Off Day Poll: Backup catcher options?
by Jon Marthaler on May 10, 2010 1:00 PM EDT
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PrintTomorrow, Joe Mauer will likely return to his spot behind the plate. This means that Wilson Ramos will soon be headed for Indianapolis to join the Red Wings to resume his Triple-A season.
This said, the backup catcher spot is by no means settled. For all of the early excitement, Ramos was 1-for-18 at the plate after starting 7-for-9, and Ron Gardenhire blasted him at least once for giving away signs to a runner on second base. Drew Butera, meanwhile, is 2-for-17 and is currently competing with Rob Bowen and Danny Ardoin for the title of "Worst Twins Hitter In Recent Memory." And Jose Morales, who we all thought would be the backup catcher, hurt himself sliding in extended spring training, and is more fragile than a Stradivarius.
So, here's the question: if you were running things, who would be the Twins backup catcher?
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Try
Try and get Glassbottom Morales back into action, and just muddle along with Butera until then.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane
I also agree with this.
I agreed with Ramos not being up with the Twins to begin the season. He had to be brought up because the Twins had no other choice when Mauer got hurt. He needs to play every day and he has some things to work on.
Butera is Butera. He’s the perfect backup catcher.
Baseball reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again.-Terence Mann/James Earl Jones in FoD
We can do much better than Butera
I’d go with Morales myself because I think he is the most major-league ready between he, Butera, and Ramos.
Butera is not the perfect backup catcher
He’s barely adequate, just barely. Morales is adequate. Ramos is better than adequate.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Yes
And perhaps Ramos will have a better career than Morales, but I think Morales (when/if he becomes healthy) will be more productive at the big-league level this year. But even if Ramos is not ready for the big leagues now, he is still going to be far more productive than Butera. I think some people are remembering Butera’s two-run, two-out bases-loaded single in the 8th inning Saturday night while glossing over his total ineptitude in his previous twenty plate appearances, particularly in the game the previous Saturday where Butera was the biggest reason we lost by hitting into a 6-4-3 DP with the bases loaded.
The Morales answer...
isn’t really an answer, because we need a backup catcher before he is completely healed. I think he would be the backup, if he were healthy
Baby boy Butera.
Ramos needs everyday action.
(Heh, I said every day action)
I always loved that one.
by FoulJack on May 10, 2010 2:03 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I voted for Ramos
Butera is not a major league player. I have no confidence that Morales will be back before the All-Star break. Ramos is the only option, outside of an acquisition.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Butera till Morales is good
Keep Ramos playing every day. It’s not like Butera is costing us games. Going 1/4 every other Sunday isn’t gonna ruin our season, even if it’s not helping very much. Let Ramos get his ABs in Rochester…
You're the second person to respond to this part of the post.
Was it really that out of left field? Am I just a highbrow-wannabe twit? Is this the type of joke that Jim Souhan would use? (/worries)
by Jon Marthaler on May 10, 2010 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
No, Souhan would have siad something more bizzarre
Like, more fragile than a soap bubble.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Souhan would have used a lame pop culture reference like:
More fragile than (most recent american idol castoffs) feelings
Ramos is going yard
I would have used a more old school pop culture reference like:
More fragile than a frilly leg lamp
Ramos is going yard
having Morales play once or twice a week
would be amazingly dumb. It would hinder his development and kill any potential trade value.
Beadlemaniacs - Award winning* college basketball blog (new and improved!)
College Hockey!
and by Morales I mean Ramos of course
stupid finals
Beadlemaniacs - Award winning* college basketball blog (new and improved!)
College Hockey!
You mean Ramos
I wouldn’t be so extreme. It wouldn’t help his trade value and it might hurt it. But if Butera and Morales are not realistic options, what choice do the Twins have.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
I don't see how Butera is not realistic
so what if he can’t hit. Our lineup is good enough to where we can sacrifice 4 outs every week.
Beadlemaniacs - Award winning* college basketball blog (new and improved!)
College Hockey!
He cost us that game in Cleveland a week ago
By grounding into that bases-loaded double play in extra innings. His defense is not good enough to make up for his horrendous hitting IMO.
Cuddyer has grounded into plenty of rally killing double plays this year too
Don’t blame him or praise him for a single play. He just hasn’t been good in the aggregate, at all.
My point was that it is important to avoid having that black hole in the lineup
In a roundabout way, I was making the point that we should not just be willing to sacrifice 4 out of our 27+ outs given every game Butera plays because if we had even a decent hitter, we would be better off. But your point is well-taken; Cuddyer makes up for his bad at bats with good at-bats whereas Butera is pretty much always bad.
In My View
Ramos is trying to hard at hitting. He needs to settle down and that only way he can do that is in Triple AAA. Allow Drew Butera to be the backup for now and if the Twins need help, trade Nick Punto.
Yeah, you're right
I go a little over zealous about Butera. He can catch OK. And he hits better than Corky Miller or Danny Ardoin, but not as good as Marcus Jensen.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
The thought of Corky for some reason just makes me laugh!
I can’t explain it, maybe it’s some repressed childhood “Life Goes On” thing or it could be just how bad he was/is (whatever happened to him?).
"You don't realize how easy this game is until you get up in that broadcasting booth." ~Mickey Mantle
by Michael in N.Cali on May 10, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Darn you, cmath!
I was totally going to play the Corky Miller card!
"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
Redmond!
He plays hurt unlike some other Twins’ catcher of late I could name.
"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Positive happines come whit sucess if you no have that is all bs" -Ozzie Guillen
by less cowbell, more 'neau on May 10, 2010 5:45 PM EDT reply actions
while the obvious answer is Butera
so that Ramos can play every day, my concern with that is that Gardenhire seemed extremely reluctant to actually put Butera in the lineup when Mauer was healthy. That is a problem, in that you have to get Mauer some regular rest.
Morales needs to get healthy and get here, because he’s a legitimate backup catcher.
We Are the Washington Generals
by Eric in Madison on May 10, 2010 6:14 PM EDT reply actions
He's available, I'm told
Maybe is Morales keeps getting boo boos, they could sign him.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
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