06-23-2017, 09:59 AM
(06-23-2017, 12:05 AM)kevin Wrote: our pitching is trade and injury related, which left the cupboard bare.
Look up D stats and see who has best average on throwing out runners and you may be surprised to see in MLB it is Barnhart. Barnhart gives Reds D up the middle when Cozart and Hamilton in line-up. Sparky Anderson demanded D UP THE MIDDLE. ....Now I know Reds are paying Mesoraco a LOT, so he will play a LOT. Sorry about his injury, but so far, he stinks. Again, I'm sure struggling from injury and off a couple years. Pretty rusty. ....Still, Reds are benching one of the best defensive catchers in MLB if you look up the stats and numbers.
I have to add, there are no Johnny Bench's out there or even a Bo Diaz or Joe Oliver and not one MLB catcher is putting up great D numbers. This may be the worst era of defensive catchers in my lifetime going back to 1960's. There are some catchers who can hit a little but even at that, nothing great. Defensive numbers are just awful. Hamilton could steal 100 bases on today's catchers, They Stink....Above all else you want D out of catcher and shortstop. Today's catchers are lousy compared to all the good catchers over the years. I can't point to one catcher this year and say he is a gold glove with a rifle arm. Not one. Barnhart numbers say he is best D catcher in MLB in 2017. Yet he will now mostly ride the bench with high paid Mesoraco back and batting .230 something....I know, I know, he has been injured.....Besides Bench there was Freehan and Grote and Hundley and Fisk and then came Sundberg and decades of top D catchers. Now in 2017, what happened ? Why no great defensive catchers ?
I'm not questioning defense or offensive skills, those are easy to see in a catcher. I'm asking about ability to call a game. Know the hitters tendency and call the right pitches. Know which pitches are working well that day for that particular pitcher. Know when to take a trip to the mound to talk strategy or give the pitcher a breather. That kind of stuff isn't as easy to see for the average fan like myself.
