southgadawg

Actually we could be living in the 'Golden Age of Catchers'. I have been watching baseball since the late 70's and although there were exceptions no longer does it seem that the catcher is one of the two worst hitters on the team in most cases. Don't get me wrong I have seen fantastic catchers through the years: Gene Tenace, Thurman Munson, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, Ted Simmons, Darrell Porter, Pudge Rodriguez, Benito Santiago, Mike Piazza, Bob Boone, Gary Carter, Javy Lopez and I am sure I am forgetting a couple. But during most of those years the average catcher was most likely a .220 avg guy with about 5 homers. In fact many of the catchers I mentioned only had a few above average offensive years. Think about the guys playing right now: Posey, Mauer, Santana, McCann, Martin, Molina, Lucroy, Gattis, Mesoraco, Montero, Perez, Norris, Jaso, Gomes, Rosario, Castro, and I am sure I missed one or two who have in the last two seasons had been very good players for their team (although they may not be totally repeating it this season). These guys are all still relatively young for the most part (or have had a long history of success) and could contribute greatly for several more years. Catchers are no longer an after thought on a MLB team.

I would be more than happy to answer any questions that you have.

IMHO I'd pick Stanton, Gattis, Rizzo, and Todd Frazier to go along with Tulo. I mean all those guys are having monster years with the long ball so far. The homerun derby will probably be the only way that Gattis, Rizzo and Frazier get on the team anyway. Gattis has by far the most dingers by a catcher in the majors. He has 16 homers, .912 OPS and a 1.9 WAR but Molina, Lucroy and possibly Mesorosco will get chosen ahead of him. Rizzo has had a solid year for the Cubbies with 15 dingers, a .900 OPS and a 2.2 WAR (second only to Goldschmidt in the NL at firstbase). Frazier has really had a monster year for the Reds with 17 homers, .863 OPS and a 2.9 WAR but is not even in the top 5 in voting for thirdbasemen. Even if these guys don't make the all-star team they'd be exciting players in the homerun derby for sure in my book.

Yeah offense totally disappeared on saturday and sunday versus the nats. I missed the game since I was gone to a funeral but I know Gattis's hit streak was snapped as well. Only four hits as a team. Not good. Oh well if I could suffer through the Braves in the late 70's through the 80's then I can certainly suffer along with this team too.

Nats beat the Braves to retake first place. Fister and Teheran both pitched well but Teheran got frustrated and committed a critical balk when he and Gattis couldn't get on the same page signalwise. I am quite sure that a small part of the issue was Gattis not having as much experience (perhaps a meeting on the mound between them would had calmed him down) but Teheran in an interview in the AJC clearly placed the blame on himself. http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/teheran-on-frustrating-night-including-balk/vCfpGS/ http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/fredi-g-on-braves-loss-and-teheran-showing/vCfpLy/ IMHO the key at-bat for the Braves in the ball game actually came in the first inning. With only 1 out B.J. was at third and Freeman at first. Gattis hit a weak line-drive to the secondbaseman and afterwards Justin made an out as well. The Braves never really challenged for a run again. Gattis did extend his hit streak to 20 games however. The first time someone who had caught every game of their streak had reached that long a hitting streak since Jason Kendall in 2004. It is currently the longest streak in the majors but probably won't receive much national attention until after it passes 25 and definitely if by some miracle it hits 30. On a side note I don't expect Gattis to start today (he has caught 4 in a row and Gonzalez normally sits him on a day game after a night game).

Even though Kimbrel blew the save in the 9th the Braves eeked out a win in Washington against the Nats in the 13th. El Oso Blanco drove in the go-ahead run. Gattis just keeps hitting with streak up to 19 games now. I know that many 'experts' felt that Gattis wouldn't hit much better than .250 in the bigs but he had over a .300 career average in what little time he spent in the minors. He has made adjustments and appears to be a good student of the game (both with the bat and behind the plate). From my understanding after tonight's game this season he has caught more innings than any other season in pro ball for him. Still learning but I like his progress so far.

LOL okay so I goofed. I will readily admit that my brain doesn't always work right!

The handwriting was on the wall that Drew Davis was gonna be cut too. Hopefully the Falcons don't NEED Yates though.

I don't know much about broken elbows. I do know that shattering a knee cap was a pain in the butt. Never recovered my range at SS and couldn't grab the rim anymore (only 5 foot 10). I know it didn't LOOK good. If a broken elbow is similar I would think it might terribly affect his range and mobility of his arm even for a few years. Gattis did extend his hit streak to 18 games. From my understanding that is far and away the longest ever for an Atlanta Braves catcher. Hope he keeps it up with several more wins during the streak too.

This month should really tell the tale on the Braves. This is a big road trip and the four game set against the Nats could actually come close to breaking them (I feel they are at a critical junction in other words). Hopefully they will do something good and surprise me.

LOL the Braves got sweeped by the Phillies who were in last place in Atlanta! I am beginning to wonder if they will even finish above .500. Right now watching Gattis hit during his current streak is their biggest entertaining facet. Up to 17 games with homerun #16.

Braves no longer in first place (not surprised they have no consistent offence and aren't consistent either). Gattis still has his hit streak intact ---he sat last night. TBH I was looking at some major league rosters....geez never really noticed it this bad before but I honestly don't see any absolutely GREAT teams. Giants and Athletics are very very good don't get me wrong but if you look at the rosters and stats for all the other teams they all have some issues. Some weaknesses out there so it seems like the vast majority of teams are stuck in mediocrity. It might make for decent ticket sales throughout the majors this year since most teams won't be totally out of it till the end but where is the great team that are solid from top to bottom? Looks like the Giants and A's are as close as we have right now.

Gwynn will definitely be missed. He was the face of the Padres ever since the 80's and was a great all around baseball player. I don't ever remember hearing anyone ever talking bad about Tony Gwynn.

IF Bethancourt is brought up then yeah it would mean that at least part of the time that Gattis would be in LF with BJ to the bench and Heyward moving over to center. You'd have to expect that either Uggla, Schafer or Doumit would have to go (either DFA or traded). My guess and prayer would DFA Uggla and for a time at least they would only have Pena as the back-up infielder ---with BJ Upton as the emergency back-up infielder. Schafer and Doumit both have more value to other teams though than Uggla does. I don't think the plan would be to start Bethancourt everyday to begin with. Would be more likely that they'd start him a few games with Gattis in the OF then let Bethancourt sit and Gattis catch a game or two before starting the process over. NOW if for some reason Bethancourt does provide .a 250 average or higher in the major then yeah you might see him playing more and more while Gattis gets even more play time in left (where he doesn't have the best defense at all). I think BJ playing worse and worse defense (combined with Bethancourt getting hot in AAA) is one of the predicators of this possibility. BJ has misplayed some balls of late and they were costly (imho it wasn't that he just missed them it appeared as he just wasn't paying attention and got lazy and nonchalant in his approach). Dang too bad the Braves don't get to play with a DH! (I am old school but I am more and more leaning toward a DH in both leagues and I definitely think the majors would be better off with balls and strikes determined by a robot--never thought i'd say that). I know that the moves as I suggested them would make the Braves thin at infield depth but it isn't like there haven't been teams that went with only one back up infielder in the past successfully for months at a time even. Doumit would basically fall to the FOURTH catcher if that was to happen but he has been very successful of late coming off the bench as a PH (8 for 30, .267 with a homer and 5 rbi's). Schafer has hit .222 which isn't too bad either for a PH and he has speed. Uggla is hitless as a pinch hitter and what does he offer ya?.....still waiting...yeah nothing. It could be too that IF they call up Bethancourt for a bit and he performs well then he could be used for trade bait (the Braves have historically used veteran catchers over the last two decades as back-ups) and used to pick up another piece at the trade deadline. That wouldn't be too far different with what was done with Jarrod Saltalamacchia a few years ago with the Rangers. For that matter Doumit or Schafer or even Gattis (Lord forbid!) might become trade bait. I just pray that Uggla gets designated for assignment and out of Atlanta soon. Just eat the contract wave goodbye and thank him for his hustle and being a team player, but he has GOT to go.

Shocker....the Braves actually won a series. I thought the game was lost after they way they looked the first 5 innings. Heyward homered, La Stella keeps hitting and Gattis got two hits to get his streak to 15 (although he did bloop one---luck counts lol). Game up now.

El Oso Blanco stayed hot for the Braves and they came back from deficits to tie the game a couple of times BUT they couldn't seal the deal and the Angels came back. Overall a good game to watch but that last inning really stunk if you were a Braves fan. Gonzalez got out managed by the Angels' bench coach too.

I wouldn't mind seeing the other career stats of those four great pirates. Stargell and Clemente started when the pitching was just absolutely terrific and the hitting league wide was much lower. Bonds was speed and power (going strickly by my memory and not looking up the stats on any of them) and never was much of an average guy. All four were great players though. I used to love to watch 'Pops" hit when I was young and I even remember where I was when Bonds hit his first homer (I was in the office of a Putt-Putt course with a buddy of mine). Unfortunately I don't recall ever watching Clemente playing when he was alive although I have seen some great replays of him. On a Braves note: El Oso Blanco ambushed a 3-0 fastball in the first inning to give the Braves a 3-0 first inning lead yesterday before adding a single later in the game. He extended his hitstreak to 13 games on Friday the 13th!

He was a great coach and will be missed.

Looks like Laird is okay. http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/baseball/laird-ok-after-scary-incident-that-preceded-ejecti/ngKbj/

Gattis didn't start the game in Denver today but after Laird got hurt on a backswing he got into the game for the end of the 8th and the Braves half of the 9th. He got up to the plate and promptly got plunked in the ribs (in retaliation for a beanball that Carpenter dished out after Laird got hurt on the backswing of Corey Dickerson). At least Gattis didn't have to worry about trying to extend his hitstreak to 13 games (HBP today in only at-bat didn't count against him). BTW not sure if Carpenter felt like he need to protect Laird (so he hit Dickerson) or if Dickerson failed at all to apologize for hitting Laird accidently (because it didn't look at all as on purpose to me). Overall I think the umps handled it pretty well. I don't think Dickerson really wanted to charge the mound because El Oso Blanco got out their to 'protect' his pitcher fairly quick. I wouldn't be surprised if Laird didn't make the flight home with the rest of the Braves tonight. I could be wrong but I was thinking after a head injury that it isn't recommended to fly. If he couldn't make it back in time for the game on Friday or if it looks likely that he has a concussion then I would expect for Bethancourt to get called up. The announcers made the observation earlier today that the Braves haven't done well at all in day games and average about a 1/2 run less in those games (not like they score enough in night games either lol). My opinion without me researching it too much is that GENERALLY Gonzalez likes to sit Gattis on a day game after a night game. Also especially on Sundays (which is almost always a day game) Gonzalez has a history of letting some of his other regulars sit as well. Duh! Of course you aren't going to score as many runs on average if your better hitters are not in the line-up.

I'd like to watch it, BUT I don't have HBO lol so I guess I will miss out.

For the most part I have stayed out of this discussion for a multiple of reasons but I guess I will open up a whole other can of worms now. Obviously not everyone has the same definition of far right or far left. Obviously this country is made of a bunch of different thoughts and opinions. Obviously some areas of the country lean more one way than the other. Obviously Phail not everyone will agree with you (nor will they agree with me)......in fact I seriously doubt you find two people who agree on EVERYTHING the exact same way. Obviously Palin, Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Alex Jones are NOT clinically insane and they have their supporters. (Obviously neither are Pelosi, Reid nor the President.) Please stop your name calling it belittles your viewpoints and your intelligence.

Np at all LOL I know you shouldn't have to beg for votes. Thanks for clarifying. TBH I figured it was something like that to begin with but was kinda hazy on it. When I had did some of the other similar polls I realized it was probably an all or nothing thing but I had already posted my original question in this thread. I know that some of my mannerisms may seem peculiar to others. My kids call me a specificist because I generally require specific type explanations from them...generalized ones get on my nerves (as do a lot of generalizations). But I am also smart enough to realize that most of the general population could care less about knowing underlying reasons behind things as opposed to generalized descriptions or explanations. Those are my own issues and I apologize to anyone that my idiosyncrasies annoy.

Praise the Lord! Great news!

I couldn't find the link but basically Gonzalez had already said one time the main reason they used him in leftfield last season was trying to keep his bat in the line-up while McCann was also in the line-up. Gattis only has 2 pass balls this season, but I will admit that his d-war (defensive wins over replacement) isn't good right this second...it is -0.2. That is the same or better as other catchers such as Saltalamacchia, d'Arnauld, Montero, Arencibia, Grandal, Pinto, Nieto, Jaso, and Pachecho. McCann only has a 0.4 and only one player Alex Avila has a d-war of over 1.0 at catcher. 12 different catchers have allowed more steals than he has but I will admit that his caught stealing rate is slightly behind league average (but how much of that is pitcher and how much is catcher is debatable). Gattis also has the 4th best range factor of all catchers and has had several analysts recently saying that he has been much better at framing pitches and calling games than was expected. I think to say he has struggled big time behind the dish is totally inaccurate but to say that he has been slightly below league average behind the plate would be more accurate. Only time will tell how his final numbers will come out but to me at this point I am very glad the Braves have him in the line-up. BTW I know that some of these measurements are subjective. Case in point Freddie Freeman has the worst d-war of any firstbaseman with over 22 games with an outstandlngly poor -1.1 d-war.