According to this thread, I guess we better start having Izturis (.230) play everyday over Cozart (.176).
According to this thread, I guess we better start having Izturis (.230) play everyday over Cozart (.176).
Hanigan is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and calls great games. I could see why our pitchers would prefer to throw to him. That said, he can't catch em all so we gotta figure out a way to get Mes some work with all of them to get the comfort level up. Jmo.
Not so much. The situation is completely different. Izturis, a known quantity, is an aging veteran, who, at this point in his career is a backup player.
On the other hand Mez is a top catching prospect who has put up solid offensive numbers with plus power and solid defense on every stop up the system when given consistent playing time.
Having said this, I never once said that hanigan should be benched and Mez be played everyday. I've repeatedly said that I think hanigans numbers will match the back of his baseball card by seasons end as well as his importance to the pitching staff.
What I was saying is that there is no denying hanigan is in a slump right now. Also his backup is a unknown quantity in the majors. And do t point to his numbers last year. We all know they were in a limited sample over inconsistent playing time. We also know that Mez has shown a propensity to struggle a bit when raising levels.
I never said bench hanigan completely. I said allow Mez to gain more consistent at bats and learn a new pitcher by having him catch cingrani, latos, and leake while cueto is out. Arroyo and bailey prefer hanigan, and continue to use him in that position.
By doing this, maybe we can see what Mez can do with done consistent time a d we can know his vie to the big league team while hanigan can take a break clear his head, and get his bat straight.
After that point, maybe when cueto returns we can reasses what we have in Mez. If its a legit major league contributer, then play him more. If its not, then stay the current course, use hanigan more and work towards resigning him after the season is over and develop Barnhart as the catcher of the future.
I'm not making a knee jerk omg hanigan is batting .88 reaction. I want the team to asses a top prospect who may be able to co tribute to the team in a big way so we can move on with the future of the catcher position if hanigan walks at years end.
I think Hanigan is good defensively but the reason we have such a good pitching staff is because of the talent of the pitchers, not the catcher.
Vottomatic continues to bring up the bad game Homer had, the first four innings of the game he was pitching a shutout. Was Hanigan coaching him from the dugout those 4 innings and then had an emergency bathroom break in the 5th? Perhaps Homer lost his control and it had nothing to with the catcher. But that would be logical, lets blame the rookie!
Some people don't think before they put useless blander on threads, they try defuse and confuse others that are unsure on what decision is the best..without a reasonable doubt if you have a Top prospect with potential superseding the veterans skill set waiting in the wings, that hasn't been given a years worth of work in the majors yet. We have a problem! Bottom line..we all love a Rags to Riches story. And Hanigan is one of them. But Hanigan learned his skill by playing! Thats it!...he didn't learned in the exact situation Mez is sitting in right now
I would run Mesoraco with Cueto and Arroyo. They're experienced enough to help Mesoraco out, and shouldn't be affected too much by Hannigan. Meanwhile Latos, Bailey and Leake can all benefit from having Hannigan behind the plate.
I see great things in baseball. It's our game.
Geez. That's why there is a winking smilie accommodating that post.
People need to calm down and get more of a sense of humor.
It's a friggin' baseball game. "There's golf to be played and tennis to be served up and other things to be done besides worrying about a football (baseball) game.". (Sam Wyche)
Yes, I realize Izturis is a journeyman backup utility player. Yes, I realize the difference between a 30+ year old Hanigan and prospect Mez.
What many don't seem to realize is it's 2+ weeks into the season. No reason to panic. Same friggin' team mostly as last year. Similar start to last year. Give it time.
I'm not panicking at all. I know it's April and in baseball things have a way of evening out. I'm not knocking hanigan. I love the way he approaches the game. I really just don't think Mez is getting the shot that his minor league performance, potential talent and his former prospect ranking denote he should.
Stingray (04-18-2013)
And I disagree with both of you because it's early and Mez has yet to show me anything offensively or defensively.
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He has to get to play to show that. Last game he was in a remember him accounting for two runs and hitting a double off the wall. He has two RBI in 2 games. More than 5 times less than it took hanigan to get the same amount. I like hanigan, I think he'll be ok, but Mez has some serious potential that is rotting on the bench. I'm not saying play Mez because hanigan is in an early season funk, I'm saying play him more because he has the potential to be one of the best catchers in the league and the reds aren't doing themselves or Mes any favors by playing him once every 7 games.
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