Weight Plans Pay Off For Two Reds

A pair of young Reds made physical adjustments over the winter that paid off for them.

Homer Bailey put on 25 pounds over the winter.  Jay Bruce lost 15 pounds over the winter.

Both believe it helped them this season and they have maintained the weight throughout the season.

Bailey, 26, has been injury free and made every one of his starts.  He has a career high in wins (12) with two starts remaining.  He has already logged 195 innings in 31 starts, 60 more than his former high in 2010.

"It made me a little more durable," Bailey said.  "I worked pretty good.  I haven't missed any starts.  I've logged almost 200 innings. I haven't spent time on the DL."

Bailey has monitored his weight the entire season.

"It's fluctuated a little bit depending on where we travel," Bailey said.  "During the summer you lose a lot of water weight but I've pretty much stayed the same.  I started at 225 and now I'm a couple pounds above 220, so around 222."

Bruce, 25, took off weight to make him quicker and help his legs withstand the daily pounding in rightfield.

Bruce played in 157 games in 2011.  He made the All-Star team.  Bruce set career highs with 32 home runs and 97 RBI in 2011.  He hit two triples and stole eight bases in 15 attempts.

The Reds' first round pick in 2005 out of West Brook High in Beaumont, Texas, wanted to be quicker as well as spare his legs the extra pounding.

"I felt pretty good all year.  It's kept me healthy and I feel better on a daily basis," Bruce said.  "I just feel mentally it helps a lot, I'm still like 217, 220 right in there.  The weight's still off it's been great."

This season Bruce also was chosen for the All-Star squad.  With seven games left in the season he has established new career highs with 34 home runs and 97 RBI.  Bruce has eclipsed his previous high of 27 doubles with 35.  He stole a career high nine bases and has been caught just twice, indicating that he is a bit quicker. Bruce hit two triples in 2011.  He hit five in 2012, matching his career high set in 2010.

Manager Dusty Baker mentioned this spring that Bruce's swing would be quicker and he could afford to wait on the ball longer to cut down on strike outs.  To some degree that has worked.  Bruce has fanned 146 times in 536 at bats.  In 2011 he struck out 158 times but in 586 at bats.

"My swing was quicker maybe a little bit," Bruce said.  "My issue has always been waiting long enough as it is, so I don't really know."

Both players worked to prepare themselves for this season.  Whether the weight change helped them physically or mentally is debatable.  Perhaps it was other factors such as simple maturation and experience that accounted for the improvement.  The main thing is both set out to be better this season and the fact is they were by several measures.