2010 Catcher Rankings by WAR

We've had a bit of a discussion lately about back-up catchers with the trading away of Robinson Chirinos, the signing of Max Ramirez and the head-scratching re-upping of Koyie Hill via the arbitraton process. Reader WISCGRAD put together a spreadsheet of catchers by Baseball Reference's WAR values which does include a defensive component.

             

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 Team Starter WAR Back-Up WAR Total

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 Braves Brian McCann 4.7 David Ross 1.4 6.1

.

 Twins Joe Mauer 5.6 Drew Butera 0.0 5.6

.

 Phillies Carlos Ruiz 4.4 Brian Schneider 0.6 5.0

.

 Reds Ramon Hernandez 2.4 Ryan Hannigan 2.4 4.8

.

 Padres Yorvit Torrealba 2.8 Nick Hundley 1.5 4.3

.

 Blue Jays John Buck 3.0 Jose Molina 0.6 3.6

.

 Red Sox Victor Martinez 3.0 Jason Varitek 0.5 3.5

.

 Cardinals Yadier Molina 3.1 Jason LaRue 0.1 3.2

.

 Indians Lou Marson 0.9 Carlos Santana 2.2 3.1

.

 Orioles Matt Wieters 2.5 Craig Tatum 0.2 2.7

.

 Giants Buster Posey 3.0 Bengie Molina -0.3 2.7

.

 Rays John Jaso 2.4 Kelly Shoppach 0.2 2.6

.

 Dodgers Russell Martin 1.9 A.J. Ellis 0.6 2.5

.

 Diamondbacks Miguel Montero 1.4 Chris Snyder 0.9 2.3

.

 White Sox A.J. Pierzynski 1.2 Ramon Castro 1.0 2.2

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 Cubs Geovony Soto 3.2 Koyie Hill -1.0 2.2

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 Yankees Francisco Cervelli 0.3 Jorge Posada 1.6 1.9

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 Mets Rod Barajas 0.5 Josh Thole 1.4 1.9

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 Athletics Kurt Suzuki 1.2 Landon Powell 0.5 1.7

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 Rockies Miguel Olivo 1.6 Chris Iannetta -0.1 1.5

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 Royals Jason Kendall 1.0 Brayan Pena 0.3 1.3

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 Angels Jeff Mathis -1.3 Mike Napoli 2.0 0.7

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 Marlins Ronny Paulino 0.6 Brad Davis 0.1 0.7

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 Nationals Ivan Rodriguez 1.0 Wil Nieves -0.3 0.7

.

 Tigers Alex Avila 0.5 Gerald Laird -0.1 0.4

.

 Astros Humberto Quintero 0.6 Jason Castro -0.3 0.3

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 Brewers Jonathan Lucroy -0.2 George Kottaras 0.3 0.1

.

 Pirates Ryan Doumit 0.3 Chris Snyder -0.2 0.1

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 Rangers Matt Treanor 0.0 Bengie Molina -0.3 -0.3

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 Mariners Adam Moore -1.4 Rob Johnson 0.3 -1.1

Soto and Hill lined up at #17 last year with Soto being the 4th best catcher in just 97 games played if Koyie Hill wasn't dragging him down.

As for that defensive component, here's what BR.com states on their website.

Catcher data looks at stolen bases allowed, caught stealing,
errors, pickoffs, passed balls, and wild pitches. I split the data by
pitcher handedness (otherwise a catcher will look better if he catches
more lefthanders than normal.) Once again, everything is compared to
league averages and converted to runs.

Fangraphs also has a WAR value, but last I checked their defensive component for catchers only factors in stolen bases.

What neither site seems to explicitily state is how much catcher reputation is factored in, which would seem easy enough to approximate by just looking at the number of stolen base attempts against that catcher. There are of course other factors, like the pitcher on the mound, how good his move, how quick his delivery is or whether he's a right or a lefty. Without looking at the formulas, that may be factored in, but I don't know for certain. I was just curious myself and if you start at this comment in the Max Ramirez thread, you can follow my math, but here's what I came up with for some of the NL catchers from last year.

2010

Soto -.221% 95 Stolen Base Attempts in 97 games started (.979 attempts per game)

McCann - .300 120 SBA in 129 GS (.93 A/G)

Molina - .485 68 SBA in 130 GS (.523 A/G)

Pudge - .344 64 SBA in 102 GS (.627 A/G)

Martin - .386 70 SBA in 79 GS (.787 A/G)

Hill - .178 45 SBA in 60 GS (.75 A/G)

2009

Soto - .28% 82 SBA in 92 GS (.891 A/G)

Hill - .40% 50 SBA in 69 GS (.724 A/G)

Stolen Base Attempts against McCann and. Soto

McCann

2005: .551 A/G (half a season)

2006: .771

2007: .685

2008: .90

2009: .806

2010: .93

Soto

2008: .718

2009: .891

2010: .979

Total NL League Stolen Base Attempts

2005: 1909

2006: 2126

2007: 2070

2008: 2029

2009: 2020

2010: 2043

I can't reach any definitive conclusions with such narrow research, but we can see that teams are running on Soto more and more and McCann, a similar catcher better known for his bat than throwing ability, has seen a similar pattern despite the league numbers not really changing much over that time period. It's all a roundabout way of saying it's not too big a surprise why the Cubs would value a back-up catcher that can throw guys out and is better defensively than Soto. Whether Koyie Hill is that guy anymore is the better question.

Tags: 
Geovany Soto
Cubs Statistics
Koyie Hill
Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 12:39pm
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Comments

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 12:51pm

catcher WAR...if you hit 20hr and/or have a good ob% it doesn't matter how crappy your D is.

high 5's for victor martinez.

you can call it a flaw or you can say catcher D, esp. holding runners, isn't that important as long as you can hit. *shrug*

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 12:58pm

how did you get that after seeing Yadier Molina with a higher WAR than Victor Martinez?

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 2:20pm

because there's catchers there with WAR scores that don't reflect their defensive bill, only their strength at position with the bat vs. competitors. they outhit their shortcomings on D.

v.martinez is one of the worst catchers i've seen since piazza...who had regular WAR scores of 3-5+.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 2:42pm

well their defensive bill doesn't necessarily equal their defensive outcome.

Aramis isn't a .745 OPS hitter, but he hit like one last year.

pointless conversation to have with you anyway, if you think all of Piazza's value was lost because of his defense.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 2:52pm

Martinez comes in at -.8 wins, so 8 runs below average. How many runs do you think he really cost them in his 904 innings behind the plate (and 106 at first)?

Yadier Molina came in at 25 runs better (roughly). Don't you think that's a fair approximation?

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 2:56pm

all im saying is you can be a shitty catcher if your bat outweighs others at the position.

either it's a bad way to evaluate catchers or D isn't that important as long as you hit.

im failing to see where things are getting fuzzy in all this. i left options open for interpretation.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 6:53pm

I was thinking about this at the gym... is holding runners on all that important?

If you're throwing out 25% of 1 attempted steal a game, that's 40 free outs on the season. If you throw out 40% of half an attempt per game, that's only 32 outs, so the crappy throwing catcher actually garners more outs for his pitching staff. Of course, those outs come at the expense of 89 extra bases, if my head math is right.

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 8:43pm

:::head explodes:::

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 9:28am

I don't understand this kind of analysis.

It's 1-1 in the eighth against the Cardinals. Their catcher has your runners frightened and clinging to the bases. Meanwhile their runners take every possible liberty with Max Ramirez.

But that's okay, because Ramirez won a game last Thursday with a home run?

At a mininum, you would want Ramirez out of this particular game at this moment. But then you have to consider whether you really want a catcher you have to sub for defensively in close games. Subbing for the catcher is not like subbing for Soriano in left.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:34pm

"I don't understand this kind of analysis."

We know.

The problem with your analysis is that you're using that one example and extrapolating it to all situations, overestimating it.

Or to put it more simply, do you really think you know more about baseball than Greg Maddux?

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:26pm

Do you think the Cubs won't be tied with the Cards in the eighth inning this year? It's one example, as you say, but sometimes it's referred to as "playoff baseball."

You've picked the right team to root for. In terms of overall defense, holding runners, etc., the Cubs were ahead of their time. Even when other teams cared about this stuff, they didn't.

I thought Maddux liked catchers with strong arms who did that part of his job for him.

And would Maddux tell other pitchers not to hold runners?

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:38pm

ATL's god of pitching coaches and BAL's "dude, wtf?" of pitching coaches stressed concentrating on what you're doing with the batter/catcher rather than worrying about runners. it was one of his "things" that became a hallmark of his coaching style.

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 7:43pm

Gregg Maddox is my favorite pitcher.

Seriously, when did everyone get so serious around here?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 8:03pm

After you and Trans disappeared

Submitted by The Joe
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 9:04pm

Kerrrrrry Wood is my favorite. :)

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 10:18pm

We need Johann's Mom to lighten the mood!

Submitted by Newport
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 11:27pm

I get her first!

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:38am

See now, that's what I'm talkin about!

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Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:24am

super cool.

Submitted by The Joe
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 2:47am

Needs more bobos!

Submitted by Wes
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:21pm

BEES!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 4:49pm

Crunch, thanks to Google Books I think I tracked down the source of your comment, a book Mazzone wrote in 1999 titled "Pitch Like a Pro." I can't cut and paste the online selections, but here is the link to the relevant page.

What he says sounds reasonable to me. I wouldn't characterize his advice as not "worrying about runners," as you do. He is mostly talking about not throwing repeatedly to first. The slide step and the quick release, two techniques that he recommends, are occasioned by "worrying about runners."

Since Maddux had a minimal kick--a natural slide-step--and a quick release, he practiced what Mazzone preached in terms of runner control, and should probably not be used as the poster boy for pitchers who don't worry about runners.

Talk of the slide step and the rest of this reminds of a recent Cub pitcher whose brief and promising career was possibly destroyed by his inability to control runners--Rich Hill. Hill was 11-8 in 2007, his first full season, with 183 strikeouts and 63 walks; but he had trouble pitching out of innings where the opponent got a baserunner early, and so he started working with Larry Rothschild on a slide-step, which he sometimes showed us in games late in the season.

Apparently Hill needed the big kick to be effective, and he didn't have a quick release. According to Mazzone, what was he supposed to do? Chronology is not cause and effect, but after the experiments in slide-stepping and whatever else they tried to teach him, he lost his control and never regained it.

I suppose my conclusion would be that a righty pitcher can slide-step, like Maddux, but a lefty needs a good pickoff motion.

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 5:00pm

damn...nice find. thnx.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:30pm

"I thought Maddux liked catchers with strong arms who did that part of his job for him."

No, he liked catchers who called the pitches he wanted to throw in the correct locations. And yes, Maddux probably tells other pitchers not to worry about the guy stealing 2nd - just to get the guy out.

Hate to break the news to you, but the 2010 Cubs with Y Molina behind the plate and Soto at it, don't make the playoffs.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 1:00pm

Well, that's sort of the point of the endeavor, to figure out how much your improved offset outweighs your poor defense... that's something people have been trying to figure out for 120 years.

Hill and Soto and Castro were all bad at it last year. Let's hope that Soto our new backup catcher and Castro improve this year, and the staff as a whole takes it a little more seriously.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 1:36pm

Tagging is usually the next thing you learn after catching.

/rolls eyes at Castro

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 1:19pm

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110112/s...

dances around a bunch of questions, says they'll mix and match for the leadoff spot

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 2:32pm

Adam Moore and Jeff Mathis must really suck if theybhave lower WAR's than Koyie Hill...and they are both listed as starters?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 2:44pm

WAR isn't a rate stat, it's a cumulative one. So the more PT you get, if you're bad, the worse the WAR. By the Mathis-Standard,($1.7 million), Koyie is a relative bargain.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 3:26pm

WISC and ROB G: Thanks for eliciting dialog about catchers WAR. Especially during these boring Cub days.

Mauer and McCann are f'ing studs according to this.

Submitted by Ryno
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 3:27pm

How closely does Soto compare to McCann?

Submitted by Ryno
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:25am

...Crickets.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:40pm

They're about the same.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 1:36pm

I don't think McCann waxed his eyebrows.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 2:38pm

one bats in the middle of a lineup...one bats 7/8 for some f'n reason.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 3:40pm

Carlos Santana: 2.2 WAR in 46 games? Supernatural!

Submitted by The E-Man
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 4:28pm

With a WAR like 2.2, one hopes he changes his Evil Ways.

Submitted by garsky
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 5:18pm

WAR, what is good for? Absolutely nothing.

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 5:22pm

was wondering how many hours would pass before that showed up...

damn winter offseason...

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 6:37pm

Bill Brasky once hosted the Grammy's and gave every award to Cory Hart.

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 4:25pm

Eric Burdon should have a better WAR than J. Mathis, as long as he doesn't spill the wine and it's not misty outside.

Submitted by Sweet Lou
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 4:26pm

+1

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 4:35pm

Does he live in a house in New Orleans?

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 6:11pm

He is rumored to love women with his eggs!

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:43am

Yes, but WAR has a better lowrider than anyone else.

Submitted by dc60124
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 6:35am

i can scarcely wait for hendry's tenure to be slippin' into darkness.

Submitted by toonsterwu
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 6:07pm

Gonna be curious how Chirinos performs this year, if he's given the opportunity. He's better defensively than Jaso, has a bit more pop than Jaso, has a bit more speed than Jaso, and has similarly strong discipline.

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 6:28pm

he should be in AAA unless someone screws up in spring or gets injured.

archer should enjoy being in AAA, himself, if that's where he ends up...he'll be 20-25 minutes from his hometown.

Submitted by toonsterwu
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 11:18pm

I think he could challenge for a big league job. Kelly Shoppach is a pretty bad offensive player, and his defense isn't that good either. Shoppach does have the advantage of 3 million (his contract for 2011), so that is a factor, but he's really not a good player.

Submitted by crunch
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 12:06am

it could happen.

TB has a bad history of keeping guys in the minors as long as possible solely for money reasons, but they're in contention-mode the past couple years.

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 8:49pm

Raphael Soriano signs with Yankees as setup man, 3/$35, per Heyman tweet and Rotoworld... plus Yankees give up a 1st round draft choice to Rays.

agrees to be paid in counterfit dollars

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 9:04pm

brought to you by the team with the 5 million dollar backup catcher.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 10:41pm

Cubs screw the fans again.

If you wanted to buy tix to any of the Yankees games, forget it. the Cubs decided to only make those available in a 13 game package. You have to buy all 13 games to get any tix for the Yanks series.

So let's see, if someone wanted two tix to a game, at say, 100 bucks each, that's 200 bucks. But instead it would cost at least 2600.

They put the 13 game package on sale a month before the single game tix are available. And if you think it's just smart marketing, the scalpers will have bought up the 13 game packages long before the public gets any shot at buying those tix.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 11:54pm

I assume you mean this article

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/01/...

the email I got about the Pick 13 plan said this

The Pick 13 plan will be available in both the Bud Light Bleachers and in the reserved seating area of Wrigley Field. You will need to order the same number of tickets for each of the thirteen games that you select. Each plan will include some of our most highly anticipated match-ups of the season, including:

that's a lot of sections they're not selling tickets to and it only had Fri/Sun Yankee games as options, not the Saturday game.

Seems like there is more to the story or everything is going to team-owned scalpers.

Submitted by Newport
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:21am

Or you could just wait and buy tickets for the Yankees series in a couple of months for about $100 each. Chill.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:27pm

Yankees tix aren't going to be available from scalpers for $100. You must not go to games often.

The last time they hosted the Yankees, not sure what year that was, 2003, maybe?

We went to see the Cardinals the weekend before and paid $20 for parking at the Red Top lot. The next weekend vs the Yankees the Red Top lot was charging $50. Tickets were being scalped for over $1000.

I know we were good then, and the Yankees had more star power, but scalpers always charge outrageous prices.

I don't plan on going this year, I'm just pointing out that Ricketts and the Cubs continue to make buying tickets as inconvenient for fans as possible.

Submitted by Newport
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 6:20pm

I've been to at least 100 games in the last 5-6 years. I've sat in every area of the park, from obstructed view UD to suites. If you pay $50 to park you are either lazy, handicaped, or retarded. Just park anywhere west of Ashland(on Marshfield for example)and WALK.

There are about a dozen seats available on stubhub right now for the Friday game for <$100. A few on Sunday too. Not the best seats, but not SRO. You can get seats on Saturday for just over $100. If you wait for the rest of the tickets to hit the market, like from new season ticket holders, prices will go down.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 6:36pm

We didn't pay the $50. I'm pointing out the ridiculous prices.

And no matter how bad the Cubs are this Summer, Yankees tix will be in high demand because they're the Yankees and we also have thousands of New Yorkers coming to town to see the games.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:36am

via ye olde world o roto:

"When asked about having an everyday leadoff player, Quade responded, "I would say I don’t think so — when the answer is ‘I don’t think so,’ then you do it by committee, mix and match, or maybe somebody this spring asserts themselves as this guy.""

rotoworld speculates dewitt/baker + fuku will fill this role.

reference article by gordo witty - http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/...

Submitted by Cubster
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 6:13am

Mlb.com article on the nl central

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=2011011...

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 9:02am

http://www.ranyontheroyals.com/2011/01/royals...

Submitted by hellfrozeover
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:50am

That's a pretty interesting article and I think a pretty levelheaded take on the players the Cubs gave up.

Plus, selling high is usually a better option than overvaluing your prospects and holding onto them forever (see Pie, Felix) and is a very un-Cublike move, which I like.

Submitted by Ryno
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:59am

in 2010 Garza threw 204 innings, exactly one-quarter of them (51) against Boston and New York. In those 51 innings he had a 6.10 ERA; against all other opponents he combined for a 3.18 ERA.

This fascinates me.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:55pm

I just posted ERA, .OPS+, and OBP for Garza and MArcum last week and each of their stats compared for Red Sox, Yankees, and Tampa, career. (Marcum)

I do not recall what you are showing. Both pitchers were remarkably similar, career, including throwing the same number of HR balls.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:11pm

check out his 09 numbers..they're almost yin/yang in comparison without radically changing the makeup of either team's bats.

weird stuff how he masters them both in 09 then falls apart in 10. woo baseball!

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:51pm

See size, sample.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 11:00pm

meh, it's radical enough of a difference to at least point out.

at least he wont have to face either BOS or NYY...well, he might have to...but not 10+ games a season.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 9:18am

It's just a really good example of why you can't worry about small sample sizes. Based on 2010, Garza is going to be a world beater if you get him away from the Yankees and Red Sox. Based on 2009, he's a #4 starter if you get him away from the Yankees and Red Sox. The moral of the story is that you can't get too worked up about any 9 starts a pitcher makes in a given season.

Submitted by Ryno
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 9:08am

A ball season is a small sample size, but it's what we have to work with. We need Cub players to do well within this small sample size.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 9:18am

The sample sizes we are talking about here aren't a baseball season...

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 11:21am

It seemed like a reasonable analysis until I read this...

Hendry is trying to build a team with a method that runs counter to his own core competencies. He’s great at player development, but is unwilling or unable to build his roster that way.

Submitted by Jace
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 9:33am

http://deadspin.com/5733625/proud-cubs-groupi...

Seen this? I would hope that any player that is out drinking at 4 AM the night before a game 7 would not be around the club for too long... Any theories on who this might have been?

Trachsel?

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:20am

That's easy,Farnsworth.

I also heard Alou was a bit of a partier too.

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 10:27am

Also who gives a crap, game 7 was night game.

Submitted by Jace
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 3:09pm

You're right... This is EXACTLY the kind of pre-game preparation that should be widely accepted... Silly me! I'm sure all the Marlins players were in the flat next door until 5 AM that night, because this type of behavior is what makes a winning team!

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:05pm

One of my friends is a teacher and a fellow teacher he worked with (an attractive blonde) was briefly dating Moises Alou at the time. She told everyone at the school that he was texting her during games from the clubhouse. This was during the regular season, but I thought if that was true it was pretty stupid.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:57pm

Hmmm...

Unless you have first person account of this, I would doubt this.

Besides, texting not all that robust in 2003, compared to today.

Submitted by Jace
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 3:04pm

This is a guy who used to soak his hands in urine. I will believe this guy is capable of ANYTHING!!

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:38pm

FWIW, this was a second hand account from my teacher friend at the time, not someone telling the story 8 years later.

She had met him in a bar along with ARam. She was with some other female teacher co-workers and for some reason Alou liked her.

But it means nothing now. I remember at the time I was a little pissed that a Cubs player was supposedly texting instead of concentrating on the game.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:43pm

he hit like a beast in the playoffs, anyway...maybe the power of bewbs compels him.

bewbs > roids > piss

.388/.423 - 2hr - 8rbi - 52pa

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo
on Tue, 01/18/2011 - 11:35am

Baseball is a sport where texting from the clubhouse probably won't affect anything, and if it keeps him relaxed and sane during a 162-game season might even help.

Don't we all love to hear stories about practical jokes in the locker room, hot shoes, etc? Baseball players are always dicking around in the dugout, and if he's not supposed to be on deck I can't imagine why sending a text message is that big of a deal.

Submitted by Cubster
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 12:19pm

Link to cubs convention activities...from a Paul Sullivan tweet

http://bit.ly/idDTm8

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 2:13pm

WGN radio is going to make some live, podcast, and video available for those of us unable or unwilling to attend the Cubs Convention. Tickets are being discounted 50% right now on Craigslist.

Here's the WGN radio coverage:

Friday, WGN Sports Night with Brian Noonan and Judd Sirott, 7-9:30 p.m., live broadcast
7:00-7:30 p.m. Tom Ricketts, Jim Hendry and Mike Quade
7:30-8:00 p.m. Andrew Cashner, James Russell and Randy Wells
8:00-8:30 p.m. Len Kasper, Bob Brenly and Pat Hughes
8:30-9:00 p.m. Chris Carpenter, Jay Jackson and DJ LeMahieu

Saturday, Meet Cubs Baseball Management, 10-11 a.m.
The combined number of years spent working in baseball between these four men would rival any team’s top baseball management group. They have the experience, work ethic and passion it takes…but do they have the right mix of players and luck on their side to get it done in 2011? General Manager Jim Hendry, Assistant General Manager Randy Bush and Manager Mike Quade are joined by Assistant to the GM and future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux as they discuss the current state of the Chicago Cubs and what fans can look forward to this year and beyond. Hosted by WGN Radio’s David Kaplan.
(Video and audio of this session will be available at wgnradio.com after the convention)

Saturday, On the Road with #10, 1-2 p.m.
Anyone who has listened to Cubs games on WGN Radio over the past 15 years knows that Ron Santo and Pat Hughes had a very special relationship. They were more than just radio partners; they were a unique duo who could make you cry from laughter as often as they could paint a perfect picture of what was happening on the field. Fans won’t want to miss this incredible hour as Pat Hughes is joined by current and former members of the WGN Radio team, including Judd Sirott, Cory Provus and Andy Masur, as they share some of their favorite stories about life on the road with #10.
(Video and audio of this session will be available at wgnradio.com after the convention)

Saturday, Off the Field and Off the Cuff, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
WGN Radio’s John Williams and Nick Digilio talk with current and former players to give you a peek inside the day-to-day life of a major league baseball player. What’s it like on the road? How often are they recognized? What crazy superstitions do they have? Get an insider’s look at what it’s like from a player’s perspective… off the field. Featuring Sean Marshall, John Grabow, Mike Bielecki, and Todd Walker.
(Video and audio of this session will be available at wgnradio.com after the convention)

Saturday, Sports Central with David Kaplan and Jim Memolo, 4-6:50 p.m., live broadcast
4:00-4:30 p.m. Keith Moreland, Lee Smith and Tim Stoddard
4:30-5:00 p.m. Koyie Hill and Sean Marshall
5:00-5:30 p.m. Oneri Fleita and Tim Wilken
5:30-6:00 p.m. Carlos Peña and Fernando Perez

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 3:46pm

Former Cub Clay Rapada released by Texas, any interest? Cubs need a bona fide LOOGY, and that's Rapada's gig. I thought AZ Phil really liked Rapada when he was in the minors.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 3:57pm

we got grabes and the forgettable-but-shouldnt-be-forgotten s.maine.

i keep forgetting we have maine...odd delivery, but seemingly effective.

both guys are "inning" guys rather than specialists, but we got a ton of relief options.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:34pm

Maine looked very interesting in his brief time up in 2010. I'd like to see more of him.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 5:08pm

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 3:46pm.
Former Cub Clay Rapada released by Texas, any interest? Cubs need a bona fide LOOGY, and that's Rapada's gig. I thought AZ Phil really liked Rapada when he was in the minors.

===================================

JIM H: No question Clay Rapada is the prototypical LOOGY. You don't want to let him anywhere near RH hitters. I would be inclined to sign him to a minor league contract and give him an NRI to ST, even if he doesn't have a spot at Iowa.

Scott Maine was always tougher on LH hitters than RH hitters in the minors, but he didn't show that in his limited MLB work with the Cubs in August-September. But Maine is certainly more of a lefty specialist than Grabow (for example).

John Gaub was a really good LH relief prospect this time last year, but he went into the crapper at Iowa and spent the last half of the 2010 season at Fitch Park trying to hit the broad side of the clubhouse.

The Cubs best lefty relief prospect right now is Jeffrey Beliveau. He has a NASTY breaking ball. He'll be eligible for the December 2011 Rule 5 Draft, so he's a virtual lock to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster by the 11-20-2011 deadline (if not sooner).

RHP David Cales (a Chicago native) is another decent relief prospect who will likely get added to the 40 before the next Rule 5 Draft. The side-armin' Cales pitched well in the AFL and chould get an NRI to Spring Training. He's very tough on RH hitters--sort of a right-handed version of a LOOGY, so I guess he's kind of a "ROOGY."

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 8:13pm

>>.... so I guess he's kind of a "ROOGY."<<

Nice. You need the little ™ symbol at the end of the sentence though ;-)

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:15pm

http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/showtime-rene...

Showtime greenlights reality series following 2011 S.F. Giants

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:19pm

think we all knew this, but Starlin Castro will undoubtedly be a Super Two after 2012

http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/sit...

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 4:26pm

swet. hopfully he wo'nt cost to mucch.

oops, sorry about all those errors.

...and yes, thems just jokes.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 6:09pm

Wittenmyer tweets Soto resigns for 1 yr 3 mil.

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 8:11am

CCO has a report on Cubs Convention Day 1. All the usual stuff, particularly the report on the WGN traditional radio broadcast. The broadcast was for the first time in quite awhile not hosted by David Kaplan who will be busy in the saturday festivities.

this note caught my eye:

On a negative note, Carlos Silva appears to have put on weight this winter.

The Cubs modern day version of Rick Reuschel, Silva's pitching and his weight may be contrarian indicators. The more they complained about Reuschel's weight the better he pitched. Of course, if Silva goes into the bullpen, he needs to wear thick glasses and grow a Paul Reuschel moustache so we can tell which evil twin we've got on the staff.

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2011/01...

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 8:08am

WGN Radio's web is full of Convention pictures and currently has 4 audio links to the broadcasts from last night

1) Cubs Brass: Tom Ricketts, Jim Hendry, Mike Quade.
2) Young Arms of the Cubs: Andrew Cashner, David Wells, James Russell
3) Voices of the Cubs: Bob Brenley, Len Kasper, Pat Hughes
4) The Future: DJ LeMahieu, Jay Jackson, Chris Carpenter, Oneri Fleita

http://www.wgnradio.com/sports/baseball/cubs/...

Submitted by John Beasley
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 10:00am

DId David eat Randy?

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 8:14am

Brian Noonan is a known White Sox fan...so he's just acting like he's enjoying the gig.

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 10:39am

Santo Day, including his statue announced for Aug 10th (Bruce Levine: "Get it?"). Cubs to wear #10 patches all year.

http://bit.ly/fpN6Mc

Glowacki statue, August 11th

Arizona Phil statue, August 12th

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 9:44am

Sullivan articles from the convention

http://bit.ly/hb1LFB

http://bit.ly/f425KI

Silva quotes:

"I'm not a kid. I'm not a rookie anymore. I know how everything works. But I showed this team what I can do last year. Everyone is saying they're looking for a fourth and fifth starter. I think that's ridiculous. "If I'm not going to be in the rotation (at the start of spring), I'm going to win my spot," he said. "I trust myself. I know what I can do. I'm feeling great and looking forward to this season."

Keith Moreland quotes:

"There's nobody who can replace Ron Santo," Moreland said. "He's irreplaceable. Yes, I'd love to warm the seat to sort of keep it in the (Cubs) family. It would be something.

"I've spent a long time over the last 20 years getting myself in a position to maybe broadcast full time for a team. I've done the University of Texas for a long time and it's something I feel like I'm ready to do. I can't make those decisions. All I can be is Keith Moreland."

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 9:57am

Muskat and Sullivan competing for most annoying tweeting...

http://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/

http://twitter.com/PWSullivan

Wittenmeyer mellowing out or laying back in the weeds: http://twitter.com/cst_cubs

and then there is Kaplan, hosting stuff on Saturday:

http://twitter.com/thekapman

Submitted by QuietMan
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 12:09pm

With a glut of starters vying for the Cubs’ fourth and fifth rotation spots, the Cubs have heard from numerous teams about Gorzelanny’s availability. The Mets, Orioles and Nationals all have interest in the Oak Lawn native.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...

Also heard Mark Riggins on Bruce Levine's Talkin' Baseball. Riggins more or less said Samardzija was headed to the bullpen.

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 12:58pm

The Dreaded...Muskat tweet:

Tom Ricketts also says he has "confidence" in Cubs GM Jim Hendry

http://mobile.twitter.com/carriemuskat/status...

Submitted by QuietMan
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 4:15pm

From Levine:

The Cubs are also in the midst of trying to purchase property in the Wrigleyville area, where they can make money as landlords for retail business, or redevelop and rezone areas for new business ventures, possibly in the hotel industry. The Ricketts family recently gained control of one of the buildings and skyboxes on the Sheffield side of the ballpark near the right field foul pole.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs

Also says Cubs get $450K per Comcast broadcast. And now getting money for spanish radio boradcasts.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 5:24pm

Was listening to Tim Wilkin on WGN Radio.

He said something about the Cubs signing a Cuban player this offseason. I think he said his name was Rudy Silva - but I may not have got that right. Anyone hear anything?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 7:27pm

Probably OF Ruby Silva (or Rudy Silva, I've seen it both ways). Silva defected in November 2009, but was still a free-agent by the end of the 2010 MLB season.

Silva played for the same Cuban team (Los Vaqueros de Habana) as OF Juan Carlos Linares, who defected at about the same time as Silva (November 2009) and signed with the Boston Red Sox last July.

I saw Linares play in the AFL, but I wasn't aware that the Cubs had signed Silva.

The Cubs did sign Cuban defector RHP Juan Yasser Serrano last year, and he made his U. S. pro debut this past June.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:08am

Thanks AZ Phil. I think he did put a B sound in there. But that was a foreign sound to my brain.

Wilkin also spoke of Marwin Gonzalez. His US numbers don't pop out at you. But he had a strong VWL. Do you see him developing into anything?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 9:12am

Submitted by QuietMan on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:08am.
Thanks AZ Phil. I think he did put a B sound in there. But that was a foreign sound to my brain.

Wilkin also spoke of Marwin Gonzalez. His US numbers don't pop out at you. But he had a strong VWL. Do you see him developing into anything?

==========================================

Q-MAN: I think Marwin Gonzalez has the potential to be a decent MLB IF-OF super-sub. He's a switch-hitter with gap power, and he has the versatility to play just about anywhere, having already seen time at all four infield positions as well as LF and CF. He reminds me of Geoff Blum.

I saw him a lot at Fitch Park in 2006-08, and he is an OK defender no matter where he plays. He doesn't have a lot of range at SS-2B, but he can make all the routine plays. I would say 3B is his best position. He hasn't shown much HR power so far, but he has the type of frame where he could put on some muscle and maybe develop some HR power.

Gonzo had hit just 249/293/337 in 386 career minor league games through the 2010 season, but then he had a break-out post-2010 winter league season, hitting 324/412/419 with 33/31 BB/K in 248 PA (59 games) in the Venezuelan Winter League (he was 3rd in the VWL in RBI, 4th in AVG, 5th in OBP, and 6th in doubles), and I thought because of his strong showing in the VWL (which is considered equivalent to AA) that he might get selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but he did not.

Because of his age (he turns 22 in March) he probably will be back at AA Tennessee in 2011, but it is possible that he could win a job at Iowa with a strong Minor League Camp. He also has an outside shot at getting an NRI to Spring Training.

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 9:24am

Good stuff in a comment on Mile's Blog from the Convention:

http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/5080#commen...

Including info on Camp Colvin: "D. J. LeMahieu has put on 20 lbs, and I could see it: it looks like most of it is upper body. They were working with him this fall to turn on the ball more, so it will be interesting to see if the power turns on. Darwin Barney reportedly added 18 lbs.; he looks a bit more solid, but I would never have guessed as much as 18 lbs. Strength and conditioning coach Tim Buss runs the camp: his results are getting around, and Fleita said he's been bombarded with calls from players and agents asking to get in. There are 38 players in Fitch Park now."

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 01/18/2011 - 11:34am

Hopefully it won't hurt those two guys as much as Theriot's new pecs did last year.

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