Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez, Johnny Bench. They are all good hitters who catch or caught. They all have had the same thing happen to them. It's part of catching.
News notes..."Martinez was hit on the right knee by a foul tip while catching during batting practice Sunday. He was down for a few seconds, but completed the workout."
---------
A Wade Boggs type of hitter catcher, what a mistake.
Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez, Johnny Bench. They are all good hitters who catch or caught. They all have had the same thing happen to them. It's part of catching.
The reason I mention Vic Martinez as being another Wade Boggs is that Vic has the potential to hit .320 or better year in and year out.
However, not as a catcher, it just won't happen. I believe Wade Boggs could have been a catcher, but someone wise enough to see that he had exceptional offensive potential knew better than to keep him crouching behind the plate day in and day out. Catchers can be power hitters, but generally it is the kiss of death to have a high OPB but low home-run output catcher. It could mean they are on the basepaths an extra 100-150 times a year!
It's asking too much of a player to be Milton Bradley type of hitter and play them at catcher.
Vic Martinez has already injured himself WHILE BASERUNNING! The injury probably comes from using different muscles then when one crouches.
The catchers you mentioned were more known for their power. Vic might just be another Milton Bradley type, hitting lots of doubles and triples and getting on base plenty.
I don't think starting Vic at catcher will benefit him. Potentially your best hitter on the team is a target for a baserunner headed towards home, or a foul tip, or some other injury that is catcher related, in my opinion it's a dumb move making him the starting catcher.
Check out this quote from the Cleveland Indians Report.
"TIM LAKER: Needs an injury to either Victor Martinez or Josh Bard to start the season in the big leagues. Otherwise, he's a foul tip off the index finger away at Buffalo."
Our potential number one hitter a foul tip away from being sidelined. Makes sense to me. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah and that foul tip could come off of his bat too Alex....Our potential number one hitter a foul tip away from being sidelined. Makes sense to me.
I thought Martinez is supposed to be a power type hitter like Piazza, etc.
I don't know if he will remain at catcher or not. Certainly, if Wedge starts playing him some at first base, there's the opportunity to expand his hitting. But for right now, I like the lineup--not as much as in years past, but I think it's not bad.
Anyone can get hurt. Look at Travis Fryman. He blew his arm out playing third base. Gerut hurt himself playing the outfield. Matt Williams was always hurting himself with foul balls.
You do have a point: Potentially, Martinez has a chance to be a very good hitter. But I don't see him as Milton Bradley. I see him more as Piazza. Eventually they probably will move him.
When you consider the fact that the Indians are NOT going to play Martinez part time at any position other than first base, Alex's whole argument becomes a needless waste of time.
As usual.
What I recently read was that the Indians thought that Martinez had "soft hands" and that he should be a catcher. Wedge probably will see himself when he looks at Martinez and probably won't want to move him from catcher.
Martinez came into camp bulked up so that he can last the season and not get worn out. He welcomes the idea of playing first some games to save his knees.
Bard and Laker seem like a great combination to me with Martinez being used in an emergency situation. But the Indians have a lot of time invested in Martinez as a catcher, and just like other investments, they refuse to optimize the team if it means putting a player where they hadn't planned on putting them.
I know other players have been hurt. That's one of the reasons I'd like to see Vic elsewhere. I remember a horrible string of dings and bruises that Mike Piazza went through one season while a dodger. The guy was so beaten up over a series of foul tips and wild pitch bounces that by the time the dodgers had crept into the playoffs, he came off as having a horrible attitude when I think he had just been beaten down by the grind of the catching position.
Mike Piazza is not highly regarded as a defensive catcher. It seems the Indians want it all, top offense, great defense, and play caller for the pitchers. But they have a Wade Boggs type of hitter who's going to be on the bases a lot. Most catchers of offensive prominence have been power hitters. Vic is being molded into a power hitter, but is a natural doubles and triples hitter, which means he will RUNNING the bases, taking leads, getting back to the base on a pick off attemp. A home run hitter trots around the base, and goes back to the bench.
This is what troubles me about having Vic be the PRIMARY catcher. If the guy wants to catch 40 games a year, and play third base another 100, I'd be cool with that. But to play him at first, along with Broussard, and Ludwick, I just think we're not optimizing our game plan.
Crank, it could happen.
And of course, we all know it SHOULD happen.
No ,Alex, its not going to happen. And you are the only person who thinks it should.....
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks