Mixed bag for Reds organization in '05

Before the 2005 season began, MLB.com took an in-depth look at every big league team's Minor League system. Now, it's time to recap all 30 organizations, from top prospects to the recent draft class.

It was a mixed bag for the Reds system in 2005. With a shift from position players (Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena) to pitchers, the hope was for several arms to continue to develop, from a recent influx courtesy of the 2004 draft to former top prospects coming back from injury.

On the positive side of the ledger, 2004 first-rounder Homer Bailey impressed in his first full season and Phil Dumatrait pitched well coming off shoulder surgery. Elizardo Ramirez pitched his way up to Cincinnati and one-time top prospect Bobby Basham actually stayed on the mound for over 100 IP.

On the flip side, 2004 draftee Rafael Gonzalez proved not ready for full-season ball and was demoted to Billings while 2003 second-rounder Thomas Pauly missed the entire season following surgery to repair a torn labrum. Overall, the organization saw a drop in winning percentage from .470 in 2004 to .454, with Billings finishing as the only team over .500.

2005 Organizational Record
LEVEL AAA AA A(Adv) A R R	LEAGUE INT SOU FSL MWL PIO GCL	TEAM Louisville Chattanooga Sarasota Dayton Billings Reds TOTAL:	W 66 53 65 60 43 22 309	L 78 83 67 79 33 32 372	PCT .458 .390 .492 .432 .566 .407 .454
2005 Organizational Leaders
Home Runs RBIs Stolen Bases Wins Strikeouts Saves		25 90 32 10 125 20	Jeremiah Piepkorn Jeremiah Piepkorn Brandon Roberts Basham/Lohse Homer Bailey Chris Booker
Complete MiLB statistics

Five Faves

At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2005:

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
Everyone knew that Joe Randa was keeping third base warm for Encarnacion and when Randa was sent to San Diego, the time had come for the 22-year-old to take over. He hit .314 in 290 at-bats for Triple-A Louisville, homering 15 times to put up a .548 slugging percentage. The hot corner should be his in 2006.
Edwin laces a double for the Bats

Richie Gardner, RHP
Hopes were high for Gardner after a 2004 debut season which ended all the way in Double-A. But he managed to pitch just 66 innings back in Chattanooga due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Gardner hopes to be ready for Spring Training in 2006 and then to put up better numbers than the 3-6, 5.73 ERA season he had this year.

Elizardo Ramirez, RHP
The Reds got Ramirez in the Cory Lidle deal last year, and he built on his brief strong showing in Chattanooga in 2004. The 22-year-old posted a 3.77 ERA in 131 1/3 IP for Louisville and also chipped in with the big club with 22 1/3 IP.
Elizardo records a strikeout against Pawtucket

Joey Votto, 1B
Votto spent the year with the Reds' new FSL affiliate in Sarasota. His average took a hit in the pitching-friendly league, but he still managed to hit 18 homers and drive in 83 runs in 124 games. He seemed to lose some of his patience, drawing 52 walks and striking out 122 times, as opposed to 90 bases on balls in 2004.

William Bergolla, SS/2B
Bergolla logged some big league time in May and June, then missed a chunk of time with a hammy issue. But he still managed to hit .293 with 16 steals in 98 games for Louisville. The 22-year-old mostly played second but did show his versatility at short as well.
William plates a pair with a double

Cinderella Story

Todd Coffey, RHP
Coffey, who was drafted way back in 1998, has rewarded the Reds' patience by being one of their more dependable relievers in the big leagues this season. He posted a 1.50 ERA in August and was even better -- 1.08 -- in September. With no one exactly entrenched as the Reds' closer, perhaps Coffey gets a crack at it in 2006.

Breakout year

Here are some quick hits on players who made more of a name for themselves with big 2005 seasons:

Phil Dumatrait, LHP: After coming to the Reds in late 2003 as part of the Scott Williamson trade with the Red Sox, Dumatrait missed all of 2004 with a torn rotator cuff. He came back this year and led the organization with his 3.14 ERA. Command was still an issue as he walked 70 in 127 2/3 innings for Chattanooga, but the fact he was able to be on the mound to log those innings is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Phil punches 'em out for Chattanooga

Chris Denorfia, OF: The 19th-round pick in 2002 carred a .273 average into the 2005 season. He then proceeded to hit .330 in 46 games with Chattanooga to earn a promotion to Triple-A. There he hit .310. Between the two levels, the 25-year-old hit a career-best 20 homers, drove in 87 runs and stole 12 bases. That earned him a September callup to Cincy.
Denorfia smacks a double for Louisville
Chris hits his first Triple-A homer

2005 draft recap

1. Jay Bruce, OF
Bruce was one of the hot commodities leading into the draft, and his stock rose all the way to the No. 12 overall pick. The high schooler kept it up in his pro debut, first hitting .270 and slugging .500 in the Gulf Coast League, then holding his own against mostly college talent in 70 Pioneer League at-bats, homering four times (including his first AB in the league).

2. Travis Wood, LHP
The high school lefty was terrific at two levels in his debut. Between the GCL and Pioneer League, Wood posted a 1.29 ERA in 48 2/3 innings, striking out 67 and walking 20. Combined, hitters managed a feeble .166 average against the southpaw.

3. Zach Ward, RHP
The Gardner-Webb (N.C.) product signed fairly quickly and was assigned to Billings, but he never threw a pro pitch. Due to his heavy workload and stressful delivery, the organization shut him down.

4. Sam Lecure, RHP
Lecure was a bit of a question mark heading into the draft because he was dismissed from the University of Texas and thus didn't get to pitch collegiately in 2005. With Billings, he answered some questions by going 5-1 with a 3.27 ERA and striking out 44 in 41 1/3 IP.

5. James Avery, RHP
The Canadian and Niagara University product got his feet wet in the GCL (17 IP, 18 K, 3 BB, 2.12 ERA), then leapt up to full-season Dayton, where he posted a 3.94 ERA in 16 IP.

2004 draft recap

Here's how the top three prospects from 2004 fared in their first full season of pro ball:

1. Homer Bailey, RHP
In his first full year, despite pitching in a tandem system with Dayton, Bailey managed to lead the organization in strikeouts, whiffing 125 in 103 2/3 IP. Even though he had a 4.43 ERA, the 19-year-old held Midwest League hitters to a .232 batting average and went 4-0 with a 3.46 ERA in August.
Homer joins Around the Minors

2. B.J. Szymanski, OF
Injuries kept the Princeton product from spending too much time on the field, though he did homer 10 times in 191 at-bats and stole seven bases for Dayton to offer a glimpse of his five-tool potential.
Szymanski hits a double for the Dayton

3. Craig Tatum, C
The Mississippi State backstop landed on the DL with an elbow strain after just 37 games. He never came off, finishing with a .188 average in 128 at-bats for Dayton.