Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...ent-he-s-ready
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The math was simple – three catchers, two spots. Devin Mesoraco knew another move was coming when the Reds signed Brayan Pena to a two-year deal last month, nobody had to tell him.
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“I knew he wasn’t going anywhere, so I knew it was me or Hani, but I’ve got to say it worked out pretty good for (Hanigan),” Mesoraco said.
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After Tuesday’s trade, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said the signing of Pena and trade of Hanigan was to make Mesoraco the “frontline” catcher. That’s something Mesoraco believes, as well.
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“I believe that I’m an everyday catcher in the big leagues. I don’t think I’ve quite played as good as I can,” Mesoraco said. “I think playing every day, getting all the reps, getting that at-bats, that’s only going to help. We’ll go from there. We’ll go from there and I believe we’re going in the right direction.”
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In the Reds’ 22 games with Hanigan on the DL, Mesoraco played in 21 of them and started 17. During that stretch he hit .286 with a .306 on-base percentage and a .514 slugging percentage with four home runs.
“It was right after the All-Star break that Hani went down, and I’m not going to say it had to do with playing every day, but I think my comfort level at that time, I felt (more) comfortable, it was like it was my job, my team, I could go out there and be the player I feel like I can,” Mesoraco said.
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His current position reminds Mesoraco of 2010, when he started the season in Class A and was coming off a disappointing 2009 at the same level. After hitting just .228/.311/.381 in 92 games in his second full season in pro baseball, Mesoraco had to start at the same level, but didn’t stay there long. In all, he tore through Class A, Double-A and eventually settled in Triple-A by the end of the season. He hit .302/.377/.587 with 26 home runs in 113 games at three different levels.
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“I struggled for two years in the minors, where I was holding my water, but I wasn’t playing the way I felt I could,” Mesoraco said. “My defense started coming around and getting better and then I went into 2010 and went back to high-A, which I wasn’t happy about, but I felt it was my team. I felt like I was going to be a leader on the team, I felt like I was going to be able to go out there and play every day and do that kind of stuff. This upcoming year feels a lot like that, I’m expected to be an everyday guy, I’m expected to go out there and help lead the pitching staff and do that kind of thing.”
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“Hopefully that’s when I take off,” he said. “The comfort level is the biggest thing. You get into the locker room and you’ve got some older, established guys and you’ve got to go about your business the right way or you’re not going to fit in. I think I’m past that stage, I’m at the stage where everyone expects me to be there, they expect me to play, they expect me to do well.”
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
Sounds encouraging. Ready to see what he's got this year.
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
Really looking forward to see Mesoraco get that everyday shot. I always felt Baker preferred Hanigan and did not much worry about Mez's development. If he develops with the bat, it's huge for the team.
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
I'm not concerned about him so long as he plans to show up to spring training "in the best shape of his life."
Seriously, Johnny Bench said he thought Mesoraco would bat clean-up before his career was over, so between that and his minor league stats I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do as the starter.
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
I'd love to see solid bounces from Mez, Frazier & Cozart this season
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
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Originally Posted by
corkedbat
I'd love to see solid bounces from Mez, Frazier & Cozart this season
Two of those three taking a step forward would be a huge boost for the offense next season.
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
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Originally Posted by
Tom Servo
He's ready, brother.
I bet he comes to spring training in the best shape of his life!
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Baz-zgYCAAA9o09.jpg:large
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Originally Posted by
Strikes Out Looking
I bet he comes to spring training in the best shape of his life!
He doesn't seem to be now :laugh: Pics can be deceiving though
Also of concern he seems to be wearing the same shirt this morning he was wearing under jersey in video from yesterday. He is a catcher though.
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
I was going to say this can be merged with the "best shape of my life thread". Then someone posted the picture above putting that to rest...
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
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Originally Posted by
oregonred
I was going to say this can be merged with the "best shape of my life thread". Then someone posted the picture above putting that to rest...
Pictures of Mesoraco in his jersey yesterday make it look a little better.
Now, LeCure on the other hand...
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
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Bryan Price:
*On Mesoraco: Much easier to be young catcher on a team transitioning. Very difficult to be young catcher on a veteran staff.
*Price said '13 growth of Mez was "huge". Added toughest thing to do is be 1st x catcher on a team that's expected to win.
*On Mesoraco: He came in during 2012 and told me he was 0-10 in games he'd caught. It really affected him
Read more:
http://www.espn1530.com/pages/lances...#ixzz2mty8OfMo
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/201...evin-mesoraco/
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One of the reasons Devin Mesoraco’s playing time has been limited to this point is some of the Reds’ starters preferred to throw to Ryan Hanigan.
“Absolutely,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “I think that’s common — not everywhere you go — but most places.”
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“This isn’t a one-way situation,” Price said. “The pitchers have to be as committed to building the relationship as the catcher does. It can’t be one way. You have to be able to communicate. You can’t not be on the same page and then sit apart from each other in the dugout, complaining about the catcher not calling the right pitch or giving you the right target or setting up late or the target being too high. You have create constant communication.”
Mesoraco does that, sometimes in forceful way.
“He’s thick-skinned,” Price said. “He’s authoritative when he needs to be. He’s going to continue to grow.”
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“It’s his time,” Price said. “It’s his time to run with the opportunity. He’s earned this opportunity. This isn’t just based on projection and potential. We feel like growth Devin made last year suggested he was ready to take on more significant role. His ability to lead, his ability to prepare and take that to pitchers has really improved.”
Re: Mesoraco Confident He's Ready
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...k_cin&c_id=cin
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"He's just kept it going really nicely," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I think the fact that he knows he's our No. 1 guy, there's a lot more responsibility there for him. He knows he's going to play. If he goes 0-for-4, he'll be back in there the next day. That certainly lends to some confidence."
Mesoraco, 25, moved up to the everyday catching job after two seasons of backing up Ryan Hanigan, who was traded in the offseason. He had nine homers and 42 RBIs over 103 games last season while batting .238.
"It's just an overall comfort level that's the biggest thing," Mesoraco said Wednesday. "I'm comfortable with being the everyday guy. I'm comfortable with Bryan as the manager. I'm comfortable with being in the clubhouse and being around the guys. That's been the biggest thing."