7/15 @ Tampa Bay

[BornToRun]

Not many really good two way catchers. Buster Posey and Brian McCann, along with Mauer who you mentioned, are the ones I can recall off the top of my head.

 

Teams are obsessive about protecting any catcher who can hit by moving him to a "safer" position, in order to preserve their bats, which I think is part of what is destroying Lavarnway's chances. I consider that a mistake. If a guy can hit and play a premium position, ride him out if you have to. Let 'im gol.

 

What about the injury risk though? Mauer's been banged up and Posey's out for the year.

[d-money]

This game is not over yet.

[Cocos Disciples]

If I would be happy if he hits .250 and he is hitting .251' date=' what do you think?[/quote']

 

I only asked because you also said he "stinks."

[BornToRun]

Pedey!

[boston22407]

Laser Show!

[BornToRun]

If we can hold them to 7, I don't think this is impossible. Balls are jumping off our bats tonight. Get a couple guys on and who knows what happens.

[d-money]

Cant get those hits to follow.

[Dojji]

What about his 1.48 WHIP coming into tonight (same as Daisuke this year). That didn't jump just because of tonight.

 

No it didn't, but consider that our friend Jon Lester had some WHIPs not far shy of that in his early days. 1.6 in '06, 1.46 in '07. A high WHIP is not necessarily a bar to success.

 

This is a kid who was rushed. His skills as a pitcher are still very raw, rawer than most guys who are just debuting this year. Someone decided he can get by on his raw stuff and only realized afterward that they couldn't. It's going to take some work to get him right. He might be ruined as a prospect. It was still worth taking the gamble considering the alternative was a collection of rookies who are likely to be equally inconsistent.

[BornToRun]

s*** Youk. Come on.

[AtWork]

No it didn't, but consider that our friend Jon Lester had some WHIPs not far shy of that in his early days. 1.6 in '06, 1.46 in '07. A high WHIP is not necessarily a bar to success.

 

This is a kid who was rushed. His skills as a pitcher are still very raw, rawer than most guys who are just debuting this year. Someone decided he can get by on his raw stuff and only realized afterward that they couldn't. It's going to take some work to get him right. He might be ruined as a prospect. It was still worth taking the gamble considering the alternative was a collection of rookies who are likely to be equally inconsistent.

 

Lester also had cancer and was still adjusting to the major leagues. Miller's perfectly healthy and this is his 6th year in the majors.

[SoxSport]

The one good thing I will say about Miller is he seems to keep the ball down.

But he has no clue about location.

[Dojji]

What about the injury risk though? Mauer's been banged up and Posey's out for the year.

 

There's always going to be an injury risk. There's an injury risk just running the basepaths. There's an injury risk playing a premium defensive poisition surely, but since Lavarnway doesn't seem particularly unhealthy, I suspect that injury risk is the sort of thing that people fuss about far more than they should. As long as the kid knows the risk, and is on board, go ahead and run him out there at a position that will increase the prospect's earning power in the short and medium term.

[BornToRun]

The one good thing I will say about Miller is he seems to keep the ball down.

But he has no clue about location.

 

He keeps it down because everything's in the dirt

[FredLynn]

What about the injury risk though? Mauer's been banged up and Posey's out for the year.

 

Catching is such a demanding position to play that very few catchers over the years can maintain their offensive contributions as they age. For my part, give me a catcher who can hit .250-.260 and excels defensively.

[Dojji]

Lester also had cancer and was still adjusting to the major leagues. Miller's perfectly healthy and this is his 6th year in the majors.

 

That's deceptive. Lester and Miller were both in their 4th or 5th professional seasons.

 

How many ways do I need to say "Miller was rushed?"

[AtWork]

At least the Yankees are losing.

[d-money]

Get the hr and they go away easily.

[BornToRun]

There's always going to be an injury risk. There's an injury risk just running the basepaths. There's an injury risk playing a premium defensive poisition surely' date=' but since Lavarnway doesn't seem particularly unhealthy, I suspect that injury risk is the sort of thing that people fuss about far more than they should. As long as the kid knows the risk, and is on board, go ahead and run him out there at a position that will increase the prospect's earning power in the short and medium term.[/quote']

 

Don't you think the odds of getting badly hurt are better at catcher than another position though? If the guy is one of your best bats, why multiply the chances of him getting seriously hurt? I'm not debating, I'm just curious as to your thoughts on the matter.

[BornToRun]

Morrow is owning the Skanks.

[a700hitter]

I only asked because you also said he "stinks."

He does stink. That is why I am very happy with .250 from him.

[AtWork]

That's deceptive. Lester and Miller were both in their 4th or 5th professional seasons.

 

How many ways do I need to say "Miller was rushed?"

 

I understand that Miller was rushed, but this is exactly how he's pitched for 5+ years now. What about his 5.68 ERA and 1.82 WHIP makes you think that anything's changed?

[FredLynn]

No it didn't, but consider that our friend Jon Lester had some WHIPs not far shy of that in his early days. 1.6 in '06, 1.46 in '07. A high WHIP is not necessarily a bar to success.

 

This is a kid who was rushed. His skills as a pitcher are still very raw, rawer than most guys who are just debuting this year. Someone decided he can get by on his raw stuff and only realized afterward that they couldn't. It's going to take some work to get him right. He might be ruined as a prospect. It was still worth taking the gamble considering the alternative was a collection of rookies who are likely to be equally inconsistent.

 

He can work on his mechanics in the minors. We cannot afford to be his training ground. Yes, he WAS worth gambling on as long as the leash was short enough. If he agrees to go back to Pawtucket I would keep him in the organization. If not, I would be the first to give him a handshake on his way out the door.

[Dojji]

Don't you think the odds of getting badly hurt are better at catcher than another position though? I

 

Depends. Strictly compared to playing MLB at one position vs. another, surely. Comparing the overall chance to get hurt as a big league first baseman or DH and as a big league catcher, I think it's less than people believe.

 

The real danger to catching is wear and tear on the knees. Sure, someone can do a Buster Posey on a catcher at any time, and that happens, but when it comes to managing risk v. reward, it's not as big as people intimate.

[Dojji]

I understand that Miller was rushed' date=' but this is exactly how he's pitched for 5+ years now. What about his 5.68 ERA and 1.82 WHIP makes you think that anything's changed?[/quote']

 

The fact that he had to get totally destroyed to get the number that high in a small sample size. The real Miller is somewhere better than this and worse than the 3.67 ERA he went into the night with.

[d-money]

I wanna know where Miller's velocity is?Is he taking miles per hour off his fastball on purpose?Why on earth would he do that.

[d-money]

f***ing Wheeler,lol.Ughhh, the second game cant come soon enough.Can Lackey put back to back quality starts together?

[FredLynn]

Incidentally, there is no comparison between Miller and Lester. Miller's numbers are very consistent. When he came up he had ERAs/WHIPS of 5.63/1.75 and 5.87/1.64. Now at age 26 he is still at 5.69. Lester is now an ace and just one year older than Miller. When he first came up at age 22 and 23 his ERAs/WHIPS were 4.76/1.65 and 4.57/1.46. He has only gotten better. Miller is still just as bad as he was five years ago. I don't hold out any hope at all that he can make it in the majors.

[a700hitter]

f***ing Wheeler' date='lol.Ughhh, the second game cant come soon enough.Can Lackey put back to back quality starts together?[/quote']When your starter is allowed to give up 7 runs, you are essentially giving the game away.

[Dojji]

I wanna know where Miller's velocity is?Is he taking miles per hour off his fastball on purpose?Why on earth would he do that.

 

THey're trying to adjust his mechanics. Every now and again that has unforseen consequences. Think Buchholz 2008.

[FredLynn]

The fact that he had to get totally destroyed to get the number that high in a small sample size. The real Miller is somewhere better than this and worse than the 3.67 ERA he went into the night with.

 

The "real Miller" is exactly what his career numbers say he is. The 3.67 was due to a small sample size against bad teams.