Saltalamacchia starting to tear it up

[SoxFanForsyth]

Are you just trying to argue, or can you not read?

 

Look at those numbers. Just because he has sucked less than the rest doesnt mean hes a good option. Hes simply a fill in until a better option becomes available.

 

I am not arguing top 3, you made that argument.

 

My argument is only that being the best of the worst, does not make him good.

 

Catching is not an offensive position. Just like SS isn't. As an overall hitter, no he's not a great hitter. As a Catcher, he's a top hitter in the AL.

[SCM33]

Cherry picking stats? Like what, OPS?? How the hell am I cherry picking stats?? And yeah, I required 200 PA to judge the catchers, that way you don't have Jose Molina who is OPS'ing .831 over 103 AB coming in and looking better because of a SSS.

 

Tell me. Who do you replace Salty with?

 

Where did I say anything about replacing him in this argument? Hes an ok option in a bad bunch.

 

He is replaceable, thats all I said. Its a bad year for catchers obviously, as you already posted the "averages" for catchers.

 

F8ckin people on this board. Stop putting words in my mouth. Re-read my argument.

 

1. Being the best of the bad, does not make you good.

2. He is replaceable.

[SoxFanForsyth]

You don't compare catchers with RF or 1B. It's a different position. It's not an offensive position. A stud hitting catcher is probably the rarest commodity in baseball.

 

By your logic, then, everyone is replaceable.

[a700hitter]

The current crop of catchers is pretty sucky. Salty is in his element.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Catching has sucked for the past 8 years in the AL overall. The average OPS in the AL over the past 8 years has been .716, and Salty's .771 OPS would rank in the top 5 of all AL catchers with at least 375 PA in every one of those years.

 

It's just not an offensive position.

[SCM33]

By your logic' date=' then, everyone is replaceable.[/quote']

 

Nope. The strawman arguments of this board are ridulous.

 

I argued he is the best of the bad, I get challened to name 3 who are better and am presented with the "average" offensive stats of catchers, which are terrible. The the argument goes from best of the bad catcher pool into an attack of who I pick as better "bad" options.

 

By my logic, the catcher position is replaceable.

 

Again, more words put in my mouth and strawman. Instead of arguing my statement, you introduce other defensive positions and variables that have NO RELATION to my original argument.

 

I did not even offer any replacements other than guys in the farm NEXT year.

 

#1 Once again, hes an average catcher in a year of terrible offensive output for catchers. Plus, hes below average defensively. Had this been any other year, hed be at the bottom of the league.

 

#2 He is replaceable. He is replaceable by the very same people you praise!!!!

 

Here are your quotes about Lavarnaway:

Yeah the kid is raking. You look at his numbers' date=' and you do a double take because you see his AA numbers, and they're solid, then you see his AAA numbers, and they're even better! I had to look twice to make sure I was looking at the right league.[/quote']

 

Someone needs to tell Lavarnway that AAA is supposed to be difficult.

 

26 games and 100 AB after his promotion to Pawtucket, here's his line.

 

.343/.414/.646/1.061, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 16 Runs.

 

Overall this season (through 55 games at Portland, 26 at Pawtucket, totaling 81 games)

 

.303/.377/.554/.931, 21 HR, 60 RBI, 14 Doubles, 51 Runs. That's a HALF of a season!!

 

Is this kid going to be a complete monster??

 

 

Unreal, some people just like to argue for the sake of arguing.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Nope. The strawman arguments of this board are ridulous.

 

I argued he is the best of the bad, I get challened to name 3 who are better and am presented with the "average" offensive stats of catchers, which are terrible. The the argument goes from best of the bad catcher pool into an attack of who I pick as better "bad" options.

 

By my logic, the catcher position is replaceable.

 

Again, more words put in my mouth and strawman. Instead of arguing my statement, you introduce other defensive positions and variables that have NO RELATION to my original argument.

 

I did not even offer any replacements other than guys in the farm NEXT year.

 

#1 Once again, hes an average catcher in a year of terrible offensive output for catchers. Plus, hes below average defensively. Had this been any other year, hed be at the bottom of the league.

 

#2 He is replaceable. He is replaceable by the very same people you praise!!!!

 

Here are your quotes about Lavarnaway:

 

Unreal, some people just like to argue for the sake of arguing.

 

Why don't you do some research before you make those statements. He's top 5 in the AL in each of the past 8 years, and he's well above average in each of those years too.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Am I seriously reading what I am reading? Did I teleport somehow into April? Goddamn the guy is hitting well and fielding well the last few months and STILL you people aren't satisfied. This is ridiculous.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Am I seriously reading what I am reading? Did I teleport somehow into April? Goddamn the guy is hitting well and fielding well the last few months and STILL you people aren't satisfied. This is ridiculous.

 

Whaddya mean, "you people"?!?

[SCM33]

Am I seriously reading what I am reading? Did I teleport somehow into April? Goddamn the guy is hitting well and fielding well the last few months and STILL you people aren't satisfied. This is ridiculous.

 

You dont have to lump everyone in it. Pretty much I am the only one making the comments.

 

I didn't say I wasn't satisfied. I said he is replaceable. Dont be surprised if it is as early as this offseason.

[a700hitter]

Am I seriously reading what I am reading? Did I teleport somehow into April? Goddamn the guy is hitting well and fielding well the last few months and STILL you people aren't satisfied. This is ridiculous.

I am happy with his production, but he still stinks.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Lets go get Molina!

[Dojji]

You dont have to lump everyone in it. Pretty much I am the only one making the comments.

 

I didn't say I wasn't satisfied. I said he is replaceable. Dont be surprised if it is as early as this offseason.

 

That's ridiculous. Salty was a well regarded prospect who's playing well as a catcher. There's no reason to suggest that he should move on at this point. Furthermore, he's playing well above average for his position and his bat is above average this season among all big league hitters.. That's not "replaceable." Not for a guy who can put in a season behind the dish.

 

Salty is easily in range to finish the season with 12-15 HR's or more and an .800 OPS+. Combine that with the fact that he's grading out roughly average at catcher, and he's respectable there -- about where Varitek was when he just started there. People forget just how much improving Varitek did as a catcher after he debuted. Salty's on the same track IMHO.

[Dojji]

I am happy with his production' date=' but he still stinks.[/quote']

 

Yes well, you try wearing catcher's pads all summer and see what it does to your fragrance.

 

Just don't stand so close.

[BornToRun]

Well if we're talking about replaceable players, I think we need to find a solution at 2nd base because Pedroia isn't it. Guy can't even hit .290, he's dead weight.

[a700hitter]

Yes well, you try wearing catching pad's all summer and see what it does to your fragrance.

 

Just don't stand so close.

In this weather, it is hard not to stink.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Well if we're talking about replaceable players' date=' I think we need to find a solution at 2nd base because Pedroia isn't it. Guy can't even hit .290, he's dead weight.[/quote']

 

[Dojji]

Currently our most replaceable players are our shortstop and our RF.

[Dojji]

Salty's number since May 15 (which is the benchmark we've used consistently here)

 

.294/.363/.573/.940

 

Overall season numbers are approaching .800 OPS.

 

Victor Martinez only leads Salty by about .018 in the season OPS department.

 

This kid is no longer in any sense of the word replaceable. He's one of the better catchers in the league offensively and he's a better catcher right now taking all his strengths and weaknesses than VMart. Who saw that coming?

[BornToRun]

Salty's number since May 15 (which is the benchmark we've used consistently here)

 

.294/.363/.573/.940

 

Overall season numbers are approaching .800 OPS.

 

Victor Martinez only leads Salty by about .018 in the season OPS department.

 

This kid is no longer in any sense of the word replaceable. He's one of the better catchers in the league offensively.

 

And he's the MLB leader in the badass last names category. Also the banging your teacher category.

[SoxSport]

Salty is close to breaking out. The kid has played his way up the ladder. Great story.

He looks in great shape, and has worked hard.

 

If it weren't for Lackey, Theo would be up for a Nobel Prize.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Salty OPS'ing .812. Victor OPS'ing .808 :thumbsup:

[Dojji]

Salty>Victor AINEC. Salty edges Victor with the bat and dominates him defensively, especially in the arm department. Kid's taken HUGE strides since he started learning at the master's feet. This is more or less precisely what we hoped a Salty-Tek partnership would result in -- and heck, even Tek has improved. He's forgotten more about catching than Salty ever knew, but maybe teaching Salty the ropes helped Tek bring some of his old tricks back.

 

This team needs to bring Tek in as a coach or player development guy to work with our pitchers and catchers. He's one of those guys who made a living being a smart, technically sound catcher rather than getting by on pure talent -- or rather, he augmented his pure talent with plenty of smarts and hard work on the technical aspects of catching. He has a lot to teach any catcher who wants to learn. And he's seen so many pitchers good and bad and helped them along behind the dish that he's more qualified to teach a pitcher how to pitch than most veteran pitchers are. I could see him in any coaching capacity except third base coach and thriving there. I hope we get to see that in Boston.

 

Come September, when he gets called up, I want to see Lavarnway practically joined at the hip with Varitek. If anyone has the credibility to break Lavs' bad habits behind the plate, it's Tek.

[Palodios]

Salty OPS'ing .812. Victor OPS'ing .808 :thumbsup:

 

Does this make anyone else physically ill out of sheer shock factor? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but he's playing significantly better than his minor league numbers would have suggested, and Vmart's numbers are way down.

 

I'll be the first to admit I was 110% wrong about Salty, but seriously, did anyone expect him to be the kind of guy who would be posting a 5.0 WAR averaged over 160 games?

[AtWork]

The best part is that he's making $750,000 and is under team control through 2014. Theo definitely got this one right.

[Dojji]

I did. This kid was a very high ceiling catching prospect all the way along. He was jerked around a bit and lost his way for a few years with the Rangers, but he always had the talent to be this catcher. It's just exciting to see a guy like that unequivocally succeed here. Fliers of this nature usually don't turn out this well.

 

Personally I'm inclined to give Varitek the full blame for Salty's Red Sox tenure, and give Salty full credit for being committed to pulling his head out of his butt, learning from the master, and doing whatever it took to be a big leaguer. I'm guessing he knew he might never again have this combination of mentorship and playing time -- it's a rare bit of alchemy, this -- and decided to make the most of it. Good for him.

[AtWork]

Anyone who tells you they thought he was going to do this well is lying. I think some people thought he might hit a little, but who would have thought his defense would have improved this much as well? That being said, this is a good lesson on why you shouldn't jump to judgement on a player after a month of being with the team. Some posters were so emphatic about how terrible Salty is that they're embarassed to admit that he's a good player now.

[Dojji]

You know me, I'm the crazy prospect guy, so I honestly thought he had a chance to do this well, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Ran into a lot of skepticism when I said so in the past though so you are right in general. His development defensively on the other hand has been a very pleasant surprise to all of us I think. Why he's outright above average as a defensive catcher, who saw that coming?.

[Palodios]

Anyone who tells you they thought he was going to do this well is lying. I think some people thought he might hit a little' date=' but who would have thought his defense would have improved this much as well? That being said, this is a good lesson on why you shouldn't jump to judgement on a player after a month of being with the team. Some posters were so emphatic about how terrible Salty is that they're embarassed to admit that he's a good player now.[/quote']

 

If I recall, Dojji did project him this highly. However, Dojji is usually correct 1 out of 10 times when it comes to no-name prospects. Personally, I think it is good to see someone have faith in some of these guys, even if it is unfounded at times.

[BornToRun]

Salty>Victor AINEC. Salty edges Victor with the bat and dominates him defensively, especially in the arm department. Kid's taken HUGE strides since he started learning at the master's feet. This is more or less precisely what we hoped a Salty-Tek partnership would result in -- and heck, even Tek has improved. He's forgotten more about catching than Salty ever knew, but maybe teaching Salty the ropes helped Tek bring some of his old tricks back.

 

This team needs to bring Tek in as a coach or player development guy to work with our pitchers and catchers. He's one of those guys who made a living being a smart, technically sound catcher rather than getting by on pure talent -- or rather, he augmented his pure talent with plenty of smarts and hard work on the technical aspects of catching. He has a lot to teach any catcher who wants to learn. And he's seen so many pitchers good and bad and helped them along behind the dish that he's more qualified to teach a pitcher how to pitch than most veteran pitchers are. I could see him in any coaching capacity except third base coach and thriving there. I hope we get to see that in Boston.

 

Come September, when he gets called up, I want to see Lavarnway practically joined at the hip with Varitek. If anyone has the credibility to break Lavs' bad habits behind the plate, it's Tek.

 

Tek's gonna be a coach some day, no doubt about it.