Homer goes the distance for second no hitter

Let's take some time today not only to celebrate America's independence, but also to remember and give proper recognition to Homer Bailey's pitching performance on Tuesday night. Bailey threw his second no hitter in two years on Tuesday against the Giants. To put into perspective how rare this performance is for baseball players, all time great pitchers Greg Maddux and Roger Clements have never quite performed to the no hit level throughout their careers. Bailey has thrown the last two no hitters in the majors in his fifth and sixth years in the majors, showing just how far he has come from being the stubborn young pitcher who got himself in trouble by relying on his explosive pitches just a few years ago.

Bailey is still just 27 years old, and to have already thrown two no hitters is remarkable. Bailey joins fellow Texan Nolan Ryan as one of 31 pitchers to throw multiple no hitters. Since Brian Price has joined the Reds as the team's pitching coach, Bailey has progressed more and more and is now considered a solid number two pitcher in a rotation. Bailey has come a long way since being drafted in the first round out of high school by the Reds and entering their minor league system in 2004. He has always had the talent to become a premier pitcher in the game, but it was a matter of maturing and learning the art of pitching for Bailey to succeed. 

Bailey's fastball is his best trait as a pitcher and he certainly has relied on that pitch during his time with the Reds. When Bailey needs to throw his best pitch and locate a strike, he will dial up the fastball at speeds that reach 97 miles per hour. For a long time, that's the only pitch Bailey seemed to use. Bailey was overconfident in that single pitch, throwing it over and over to major league hitters until they caught on and started crushing the ball. Bailey's low point came in 2008, when he went 0-6 with a ballooned 7.93 ERA. Bailey was sent back to Triple A three times before he finally remained in Cincinnati on a full time basis from 2011 to present day. 

The last two seasons have initiated the resurrection of Bailey's first round potential. Not only has Bailey recorded the two no hitters, but he has kept his ERA right around three and a half. Bailey threw over 200 innings last season and won 13 games. This is thanks in large part to a self developed split finger fastball and two above average pitches, a slider and a curveball. When Bailey can locate his off speed pitches consistently, he is a tough pitcher to make contact with. 

The 6'4, 230 pound Bailey looked like a warrior on Tuesday. He was locked in and unbelievably focused throughout the game. The old Homer Bailey would get overanxious from the pressure of the last few innings with a no hitter in tact, and make a mistake by throwing an elevated fastball over the plate. The 2013 Homer Bailey was calm and collected, reassuring himself that he had already thrown one no hitter before this one and that he had the rare ability to do so again. Bailey was one pitch away from a perfect game, executing his lone walk on a 3-2 count. Bailey's pitch count wasn't elevated even heading into the final stretch of the game. He threw under 100 pitches heading into the ninth inning. He struck out nine hitters, including the Giants' star hitters Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence. The only trouble Reds fielders had to go through to preserve the no hitter occurred when Joey Votto made a heads up play to force the Giants to ground into a fielder's choice by firing the ball to Todd Frazier at third base and getting Gregor Blanco by a step. Ryan Hanigan should get a great deal of credit for Bailey's pitching as well. Hanigan is second only to Yadier Molina in handling pitchers, and has molded his game with the Reds to become an elite defensive catcher. Hanigan set up Bailey's pitches with special skill, and the catcher and pitcher were on the same page the entire night.

Homer Bailey will continue to improve to work towards consistent dominance. Bailey has just one more year before his contract runs out, and if he wants to cash in big in Cincinnati, he needs to continue to pitch like he has the last couple seasons. The city of Cincinnati certainly appreciates a pitcher who can entertain fans on any given night with a masterful pitching performance like Bailey's no hitter. Former Reds pitchers with no hitters Tom Browning, Jim Maloney, and Johnny Vander Meer would be proud of Bailey's feat. Bailey still has plenty of time to earn more no hitters. He could easily play 10 more seasons in the big leagues, and at the rate that he is throwing no hitters right now, who knows, Nolan Ryan's record of 6 could be in trouble.