Christian Vazquez breaks finger, headed for DL

[OH FOY]

Sox play 35 games in 42 days if CV comes back the 20th of Aug. Out of those 35 games 22 are against Teams that don't have a .500 record or better, and the Rays are 2 games over .500.

207 at bats 14 RBI's, .185 BA with RISP, so I don't worry about the Offense, just the experience with the staff, that Leon already has.

Do it right with the days off, again I'm not that concerned. Next man up.

Now Carlton Fisk, different story.

Also 20 of those 35 games are at home and that helps a lot.

Edited July 10, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Kimmi]

This is why keeping Swilhart was always on the agenda. Cheap. An okay back up (at the moment) but with the possibility of adding something offensively to the team. It's always made sense to keep him if we could.

 

I still have a lot of faith in the kid. I'm hoping he will grab this opportunity and run with it.

 

Good post Hitch.

[Kimmi]

Sale would be the only one I would not let him catch. One of the very best pitchers in the game deserves the best we have to offer. I'm pulling for Swihart but I'm thinking that he might not be the best.

 

Pitchers like Sale can pitch to anyone, or should be able to.

 

It's the guys like ERod and Price who need that veteran and solid presence behind the plate.

[cp176]

Got to say - I liked watching Swihart out there last night. It is very likely that he is more than capable of helping us out behind the plate. From a personal aspect, I just like watching someone who just looks that athletic playing for us.

[mvp 78]

Got to say - I liked watching Swihart out there last night. It is very likely that he is more than capable of helping us out behind the plate. From a personal aspect, I just like watching someone who just looks that athletic playing for us.

 

He's not a great framer so we'll have to see how it works out in the long run. A win is a win though.

[Slasher9]

Got to say - I liked watching Swihart out there last night. It is very likely that he is more than capable of helping us out behind the plate. From a personal aspect, I just like watching someone who just looks that athletic playing for us.

 

That first to home on JBj’s gapper was awesome. I didn’t see anything glaring from him behind the plate.

I do wonder how his game calling skills are? We could find out with a Sale start. Sale hasn’t shook off a catcher in 4 years.....

[OH FOY]

He's catching Sale tonight? I figured his next 2 starts would be Thursday and Sat. Edited July 11, 2018 by OH FOY!

[SoxnCycles]

That first to home on JBj’s gapper was awesome. I didn’t see anything glaring from him behind the plate.

I do wonder how his game calling skills are? We could find out with a Sale start. Sale hasn’t shook off a catcher in 4 years.....

 

Too bad he probably wont be catching again tonight.

[SoxnCycles]

He's catching Sale tonight?

 

Doubt it.

[OH FOY]

Doubt it.

 

Agree, makes more sense if he goes Thursday and Sat. Gives Leon a good break going into All-Star break.

[OH FOY]

Funny thing Leon catching Price he has a 3.09 era in 18 games. 13 HRS in 119 innings. HR every 9.1 innings.

Vazquez catching him Price has a 4.32 era in 47 games. 37 HRS in 262 innings. HR every 7.0 innings.

Maybe Leon goes tomorrow too.

Edited July 11, 2018 by OH FOY!

[mvp 78]

He's catching Sale tonight? I figured his next 2 starts would be Thursday and Sat.

 

No way is he going back to back. I bet Leon gets 3 out of 5 games going forward. 2-3 games a week for 6-8 weeks will give us a good look at Swihart behind the plate. He needs to take the opportunity and run with it.

[OH FOY]

No way is he going back to back. I bet Leon gets 3 out of 5 games going forward. 2-3 games a week for 6-8 weeks will give us a good look at Swihart behind the plate. He needs to take the opportunity and run with it.

 

With you, I like Swihart. Hope he rocks. In Portland he really impressed me. Then all these crazy thing happened to him.

[a700hitter]

With you, I like Swihart. Hope he rocks. In Portland he really impressed me. Then all these crazy thing happened to him.

He looked okay last night behind the play. Fingers crossed.

[Dojji]

Rest assured we won't be the only ones evaluating Mr. Swihart. There are a lot of teams in need of a decent catcher and they will be deciding if they think Swihart is one.

 

The timing of vaz's injury could not have been better for all concerned. He gets to rest, Swihart gets to play his primary position, and teams get a last minute look to solidify their opinions and decide if they think he could help them and what that help might be worth.

[mvp 78]

He looked okay last night behind the play. Fingers crossed.

 

If he's just "okay" but sees an uptick in his bat, nobody will complain.

[mvp 78]

Rest assured we won't be the only ones evaluating Mr. Swihart. There are a lot of teams in need of a decent catcher and they will be deciding if they think Swihart is one.

 

The timing of vaz's injury could not have been better for all concerned. He gets to rest, Swihart gets to play his primary position, and teams get a last minute look to solidify their opinions and decide if they think he could help them and what that help might be worth.

 

*insert Jacko post about the Sox only playing Swihart to increase his trade value and it'll just backfire*

[Dojji]

The difference is, I don't think it will backfire. And really, so far so good. Other than Jar-Jar Beeks, who I'd really rather not see pitch for the Red Sox again this year to give him time to work on his command, control and poise, he called a pretty good game that involved working with a number of different pitchers, and the only one who really struggled was the lefty that clearly needs more time in the oven. He checked off a lot of boxes for me as a catcher in that game, and that's besides going 2 for 4 with a double.

 

But the fundamental problem hasn't changed. Swihart is a player without a position on this team. I think the acquisition of Steve Pearce says all we need to know about what the team thinks of Swihart as a bat off the bench.

 

Swihart is talented, but he's also surplus to requirement, and other teams are aware of that and are going to keep an eye on him. He needs a position to play regularly, and he just can't have one on this team because of the talented professionals we have at all of the positions he plays. And he did such a great job performing off the bench that the team went and acquired someone else to fill that role.

 

If he does well. he may be starting behind the plate for another team next year -- and if he does, I wish him well, because that would be a much better situation for him than the one he occupies now. He has no place to call his own for as long as he's a Boston Red Sox. It's time to move him on IMHO. He will be moved at the deadline for whatever we can get for him, or failing that (say Vaz's injuries are more severe than we realize) in the offseason.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Dojji

[Bellhorn04]

*insert jacko post about the sox only playing swihart to increase his trade value and it'll just backfire*

 

Showcase!

[Spudboy]

Got to say - I liked watching Swihart out there last night. It is very likely that he is more than capable of helping us out behind the plate. From a personal aspect, I just like watching someone who just looks that athletic playing for us.

 

It was only one game but he sure looked like he was capable of being a starting MLB catcher to me.

 

MVP may have a point. I don't know because I don't really see how pitch presentation is such a critical aspect of a catcher's performance. That is to say I don't have much knowledge on the subject.

 

Until the last 3 or so years almost no one ever mentioned "framimg " as stat dweebs call it.

 

Never once did I hear anyone discuss this aspect of Fisk, Montgomery, Josephson, Gedman, etc.

 

Now it appears to be a critical part of a catcher's ability and the pitching staffs success.

 

I agree that watching a really good athlete is enjoyable. Watching Swi run from 1st to home on a double is sweet.

[mvp 78]

MVP may have a point. I don't know because I don't really see how pitch presentation is such a critical aspect of a catcher's performance. That is to say I don't have much knowledge on the subject.

 

It's basically a skill that allows a catcher to either pull a pitch from being off the outside corner to make it look better and have a better chance of the ump calling it a strike.

 

The opposite can be true as well. Eck was talking about it on a recent game where an opposing catcher caught a ball well in the zone, but he pulled his glove out of the zone when catching it so it made the ump think the pitch was a ball.

 

Until robot umps are brought in, pitch framing and having a steady hand will be somewhat important. It's not the end all be all, but it has a little value.

[Spudboy]

That first to home on JBj’s gapper was awesome. I didn’t see anything glaring from him behind the plate.

I do wonder how his game calling skills are? We could find out with a Sale start. Sale hasn’t shook off a catcher in 4 years.....

 

It's interesting that you mention game calling.

 

About two weeks ago or so, Swi was behind the dish and would look over in the direction of the dugout before putting down the sign. Last night I did not notice him doing this.

 

He handled what, 6 pitchers last night?

 

I hope to see him play significant time now. I think Leon is a pretty good catcher. I don't know that he can handle 80% of the catching duties as many have suggested.

 

We will see.

 

So far, so good.

[OH FOY]

I think Pitchers that throw strikes will get the "Frame" pitches more. It helps, but not to a point, where your pulling it in 3-4 inches. Its all on the Pitcher to me. Your all over the place, Frame all you want, wont make a difference, unless Umpire is blind. And we know that cant be true. Edited July 11, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Spudboy]

*insert Jacko post about the Sox only playing Swihart to increase his trade value and it'll just backfire*

 

You mean like Jalen Beeks?

[Spudboy]

Rest assured we won't be the only ones evaluating Mr. Swihart. There are a lot of teams in need of a decent catcher and they will be deciding if they think Swihart is one.

 

The timing of vaz's injury could not have been better for all concerned. He gets to rest, Swihart gets to play his primary position, and teams get a last minute look to solidify their opinions and decide if they think he could help them and what that help might be worth.

 

Yeah I'm sure Vaz is thrilled with the pin that has been inserted in his pinky.

 

That must give him great comfort as he "rests".

[Dojji]

It's interesting that you mention game calling.

 

About two weeks ago or so, Swi was behind the dish and would look over in the direction of the dugout before putting down the sign. Last night I did not notice him doing this.

 

He handled what, 6 pitchers last night?

 

I hope to see him play significant time now. I think Leon is a pretty good catcher. I don't know that he can handle 80% of the catching duties as many have suggested.

 

We will see.

 

So far, so good.

 

Swihart could not have had a better possible showcase of himself as a catcher. He probably just put himself on half a dozen team's radars with that performance. I know if I was on a team that was shopping around to upgrade at catcher, I'd have a scout going over the tape.

 

And yes, being able to confidently handle 6 different pitchers is impressive, even if he had trouble keeping the wet-behind-the-ears rookie in line. He definitely showed that he can handle the mental side of catching, I honestly think DD's deadline phone calls will feature at least a few inquiries about Swihart.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Dojji

[mvp 78]

You mean like Jalen Beeks?

 

I was referencing that post for sure.

[Dojji]

I do think Jar Jar Beeks needs to go back down to the minors for awhile, kid is not ready, he's not able to attack the strike zone with confidence in his stuff, until he is, he needs to be working on his issues in Pawtucket.

[mvp 78]

I do think Jar Jar Beeks needs to go back down to the minors for awhile, kid is not ready, he's not able to attack the strike zone with confidence in his stuff, until he is, he needs to be working on his issues in Pawtucket.

 

Nooo! Bad, Dojji!

[Dojji]

Nooo! Bad, Dojji!

 

lol