Victor Martinez = failure at catcher position?

[YeAuldBroade]

All of my teeth? No. All of the pudding? Yes.

 

Ah... that's better.

[Dojji]

I've made it from a box - you know added milk. Does that count?

 

Only if you consider pouring cereal to be cooking.

 

Of course, the best thing of all to do with pudding is freeze it, cut it up, pick it up and eat it.

[Spudboy]

Only if you consider pouring cereal to be cooking.

 

Of course, the best thing of all to do with pudding is freeze it, cut it up, pick it up and eat it.

 

Hmmm...

 

This must be a Maine thing.

 

But it sound like a good idea!

[Dojji]

Like a pudding pop, except without the annoying stick.

 

I prefer pudding from scratch because it avods all the obscurium, nonsensitate, and balonium oxide they try to slip into the powder packet "for our good."

[Spudboy]

Real pudding is real. And good.

 

I made hundreds of gallons of it many years ago. So many pies. So little time.

[SCM33]

Im on board with trading for Suzuki.

 

Maybe we could sign and deal V-Mart in a package that gives us a bat. VMart is clearly not the catcher of the future, and he doesnt have much of a future here as a 1B since Youkilis most likely is not far away from no longer being an option at 3B as he ages/continues to ease away from the position.

[Jasonbay44]

If Ortiz continues to struggle, I wouldn't mind V-Mart back as the every day DH next year.

[Keeper]

Trade for Suzuki.

 

Im on board with trading for Suzuki.

 

Yes, please. But only if they get a big bat or two to replace V-Mart's production.

[jacksonianmarch]

Suzuki is not getting dealt any time soon.

[Dipre]

Suzuki is not getting dealt any time soon.

 

Are you the GM of the Oakland A's?

[YeAuldBroade]

Hmmm...

 

This must be a Maine thing.

 

But it sound like a good idea!

Nah! I'm from Maine originally, never heard of it.

[BoSox21]

Are you the GM of that Oakland A's?

 

C'mon Dipre, Jacko showed with his shrewd analysis of the Josh Beckett negotiations that MLB GMs like to confide in him.

[rhet]

Are you the GM of the Oakland A's?

 

Why would Oakland trade Suzuki?

[Dipre]

Why would Oakland trade Suzuki?

 

If they're offered a good package, why wouldn't they?

 

He's not a franchise player. He's a good defensive catcher who can barely hit worth his weight.

 

Logic.

[BoSox21]

Seriously, does anyone really think Billy Beane would tell inquiring GMs that Kurt effing Suzuki is untouchable?

[rhet]

If they're offered a good package, why wouldn't they?

 

He's not a franchise player. He's a good defensive catcher who can barely hit worth his weight.

 

Logic.

 

He's a durable above average receiver and above average hitting catcher who is 26 and under team control through 2012. He's the ideal Oakland A's player. Unless they have someone on the farm pushing him, there's no reason for Oakland to want to deal him.

[SoxSport]

I wonder if their problems with keeping runners from stealing go beyond the catcher. Maybe the pitchers simply aren't keeping the runners honest enough. Could be a policy issue. Whatever, they are just playing lip-service to defense if they don't stop the leak of stolen bases.

 

As far as VMart's catching is concerned, I don't think that's the problem. Last year, Beckett and Lester both got off to slow starts with Tek catching. Slow starts again this year with VMart catching. Slow starts can sometimes be a sign of a lack of conditioning. You wonder how disciplined this club is under Tito, who strikes me as a guy anyone would want to play for. I remember Dick Williams, an ex-Marine, came to the Red Sox as manager in 1967, whipped their asses into shape in ST on the fundamentals, and won a pennant--with a team that overachieved that year. In contrast, the current club is loaded with talent. Is Tito too nice?

[yeszir]

I wonder if their problems with keeping runners from stealing go beyond the catcher. Maybe the pitchers simply aren't keeping the runners honest enough. Could be a policy issue. Whatever, they are just playing lip-service to defense if they don't stop the leak of stolen bases.

 

As far as VMart's catching is concerned, I don't think that's the problem. Last year, Beckett and Lester both got off to slow starts with Tek catching. Slow starts again this year with VMart catching. Slow starts can sometimes be a sign of a lack of conditioning. You wonder how disciplined this club is under Tito, who strikes me as a guy anyone would want to play for. I remember Dick Williams, an ex-Marine, came to the Red Sox as manager in 1967, whipped their asses into shape in ST on the fundamentals, and won a pennant--with a team that overachieved that year. In contrast, the current club is loaded with talent. Is Tito too nice?

 

Players are prima donnas. I don't think a tough ass manager would make a difference at all anymore.

[TheMino007]

I find it funny someone is critizing V-Mart's ability to throw out runners when he wants Tek to start. Tek has to be the worst catcher at throwing out runners ever. His caught stealing % over the last couple of years starting was horrible, and lets not forget his defensive skills declined a lot last year. He isn't that much better than V-Mart at this point. LOL at a one game sample of Tek catching and hitting. There is a reason why Tek can't start anymore, because he can't hit on the regular. Being on the bench means he is fresh, so he should be hitting better, it works out well that way. V-Mart is a top 3 offensive catcher in the game. As for the pitchers ERA, the only I'm worried about is Beckett. Lester sucks every April, Tek can't handle Wake's knuckleball, Lackey is fine, and Buccholz pitches better with V-Mart behind the plate.

[YeAuldBroade]

Tek can't throw out runners, Tek can't catch the knuckleball, Tek can't hit (see last season for reference). When V-Mart came here last season we saw he couldn't throw out runners, he could catch the knuckleball, he could hit. HUGE IMPROVEMENT. AND Nothing has changed. V-Mart still calls as good a game as Tek, V-Mart can still catch the knuckleball, V-Mart is still a good hitter. Stop using 9 games as a litmus test for what a player is going to do over the course of 162. V-Mart is our full-time catcher and he's a good one and we're lucky to have him. We don't need another catcher.

 

If we bring in a defense only catcher within two weeks you'll all be pissing and moaning that we don't have a catcher that can hit and start barking about Mauer again.

[boomer]

It's still only April, He is no way a failure... Wait and see when it comes July and he's playing in the All Star game.

[Gom]

I believed I called this. I love it!!!!!!

[Dipre]

I believed I called this. I love it!!!!!!

 

What the f*** are you talking about? It's the middle of April. Last year you were s***ing your pants and jerking knees left and right over the Yanks' slow start, so shut your mouth.

[boomer]

What the f*** are you talking about? It's the middle of April. Last year you were s***ing your pants and jerking knees left and right over the Yanks' slow start' date=' so shut your mouth.[/quote']

 

Well put Dipre.

[VA Sox Fan]

What the f*** are you talking about? It's the middle of April. Last year you were s***ing your pants and jerking knees left and right over the Yanks' slow start' date=' so shut your mouth.[/quote']

 

:lol::thumbsup:

[riverside sluggers]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4590226

 

Lowest percentage of runners caught stealing in the AL, past 20 years

Jason Varitek, Boston 2009---- 8.5

Mike Stanley, Boston 1996---- 9.6

A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago 2008---- 10.3

John Buck, K.C. 2008---- 10.6

 

Throwing out runners was never the strongest part of Jason Varitek's game. The organizational philosophy against pitchers using the slide-step always deserved part of the blame. However, in 2009, what had been a problem became a crisis. Varitek caught 924 innings and allowed 108 stolen bases, a rate of 1.05 stolen bases allowed per nine innings. In the past 35 years, only one AL catcher has allowed more steals per nine innings while catching at least 900 innings. Matt Nokes allowed 1.08 steals per nine innings caught with the Yankees in 1992, his last season as a full-time starting catcher. However, Nokes threw out 18.8 percent of runners that season. Varitek nabbed only 8.5 percent, the worst by a regular AL catcher in the past 20 years. All of this occurred while not catching a single pitch from Tim Wakefield, who allowed more stolen bases than any other pitcher in the past decade.

[Dojji]

I wouldn't worry too much about scoring a young catcher guys. We have some young guys with good arms in the minors. Wagner's supposedly got a gun, and he could be with us next year, or sooner if the Sox decide to eat Tek's contract. He could be valuable on that basis even if he can't hit at the plate.

 

And longer term, we have Exposito, Federowicz, and Lavarnway hasn't gone the way of Jon Still just yet

[BoSox21]

I wouldn't worry too much about scoring a young catcher guys. We have some young guys with good arms in the minors. Wagner's supposedly got a gun, and he could be with us next year, or sooner if the Sox decide to eat Tek's contract. He could be valuable on that basis even if he can't hit at the plate.

 

And longer term, we have Exposito, Federowicz, and Lavarnway hasn't gone the way of Jon Still just yet

 

Jacko coming in to shoot down Red Sox catching prospects in 5....4.....3....

[jacksonianmarch]

What the f*** are you talking about? It's the middle of April. Last year you were s***ing your pants and jerking knees left and right over the Yanks' slow start' date=' so shut your mouth.[/quote']

 

exactly. I am not surprised by the sox slow start, but I dont expect it to continue. They played 3 series, 1 vs a terrible team which they won, and 2 vs playoff contenders, and they lost them. This isnt even a down spell, it just happens. They win tonight and they go 5-5 to start the yr, which isnt too bad for a team that under the surface has had a lot of issues spring up. Once those settle, they'll be a playoff team

[Migual Cabrera 2 sox 2009]

I have not mentioned ANYWHERE in this thread about THROWING OUT RUNNERS.

 

Seriously, by defense I mean making smart throws, being the leader out there defensively.

 

Victor Martinez vs the Yankees threw through to 2nd and allowed the runner from 3rd to score, Varitek is much smarter then that.

 

Or how about Yesterday for example when VMART threw to 2nd and gave the Twins a free run.

 

IT DOESNT HAVE TO DO WITH THROWING OUT RUNNERS, throwing out runners is part of both the catcher and the pitcher, its obvious the Red Sox really don't care about throwing out runners, if they did they'd be working on it with the PITCHERS.

 

I also never said V-marts whole season will be like this, I was implying it could due to the high ERA's when he catchers, which is NEVER GOOD.

 

 

Stop putting words into my mouths and posting useless stats about throwing out runners that was never even mentioned.