Comments on: Report: Phils Showing Interest In Catcher Ross

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:08:06 +0000

Well, Pedro Feliz was you’re ‘major’ off-season acquisition.

By: Don M

Don M — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:37:28 +0000

That was the best you could come up with Tyler?? Pedro Feliz, instead of like Kris Benson?

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:30:37 +0000

Fred, just replying to your earlier post:

The Dodgers get Maddux – we get Eyre
The Yanks get Pudge – we get Ross
The Cubs get Harden – we get Walmond
The Dodgers get Manny – we get Cervenak

Is there a pattern here?

The Mets get Santana – you get Pedro Feliz

By: Matt Kwasiborski

Matt Kwasiborski — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:30:27 +0000

Who? and why?

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:48:22 +0000

Mauer and McCann are the only two you named who have consistently hit for ‘average’. Good defensive catchers who hit for ‘average’ are rare.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:32:30 +0000

napoli, martin, mauer, mccann, doumit, soto, pierzynski, b molina, suzuki just to name a few. theyre all better than chris coste and carlos ruiz

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:25:30 +0000

How many catchers – young or old – actually hit for ‘average’? I would imagine you could count them on one hand. I believe the first and foremost job of the catcher is to handle the pitchers and play good defense – Ruiz meets both of these requirements.

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:12:42 +0000

Marson has GIDP 10 times this year – Ruiz has 11. Not much difference except that the talent level in AA is obviously less than the bigs. So I would think Marson’s GIDPs would be dramatically higher in the bigs.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:12:06 +0000

don..it looks like marson and jaramillo wont be as bad. but it could still be a wash.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:11:15 +0000

yeah the more i think about it, their stadium is really a cancer if they refuse to bring in disciplined hitters. and without discipline in the locker room even disciplined hitters become bad hitters trying to hit home runs all the time. its really not hard to come to the plate, assess the situation, and reach out and flick one into the alley when your team needs it. most teams have at elast one guy that can do that, even bad teams. the coaching is very poor in terms of discipline at the plate. this is the worst plate discipline team i have EVER seen. EVER.

By: Don M

Don M — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:08:54 +0000

Marson 10.. (317 at bats)

Ruiz 11.. (246 at bats)

Jaramillo 11.. (383 at bats)

Ruiz does that most frequently of the three catchers.. Jaramillo with the least double-plays per at bat.. BUT.. im not sure who many times they where guys on base and all that stuff either

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:07:18 +0000

Boy are we beating a dead horse. I agree with Fred that the catching isn’t the problem. Its the big 4. Rollins, Utley, Howard, and Burrell. Of all of them, only Burrell is going to match his average numbers this year. Sure the bench is pathetic which give you no flexibility to juggle the lineup but if the big 4 continue to struggle we are not going to win.
And oh yes. If you think management wants a contact hitter who won’t strike out and does the right thing, Look at the stadium they built. Remember Polanco?

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:06:53 +0000

jenkins is another automatic out. cant have it, gotta fix it or get it out of here.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:06:12 +0000

you need the back end of the order to NOT be 3-4 automatic outs, tahts the problem. dobbs and bruntlett as starters are automatic outs, so is ruiz, so is coste. you just cant have that. feliz helps but coste needs to be replaced by a younger catcher who hits for at least a decent average.

By: Don M

Don M — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:03:46 +0000

I think everyone sees that Coste is a nice story.. and has some power off the bench, but he can’t cut it as a starter…

Ruiz’s bat really shouldn’t be as big an issue as it is, but when the rest of the team gets 3 hits people start looking at each position for an upgrade

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:01:59 +0000

i think millar cleared. glue guy, usefull to bostons championship run in 2004.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:00:36 +0000

GIDP is worse than striking out. what are the numbers for the system catchers there?

By: bull

bull — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:59:16 +0000

Not sure if he is on waivers or has cleared waivers but they should look at Millar in Baltimore, RH bat that can pinch hit and spell howard with some pop and veteran leadership that they probably really could use right now.

By: Don M

Don M — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:58:27 +0000

For what its worth… Ruiz strikeout less frequently than those guys..

Strikeout:

Ruiz, every 6.83 at bats..

Jaramillo, every 5.47 at bats..

Marson, every 4.59 at bats..

As evidenced by Kendrick last year, defense in the majors IS THAT MUCH BETTER, which means that base hits in the Minors might not translate that way in the Majors.. Considering that Ruiz plays better defense than the other two.. I don’t think he should lose his job because he’s hitting .220 or whatever

ROSS should not be signed… and I think Marson should get a callup in September, but I don’t think we should expect him to be any kind of star for this team

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:54:04 +0000

Again, Marson is only a .274 minor league hitter. Exclude this year and he’s only a .261 hitter. What makes anyone think he’ll be able to hit for average at the major league level? Ruiz hit .300 his last two seasons in the minors and look at him now. And Ruiz is a more than capable major league defensive catcher.

Why make a change? What can Marson bring to the table more than Ruiz? Hitting? Maybe but doubtful. Defense? Not a chance. So why will Marson be an upgrade? He can’t even crack the Olympic starting nine. Catching is not the problem with this team.