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Around SBN: Notre Dame's Turnaround: How Have The Irish Done It?

Winter League Update (II)

Also beginning action yesterday...

Mexican Winter League
Hermosillo 1-0

Steve Bray (started) 4.2 IP, 6H, 2 ER, 2 BB

Arizona Winter League
Mesa W 7-3

Matt LaPorta 1-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .200
Lou Palmisano 1-2, RBI, R
Adam Heather 0-3, RBI

Steve Hammond (started) 2 IP, 3H, 1R, 1 BB, 2 SO

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LaPorta?
Who is this kid? Does he have a future with the team? :)
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Oct 10, 2007 8:40 AM CDT reply actions  

F*ck looking for a LF
LaPorta will be in that spot in April.

Use the dough that we'd spend on yet another OF, and put it into getting a C that can hit and throw out guys at 2B, and a few RPs...

Hey Ned! Ever heard of small ball? Or are your balls too small?

by CATALYST on Oct 10, 2007 8:51 AM CDT reply actions  

Catchers
If catchers that could hit well and throw runners out were easy to get, everyone would have one. Unfortunately, they aren't. The average catcher in 2007 had a season much like Ivan Rodriguez and A.J. Pierzynski - an equivalent at a different position would be Coco Crisp (minus the speed, of course). I think people will be disappointed with any new acquisition's batting abilities, as well. I can't imagine any real upgrade will be available without costing a mint.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Oct 10, 2007 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions  

Catchers
I agree that catchers who can hit and play defense are a rarity.  For that matter when is the last time the Brewers had a catcher that fit the bill?  B.J. Surhoff?  And he wasn't exactly known for being a defensive stalwarth.  Over the last 15 years the Brewer starting catchers have included Damian Miller, Chad Moeller, Eddie Perez, Paul Bako, Raul Casanova, Henry Blanco, Dave Nilsson, and Mike Matheny.  Even in any of these players primes, are they that much better than Estrada?  I'm not real sure, and I hate Estrada!

Off the top of my head I figured that two-thirds of the teams in baseball probably had the same complaints about their catcher as we do.  So I looked into it a little farther to see if that was the case and who would be considered an upgrade over Estrada.  For starters my qualifications were catchers under 30 years old who had an OBP greater than Johnny's last year (.700).  

Of the 30 teams in baseball, 16 had starting catchers over 30 years old.  The other fourteen are as follows (OPB in parenthesis):
Navarro, TB .642
Martinez, CLE .879
Mauer, MIN .808
Buck, KC .737
Napoli, LAA .794
Suzuki, OAK .735 (Actually Kendall started more games but I added him for comparison)
Laird, TEX .637
Ruiz, PHI .736
McCann, ATL .772
Olivo, FLA .667
Molina, STL .708
Paulino, PIT .703
Doumit, PIT .813 (was Paulino's backup but played a fair amount)
Snyder, ARI .775
Torrealba, COL .699
Bard, SD .768
Martin, LA .843

Of these 17 listed, 13 beat out Estrada's .700 OPB.  I would guess that Martinez, Mauer, Ruiz, McCann, Molina, and Martin would cost more than a mint.  Anybody else on that list that catches anyone's eye?  

by Infield Fly Rule on Oct 10, 2007 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions  

I'm surprised
Mauer's OPS is that low.

Say, what did we do with that Closser kid?

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Oct 10, 2007 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions  

Shipped to Oakland
For Charles Thomas or some other AAA filler.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Oct 10, 2007 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions  

Oh wait!
Did we get the Mexican wrestler for him?  

It's so hard to keep track.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Oct 10, 2007 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions  

Nope, that was Capellan
If you mean Chris Cody, the Aussie-Japanese wrestling pianist.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Oct 10, 2007 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions  

Closser
That's correct.  For the season at AAA, Closser combined to hit .231 with a .756 OPS.  He did have 13 HR in 334 AB.

by Infield Fly Rule on Oct 10, 2007 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions  

Snyder, maybe?
I know Arizona has Miguel Montero waiting in the wings. They might want more starting pitching and Chris Capuano might like a change of scenery, and it's not like the lefty to Arizona for a catcher thing hasn't been done before...
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Oct 10, 2007 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions  

I know about that being a rarity...
But I'm living in my perfect world.

Really, I'm happy with Rivera. Get him some consistent bats and I think he'd be pretty good.

So that leaves spending money on RPs and SPs.

It's just that easy. ;)

Hey Ned! Ever heard of small ball? Or are your balls too small?

by CATALYST on Oct 10, 2007 3:26 PM CDT reply actions  

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