Who is our 4th Catcher?

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 11:10 AM PDT

With Melhuse out of the game for a pinch-runner and Hatteberg DHing, Macha was playing with fire. If Kendall had gone down, Hatteberg coming in to replace him as the 3rd catcher would have forfeited our DH spot, so the pitcher would have had to bat. Macha could've juggled it NL style for a bit and pinch-hit Ginter at least one time for the pitcher, but it could've gotten a little silly.

Probably the best way to avoid this happening would be not to have Melhuse pinch hit at all in that situation. I know he came through, but it seemed terribly risky to me. Clutcharo has demonstrated 9th inning excellence time after time, and I think he earned the right to bat in that situation. I felt the air suck out of the Coliseum, October 2003-style, when Clutcharo was called back. Luckily it paid off for Macha, and this is obviously what he was envisioning that night in October, but it did not strike me as wise.

Meanwhile, it was a great win, and we can look forward to Kirk "The Dutch Oven" Saarloos dominating the team with the worst most classless clueless fans in baseball tonight.

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our fourth catcher is

brandon buckley

goddamn crazy sunday driver- butters

by guy on Jul 18, 2005 11:22 AM PDT reply actions

no

he's not on the big league roster, so he can't be put into a game.

if something were to happen to kendall in the above situation, and if kendall were somehow knocked unconscious and unable to demand that he stay in the game, i suspect that hatty would be moved from DH to catcher, with the pitcher then in the lineup.

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Jul 18, 2005 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions

i was

just joking

goddamn crazy sunday driver- butters

by guy on Jul 18, 2005 11:25 AM PDT reply actions

Brad Fischer

usually catches "First Pitches" before games. He often has to field some pretty wild throws. Put him in, I say. If not, Ken Macha caught a few games--he might do it in a pinch. Oh wait, I forgot, FIRE MACHA.

independencefieldsac.org
Please help disabled kids in Sacramento play baseball by helping the Rivercats build a specially equipped field for them.

by kaweahkaweah on Jul 18, 2005 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Easy

Mark Kotsay: If he can pitch, he can catch

After that, Scutaro.

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -- Gil Meche

by Alien @ Athletics Nation on Jul 18, 2005 11:44 AM PDT reply actions

Good point, and why not bring back

Jose Canseco? If he can pitch, he can catch too.

independencefieldsac.org
Please help disabled kids in Sacramento play baseball by helping the Rivercats build a specially equipped field for them.

by kaweahkaweah on Jul 18, 2005 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

I think if something happens in a game...

... and we have to worry about who our 4th catcher is going to be, we should go ahead and forfeit. :)

by Jennifer on Jul 18, 2005 11:50 AM PDT reply actions

You were worried

that if Kendall had gotten injured we might have had to ask the pitcher to bat as early as the 18th inning? Yeah, better not to use Melhuse and just lose it in 9.

????????????

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Sammy Sarcasm

Nico

by Nico on Jul 18, 2005 11:56 AM PDT reply actions

Who says we would lose it in 9?

Part of my point is that Clutcharo deserved an at bat in that situation. There was no guarantee Melhuse would come through in that situation. Considering the bind it puts the team in with having no backup catcher with Hatteberg DHing, Macha should be hesitant to use Melhuse in those situations. If Hatteberg is on the bench or playing 1st, then it's not a big deal. It may never matter, but if it ever happens in a game that a pitcher has to bat because of Macha's lack of foresight, you can bet your sarcastic last name that people will call for an examination of Macha's abdullah oblangata.

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Or is it Medulla Oblongata?

Where are the neuro people when I need them?

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Melhuse is this year's Billy Mac...

I don't think his backup catcher status should prevent Macha from utilizing his bat. You must play inning by inning, not plan for the happenings in an 18th inning affair.

I'm easily distracted by those AVP advertisements

by franks a lot on Jul 18, 2005 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions

We will be fiiiiiiiinne...

when was the last time Kendall got hurt, 1902??? Seriously, if by some freak occurance he goes down, and Melhuse is unavailable, Hatte could do it (the loss of the DH spot isnt a big deal late in a game if our PHs come through), and taking Melhuse's bat out of the PH role (where he is 4 for 9 this year, btw) would be stupid.

"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it." ~Rogers Hornsby

by ZeroIndulgence on Jul 18, 2005 12:06 PM PDT reply actions

The bench is thin

In yesterday's game, our bench was pretty thin. If Kendall went down after 10 or 11 innings, we could have pinch hit with Ginter for the pitcher one time, assuming we even want to take out the pitcher that inning. But after that, who was left? By the 14th (the inning we finally won it in), you're left with Kennedy at the plate. And safe to say that's not why BB traded for him.

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

FYI,

lefties vs. Cordero: .267
righties vs. Cordero: .194

IMO, it was an obvious move and the "risks" you outline are so obscure and unlikely that they are not worth consideration. Perhaps there's a reason Macha is a manager and you're not, my friend. Sometimes you take the 14th inning when you get there. And the way baseball works, Kennedy probably lines a game-winning double anyway!

Nico

by Nico on Jul 18, 2005 12:21 PM PDT reply actions

Clutcharo? Are you sure?

I know Scoot's had some game-winning heroics, but he hasn't been all that great since May or whatever we remember him for. He hasn't really been clutch at all, recently.
He's hitting .230 in 61 AB with RISP with a .621 OPS.

With Men on and 2 out, he's hitting .240 with a .681 OPS in 50 AB.

The only thing he has going for him in terms of clutchness is that he is hitting .317 with an .835 OPS in close and late games, in 41 AB.

But it's not that difficult to find a stat that makes a player seem clutch.
Besides, Melhuse has had as many "clutch" hits as Scutaro, if not more. He clinched the division for us in 2003, and with last night's excellent AB, it shows that he's a pretty decent pinch-hitter.

Leave Macha alone

by H3liCat on Jul 18, 2005 12:31 PM PDT reply actions

Why he is Clutcharo

You pretty much said it: "he is hitting .317 with an .835 OPS in close and late games, in 41 AB."

I don't mean to imply that he's always clutch. It's just that if the game is on the line in the 9th inning, I want Clutcharo up. If it's the 4th inning with a RISP, then I'm not so sure.

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions

whoa whoa wait a minute

dutch oven saarloos?

hahha, how did he get that nickname.

by pickinmachine on Jul 18, 2005 1:07 PM PDT reply actions

Dutch Oven

It certainly isn't in reference to his "heat"

Every team needs a few guys with big f*ckin' stones who ain't afraid to flash 'em - Huddy

by FabulousG on Jul 18, 2005 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe ....

"Slow Cooker" Saarloos would be a more apt nickname.

Every team needs a few guys with big f*ckin' stones who ain't afraid to flash 'em - Huddy

by FabulousG on Jul 18, 2005 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions

I see...I get it now

I guess I just have a dirty mind

by pickinmachine on Jul 18, 2005 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions

The Dutch Oven

I've been calling Saarloos the "Dutch Oven" because his name sounds Dutch (it is, right?) and because the Dutch Oven sounds kind of intimidating. You know, like, he'll bake the other team's offense alive. Something like that.

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions

What's the Risk??

Has Kendall been hurt at all this year?

So you never pinch-hit Melhuse against the very slim chance Kendall gets hurt?

And if he is hurt, you can DL him for the next game, and bring up Baker or Suzuki to back up Melhuse.

Hatty can handle an inning or two-- hell, kendall's only throwing out 11% of base stealers anyway-- how much worse would hatteberg be??

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Jul 18, 2005 1:15 PM PDT reply actions

I said this another diary yesterday but,

we could solve the problem by sending down Ginter and bringing up Baker. This would allow Melhuse and Kendall to be in the lineup together, plus Melhuse used to be an infielder and could back up Chavy. No more than Ginter is giving us, I'd rather see us find a way for Melhuse to contribute on a regular basis. He does have some power, and has been clutch in the past.

by gatling on Jul 18, 2005 3:00 PM PDT reply actions

What about Haren?

He can pitch, he can hit, why can't he catch for us.

by RunRickeyRun on Jul 18, 2005 3:56 PM PDT reply actions

I bet Kotsay could catch

They'd have to do a crash course in the signs though most likely. Although maybe Kotsay reads the signs from center and knows them already. If he came in as a catcher, I would break down with man-love and buy a Kotsay T-shirt.

by EastBayTeam on Jul 18, 2005 4:55 PM PDT reply actions