Categories: PostsRaising Questions

Could Marson Supplant Coste And Ruiz Soon?

If you noticed this weekend, it was Lou Marson playing the Friday and Saturday games, while Chris Coste stepped in as day-game-after-night-game backup. A sea change at catcher?

The numbers will prove that might be possible:

Chris Coste: 6-for-33, 2 R, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K
Lou Marson: 4-for-14, 2 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K

Small sample sizes aside, Marson has been the better offensive catcher. And Coste’s struggles go beyond standing at the plate – look no further than his misguided throw to second on a bunt attempt yesterday. That throw resulted in no outs and became the lone run given up by Jamie Moyer. A catcher who attempts to do more than required usually fails.

Should Marson get the lion’s share of time behind the plate against the Nationals, we’ll be seeing the transition in effect. When Carlos Ruiz returns from his injury (he went 1-for-3 behind the plate Sunday for the IronPigs), it’s possible Marson could stay north (though unlikely still); most evident, however: The probability of losing maybe Ruiz after this season could be higher.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.