cincinnati in the near future. We said coming into the season: "He's the kind of hard worker who could take last year's adversity and use it positively this year. This season will go a long way in determining what kind of prospect Votto truly is." We think he answered that as well.
William Bergolla, SS/2B
Bergolla was taken off the Reds' 40-man roster this past August but went unclaimed off waivers and is playing winter ball in his native Venezuela, hoping to catch someone's eye. He hit .279 with 14 steals in 114 games at Louisville but did not make it to the Majors to follow up on his brief 2005 big-league debut. He is a very good defensive middle infielder with above-average speed, and odds are good he'll land somewhere.
Cinderella story
Jesse Gutierrez, 1B
Gutierrez, a 20th-rounder in 2001 out of college in California, has worked his way slowly but steadily up the Reds' ladder and continued to do so in 2006, hitting .282 with 10 homers, 61 RBIs and 27 doubles in his Triple-A debut at Louisville. He'd been doing so well in 2005 with a .310 average and .530 slugging percentage at Chattanooga before a knee injury short-circuited his season.Breakout year
Some players were pegged as breakout candidates before the season began. Did they live up to expectations?
Sam Lecure, RHP
Lecure, a 2005 draft pick who did not pitch for Texas that year due to academic ineligibility, finished sixth in the Florida State League with a 3.43 ERA this season, going 7-12 in his first full season. He is a polished pitcher who could continue to move quickly.
Tyler Pelland, LHP
Pelland continued to struggle with command, though he has Major League stuff. In 28 starts at Chattaooga, he helped anchor the Lookouts' playoff-bound staff with a 3.99 ERA, although he walked 89 while striking out 107 in 142 innings.
Chris Dickerson, OF
A multi-tooled athlete with power and speed, Dickerson will remain one to watch if he can just kick the consistency at the plate into gear. He hit just .242 at Chattanooga but had 12 homers, 48 RBIs, 21 steals and 21 doubles as well as seven triples. He's also a fine defensive outfielder.2006 draft recap
1. Drew Stubbs, OF
The eighth overall pick out of Texas batted .252 with six homers, 24 RBIs and 19 steals in 56 games at Billings in his pro debut. The Longhorns' starting center fielder for three years, he became the first collegiate position player drafted first by the Reds since infielder Brandon Larson in 1997.
2. Sean Watson, RHP
The right-hander taken out of Tennessee in the second round got his career started at Class A Dayton and struggled in a brief taste of pro life, posting an 8.59 ERA in 10 games and allowing 22 hits over 14 2/3 innings with five walks and six strikeouts. A closer in college, he throws four pitches, including a knuckle-curve.3. Chris Valaika, SS
The Pioneer League MVP was taken in the third round out of Santa Barbara and hit .324 with eight homers, 60 RBIs and a .520 slugging percentage. But what really had people talking was his 32-game hitting streak, tied for the longest in the Minors in several years. It also set a league record. Valaika also shared the league lead with 89 hits.
4. Justin Reed, OF
The multi-tooled athlete was the only high school position player in Mississippi selected on the first day of the draft, as the Reds were able to sign him away from a football commitment to Ole Miss. Though he batted just .180 in 44 games in the Gulf Coast League, his six triples -- which tied for the league lead -- give an indication of his speed and line-drive bat.5. Josh Ravin, RHP
A California high schooler taken in the fifth round, Ravin went 0-1 with a 4.29 ERA in seven Gulf Coast League games, striking out 22 while walking 10 in 21 innings.
2005 draft recap
1. Jay Bruce, OF
The club's top pick a year ago continued to put up excellent numbers, finishing fifth in the Midwest League (and tops in the system) with 81 RBIs as he hit .291 with 42 doubles, 16 home runs, 19 steals and a .516 slugging percentage at Dayton. The likelihood that he will share outfield real estate with this year's top pick, Drew Stubbs, is high and bodes well for the future of the organization. He has terrific makeup and maturity for a high school pick. Bruce also has a solid arm and hits with power to all fields.
2. Travis Wood, LHP
After combining for a 1.29 ERA in 48 2/3 innings between the Gulf Coast and Pioneer Leagues, Wood picked up where he left off in his full-season debut, going 10-5 with a 3.66 ERA in 27 starts at Dayton. He allowed only 108 hits in 140 innings, striking out 133 with the best changeup in the system and outstanding command of his fastball on both sides of the plate.
3. Zach Ward, RHP
If the Reds' homegrown pitching doesn't develop, he could turnout to be the one who got away. Their third pick in 2005 signed too late to play that year but was 7-0 with a 2.29 ERA, tops in the organization, and a .188 opponents' average at Dayton in his debut when he was traded to Minnesota for Lohse. He throws a fastball in the 90s and a hard slider.
posted by Doug Gray @ 2:36 PM
Cody Strait went 0-1 with a stolen base and a run scored
posted by Doug Gray @ 2:31 PM
Cody Strait went 0-3 with a walk
posted by Doug Gray @ 6:45 AM
Drew Stubbs and Carson Kainer were named as Co-MVP's for their last season at Texas. Both players were drafted and signed by the Reds in the 2006 Draft.
posted by Doug Gray @ 12:16 PM
Josh Hall, Edward Valdez and Chris Michalak all signed with the Nationals and Leatherpants.
posted by Doug Gray @ 12:08 PM
Cody Strait went 3-5 with a double, 2 runs amd 2 stolen bases.
posted by Doug Gray @ 9:57 AM
Topprospectalert.com Cincinnati Reds top 10 prospects
Doug Bair was named the Dragons pitching coach. He was the pitching coach of the Billings Mustangs last season.
Darren Bragg was named the hitting coach for the Dragons. This will be Braggs first season as a coach at the professional level.
posted by Doug Gray @ 5:08 PM
Cody Strait went 1-2 with 2 walks
posted by Doug Gray @ 12:23 AM
Cody Strait, Javon Moran and Drew Anderson all went 1-4
posted by Doug Gray @ 8:45 AM
Dominican Winter League
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Chris Denorfia | 43 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | .233 | .283 | .256 |
| Joey Votto | 33 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 14 | .303 | .477 | .484 |
| Jerry Gil | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .071 | .133 | .071 |
Dominican Winter League
| Player | W | L | ERA | IP | H | ER | BB | SO |
| Johnny Cueto | 0 | 0 | 8.44 | 5.1 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Venezuelan Winter League
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| William Bergolla | 57 | 9 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | .386 | .435 | .456 |
| Ray Olmedo | 40 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 4 | .300 | .431 | .375 |
| Javier Colina | 44 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 7 | .227 | .255 | .409 |
| Luis Bolivar | 55 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | .273 | .375 | .327 |
Venezuelan Winter League
| Player | W | L | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO |
| Jose Rojas | 0 | 0 | 2.45 | 4 | 0 | 3.2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Jan Granado | 1 | 0 | 4.02 | 3 | 3 | 15.2 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
posted by Doug Gray @ 11:25 AM
Cody Strait went 1-5 with a walk, run and a triple
posted by Doug Gray @ 7:36 AM
Topps selected Joey Votto and Chris Valaika as their choices as League Player of the Year in the Southern League and Pioneer League.
posted by Doug Gray @ 3:48 PM
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Carson Kainer had planned to return to Texas for his senior season, but the Longhorns' All-Big 12 outfielder received an offer he could not refuse Tuesday.
Kainer is skipping his final college season after signing a professional baseball contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
Kainer underwent a kidney transplant on Sept. 12 — his father, Ron, was the donor — and he had planned to return to school before negotiations heated up with the Reds, the team that selected him in the 14th round of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft in June.
Kainer agreed to a $60,000 signing bonus, and the team also agreed to pay for his final two semesters of college.
"I know there are some people who may be upset with me, but it's my lifelong dream,'' said Kainer, 21. "For me to get this opportunity is a blessing and something that would have been hard to pass up."
The Reds called Kainer after his surgery and had their doctors examine him this past week. After he was cleared as fit to resume playing baseball, the team made him the contract offer.
Reds' area talent scout Mark Snipp said Kainer's physical ability and his mental makeup were the biggest factors in the decision to sign him. Kainer joins former college teammates Sam LeCure and Drew Stubbs in the Reds' organization.
"I've followed him since high school, and we always knew he could swing the bat,'' Snipp said. "I told him he could be a pioneer in baseball. He has all this energy, and we hope he can transfer it over to the baseball field."
Kainer called Longhorns coach Augie Garrido on Tuesday afternoon to inform him of his decision. Kainer, who batted .364 with a team-high 66 RBIs this past season, also thanked Garrido for his support throughout his career.
Kainer said he is jogging 15 minutes a day and plans to start taking batting practice in the next couple of weeks. He plans to attend Cincinnati's spring training camp in March.
Carson Kainer college stats for The University of Texas
| Year | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2004 | Texas | 54 | 167 | 31 | 56 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 17 | 29 | .335 | .411 | .443 | 854 |
| 2005 | Texas | 63 | 202 | 36 | 63 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 5 | 20 | 30 | .312 | .391 | .411 | 802 |
| 2006 | Texas | 61 | 231 | 37 | 84 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 66 | 4 | 21 | 36 | .364 | .425 | .550 | .975 |
posted by Doug Gray @ 11:17 AM
Cody Strait went 1-4
posted by Doug Gray @ 9:24 AM
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