Sporting News ranks NL catchers!

[icehole3]

Not a very good review of our catchers, once again are we this bad?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=nlfocusrankingthecatcher&prov=tsn&type=lgns

9. Reds

David Ross, Javier Valentin

Ross surprised the team by hitting a career-high 21 homers last season. Valentin will be a key pinch hitter. The club likes how No. 3 catcher Chad Moeller handles pitchers.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Not a very good review of our catchers, once again are we this bad?


Actually 9 out of 16 makes me ask, are we this good?

[Handofdeath]

I noticed the Astros at #2. Munson hit below the Mendoza line this past season and Ausmus just got mentioned on si.com as the weak link of the Astros. It must have been the .593 OPS. The Sporting News knows better than to put crap like this out there.

[edabbs44]

I noticed the Astros at #2. Munson hit below the Mendoza line this past season and Ausmus just got mentioned on si.com as the weak link of the Astros. It must have been the .593 OPS. The Sporting News knows better than to put crap like this out there.

Isn't Ausmus a fairly solid defender? Not to say he is worthy of such a lofty ranking though.

[Tom Servo]

I noticed the Astros at #2. Munson hit below the Mendoza line this past season and Ausmus just got mentioned on si.com as the weak link of the Astros. It must have been the .593 OPS. The Sporting News knows better than to put crap like this out there.
Yeah, where do they get Astros being #2 from?

[Handofdeath]

Isn't Ausmus a fairly solid defender? Not to say he is worthy of such a lofty ranking though.

With the way Ausmus hits, he would have to be better than Bench behind the plate to justify that #2 ranking.

[redsmetz]

Not a very good review of our catchers, once again are we this bad?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=nlfocusrankingthecatcher&prov=tsn&type=lgns

9. Reds

David Ross, Javier Valentin

Ross surprised the team by hitting a career-high 21 homers last season. Valentin will be a key pinch hitter. The club likes how No. 3 catcher Chad Moeller handles pitchers.

Interesting comment about Moeller. Have we heard that before in talking about the Reds signing him? I still think they'll do something with a catcher before the season starts. Did we give Valentin a two-year deal? They may try to move him.

[Dunner44]

Clearly the Braves have the #1 Catching group because of the ever-feared Corky Miller ;)


1. Braves

Brian McCann, Brayan Pena

McCann became one of the game's elite hitting catchers in his first full season; now he'll try to improve at throwing out runners. The pitchers are confident he'll call a good game. Pena will battle Iker Franco and Corky Miller.

[Ltlabner]

Interesting comment about Moeller. Have we heard that before in talking about the Reds signing him? I still think they'll do something with a catcher before the season starts. Did we give Valentin a two-year deal? They may try to move him.

Redsmetz, I seem to remember a few comments by Wayne and in different stories about the Moeller pickup where his "handling of the pitching staff" was mentioned.

Also, his CERA is 4.03 lifetime. By way of comparison Ross's is 4.26 and Valentines is 5.09. (LaRue's is 4.83 FWIW). Javy's is probably blown up by having to catch EZ last year. Ross's is probably brought down by catching Arroyo so much last year. Moeller's is brought way down by a 2.66 CERA in 2002 with Arizona. For further comparison, Mike Piazza's life time is 3.79.

I'm not sure if CERA is a good measurement for "calling a good game" and that whole concept probably would spark a nice debate. But going stictly by the numbers, and assuming he has any input at all in what a pitchers ERA is going to be, Moeller's is the lowest.

[Dunner44]

Ltlabner: Ross was also Milton's personal catcher early in the season, FWIW (yeah, that could certianly inflate one's CERA....)

[Ltlabner]

"He is capable of doing more with the bat than he did this past year," Krivsky said. "His reputation is handling pitching staffs. The value of Chad Moeller may not read out on the stat sheets, but we feel he has value."

Redsmetz....here's a mention of Moellers mystical pitching staff handling prowess from one of the first stories about the acquisition.

Source (http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061127&content_id=1746682&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin)

[redsmetz]

Redsmetz....here's a mention of Moellers mystical pitching staff handling prowess from one of the first stories about the acquisition.

Source (http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061127&content_id=1746682&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin)

Ah, there you go. Nice find.

And you get the cigar for being the first RZer to refer to Valentin as Valentine since Joe Valentine went to Japan! :p:

[Ltlabner]

Ah, there you go. Nice find.

And you get the cigar for being the first RZer to refer to Valentin as Valentine since Joe Valentine went to Japan! :p:

Hey! Smoking is strictly prohibited in Ohio. Even typing the word "cigar" puts you at risk for offending someone.

Ummmm...now I'm in the mood for a nice, smooth cigar.

[George Anderson]

Is it just me or is the National League incredibly weak at catcher?? McCann is a very nice player and Ausmus and Molina are excellent defensive catchers, but geez I look at the list and it looks very much lacking with quality players.

[TDHND]

Ross was a big surprise last year. Sure hope he continues that this season.

[RedsManRick]

Apparently the rankings are based on defense... Ausmus #2, Molina #3....

[Highlifeman21]

Clearly the Braves have the #1 Catching group because of the ever-feared Corky Miller ;)

Corky Miller's only claim to fame is being the catcher behind the plate when Delmon Young decided to throw the bat at the ump, hitting the ump in the chest.

That's Trivial Pursuit material right there.

[Caseyfan21]

If Ross plays like last year I think we will move up the list. I think Ross is still an unknown in terms of what he will project to and usually when something is unknown people aren't going to rank it higher than a known quantity like Ausmus.

[RedsManRick]

If Ross plays like last year I think we will move up the list. I think Ross is still an unknown in terms of what he will project to and usually when something is unknown people aren't going to rank it higher than a known quantity like Ausmus.

Ausmus is a known quantity -- that quantity is namely one of the worst hitting players in baseball.

[TRF]

Corky Miller is going to someday be a very good manager. He's got some smarts.

A few years ago I was watching a game with Corky behind the plate. Day game after a night game, and LaRue had the day off. Anyway, I can't remember the team or the players involved, but the play goes down like this. Runner on third, fly ball to LF that looks deeper than it is. Third base coach sends the runner, and Corky drifts nonchalantly towards the pitchers mound. He made no eyecontact whatsoever with the ball. He completely deked the runner who was out by a good 10 feet. LaRue does not make that play. Ross does not make that play. Valentin does not make that play. It wasn't an overly athletic play, it was a smart one.

He's going to make a fine manager someday.