Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: L'Equipe Claims He's Coming To Chelsea On Five Year Deal

Can Landon Powell be better than Kurk Suzuki?

I know a lot of people are perfectly happy with the job Kurt Suzuki has done. His defense,  has been solid. He has a .995 fielding % in the majors. He has a total of 3 errors/passed balls combined in 770 inn, which is outstanding.  He has given up 137 SB in 193 attempts which isn't terribly impressive. Everyone feels his handling of the pitching staff has been great.  I don't know how to quantify that except by his catchers earned run average (cERA) which is 4.54 this year and middle of the pack for catchers. I think his biggest downfall is that he is not progressing as a hitter. He has not had a OPS higher than 735(his rookie year) since AA ball. And it has gone down, if slightly, both years since his rookie year.

Landon Powell hasn't had an OPS under 762 since his first real season of AA ball. Although we won't know if Powell can progressively get better or even hold onto what he's doing OPS wise until he gets a few more years under his belt, we can guess Suzuki isn't going to go out of the 700-750 range anytime soon.

Suzuki April OPS-855,      May-666,        June-729      July-687. 

Powell- April OPS-750, May-905, June 701 July 1144 (wow).

I know SSS and all, but with more at bats he could be more consistent, not less. (not that I expect him to put up a 900+ OPS every year).  Powell is only hitting 50 OPS points higher than Kurk, but he has shown a tendency this year to improve, with the ability to have really high OPS months.

His cERA is also 4.54, so at least this year he has handled the staff the same as Suzuki. I think in this day and age of managers calling games, it may not be that important anyways.   His fielding % of .976 isn't great. He has had 4 errors/passed balls combined in 161 innings. I have been unable to find any fielding stats for Powell in the minors so I'm not sure if this is a solid trend or not but he defiantly needs some work and may never be as good as Kurk behind the plate. He has given up 6 SB in 12 attempts which would make him 2nd best in all baseball behind Kenji Jojima for that amount of attempts. Again, I do not know what his caught stealing % has been in the minors, but he has been excellent so far this year in his limited time.

Powell is a year older than Suzuki and his most obvious weakness beyond his behind the plate D, is his ability to stay healthy and stay on the field. He may never be able to play more than half a season behind the plate and would need to be snuck in at DH or 1B to take advantage of his bat.  At the very least, Powell might have made himself  one of the top 5 back-up catchers in the ML in his rookie year and a very valuable asset to the A's.

If he could stay healthy,( I know a big, big IF) he could compete for the starting C job for half the teams in baseball (if not our own) as his OPS is around 15th in MLB with his amount of games played. I think he could be a nice trade chip to the right team if we decide to keep Suzuki long-term. He could also help make Suzuki expendable if we got the right price and were willing to go with a platoon at C with one of the other minor league studs we have on the way at Catcher in a few years or more, such as Donaldson in AA who leads the Texas league in catcher OPS or Stassi if he signs.

All and all, I think many teams wish they had a Landon Powell on their team right about now. If he can improve his behind the plate D at least 25%,  as well as get the necessary at bats to show if his hitting is really legit and improving, he could really give Kurk a run for his money.

Poll
Will Landon Powell end up better than Kurk Suzuki?
Yes, Powell's O will end up much more valuable than Kurk's D
21 votes
No, Kurk's D will always be more valuable than Powell's O
80 votes
No, Powell will never be healthy enough to be a starting Catcher in this league, let alone on the A's
90 votes
Yes, those two will have around the same total value on the A's, untill Powell is traded; then in a few years he will go all CELP on our ass for the next 4-5 years. (Cruz, Ethier, Ludwick, Pena) rhymes with HELP
20 votes

211 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 82 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Given his health, no.

Landon Powell has to deal with significant health issues and is lucky to be playing at all. Frankly, I doubt that he would be the everyday catcher even if Suzuki were to be injured, as I suspect the A’s want to be sure he isn’t overworked. He’s a nice guy to have as a backup though.

by rageon on Aug 3, 2009 8:14 AM PDT reply actions  

Yeah, that's what I was thinking

With his knee problems and his pretty obvious weight problems, he’ll likely never be more than a once or twice a week type player—which, if Suzuki keeps this pace up, is all we’ll need. I’d like to see Powell get to play more often, but only to get Suzuki more rest. If Suzuki’s legs start to fail, then we have two catchers with achy knees, which is pretty much like no catchers.

by NateHST on Aug 3, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think your question is a great hypothetical

asking what might have been had Powell stayed healthy. He was a #1 draft pick for a reason, but given reality — multiple knee surgeries and a liver condition — Powell’s future is almost certainly as a backup catcher, or a DH.

Thus, Suzuki will be the better player, whether or not he changes his name to Kurk.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 9:31 AM PDT reply actions  

But if he did change his name to Kurk, maybe he could be a Captain.

"Or, as Randy Jackson would say: Not feelin’ it, dawg."
-bench-blob- posting virgin.

by jjham15 on Aug 3, 2009 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

And if Geren had rested Suzuki earlier in the season more regularly, maybe we wouldn't be seeing a dip in his OPS

Geren really should have put his foot down and started Powell in a few more games earlier in the season. That way Powell gets more ABs to prove himself and Suzuki gets the rest he needs to stay fresh all season long. This “Jason Kendall school of catching” BS is what’s going to run Suzuki into the ground by the time he hit free agency. It’s okay for him to catch 130 games in a year. Everybody wins.

by cityplANner on Aug 3, 2009 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

+1000

"I occasionally post and offer little to no insight here on AN except emotional ramblings. Do I remind you of someone? (Nomar maybe?)"

by MMunoz33 on Aug 3, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

Kurt is of Club Leader - Period....He is the Man!!!!!!!!

The guy is a winner, plays at 110% all the time. His defense is amazing, hitting is just an added bonus. Honestly, I would be soooo pissed if we ever traded this guy even with all of the C prospects we have down in the minors.

Kurt is our MVP, club house leader and everything we want in a baseball player.

by ryanmoser on Aug 3, 2009 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

+1000

"I occasionally post and offer little to no insight here on AN except emotional ramblings. Do I remind you of someone? (Nomar maybe?)"

by MMunoz33 on Aug 3, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

Captain Kurk?

"Paul Thomas is breaking something somewhere" ~jeepers

by OptimistPrime on Aug 3, 2009 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions  

nice combo

Catcher is one of the few positions A’s don’t need to worry about. Based on Powell’s nice contributions there is no reason for Suzuki to catch so many games. I say keep them both and split it 110/52.

by BlueMoon on Aug 3, 2009 10:23 AM PDT reply actions  

How about 111/51???

"I occasionally post and offer little to no insight here on AN except emotional ramblings. Do I remind you of someone? (Nomar maybe?)"

by MMunoz33 on Aug 3, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions  

Only starting Suzuki 110 or 111 games

really isn’t getting enough from him when he’s healthy and young. I agree he needs to rest a little more, but I don’t agree he needs to rest a lot more.

Remember that in the 1st half of the season, the A’s had several extra days off, due to cancellations and rainouts. If you track it day by day, Suzuki did get a fair number of days off along the way — maybe he could have had 3-4 more, but more than that would just not be putting your best team out there for no good reason.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions  

but do you disagree that, when healthy, powell is at least very close to as good as suzuki?

because if you don’t, then you might as well give everybody as much rest as possible while putting out a similar product.

by Elston Gunn on Aug 3, 2009 8:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

I do disagree that Powell is close to as good as Suzuki

“When healthy” is only a hypothetical, because Powell comes as a slow, not overly mobile behind the plate athlete due to past issues. Plus, Suzuki is a really fine player. I think Powell could have been close to as good, but it didn’t roll that way for him and he is stuck being a very good backup who would be exposed more — and almost certainly injured — if he played much more. Kind of like Nomar.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

111 games too many

110 is perfect — 111 is too many. That’s like making a “6-minute abs” video when everybody knows 7 minutes are needed to work your abs.

by BlueMoon on Aug 3, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

Did you know that the letters in "abs" appear in alphabetical order?

I thought you should know that.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

The Great Logjam

Powell should be playing a lot more regularly so we all could see what he’ll do. The problem is that the A’s are in a logjam (and will continue to be for the future) at 1B and DH. Powell should, from here on out, play more games at catcher to rest Suzuki, I think.

People have talked about this, but the answer this year is to play Powell instead of Bobby Crosby at 1B, have Barton ready as the back-up catcher when Powell is DH’ing, move Nomar and keep Giambi on the DL til September 1st. Then, after that, play Giambi sporadically as a tribute. To get Barton in the game, I’d see what Everidge can do at 3B.

There’s just too many people at too few positions. Too bad Patterson sucks everywhere and Kennedy/Ellis can’t play shortstop.

by richwol1 on Aug 3, 2009 10:55 AM PDT reply actions  

Has Kennedy actually tried to play SS?

I don’t think he really played 3B until he got to the A’s and he has done well.. so let him try SS

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"

by Eastbayjim on Aug 3, 2009 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions  

He played one game there with St. Louis in 2007

Shortstop is a lot more difficult than 3B and 2B. Third base requires less range and quicker reaction time—not that SS doesn’t need good reaction time. He’ll be 34 next year, and he’s never been a particularly athletic guy. He would be a bad shortstop, plain and simple, and I don’t think very many people would disagree with that.

by NateHST on Aug 3, 2009 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's his health.

But I think a strict platoon (Powell as a lefty against righthanders) would make a lot of sense. Keep them both healthy and rested all year because I do agree that, ignoring health, they’re roughly equal in overall value.

by Elston Gunn on Aug 3, 2009 11:03 AM PDT reply actions  

Platooning Suzuki

The thing is, Zook has had a reverse platoon advantage throughout his career:

vs. RHP: .287/.340/.396
vs. LHP: .237/.312/.362

Powell’s also done much better against RH so far this year, though in a very SSS. His minor league splits showed virtually identical production against RH and LH.

I’d predict that if Suzuki ever has a “break out” season, it’ll be because he maintains his hitting against RH and figures out how to hit lefties. If he maintains his line against RH and develops a platoon advantage against LH, he’ll be an All Star.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions  

Reverse platoon

Aha, so he really is Japanese then?

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Aug 3, 2009 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

hmm, didn't know that

aren’t reverse platoon splits (for hitters) almost always flukes? anyway, the larger point is i’d like to see Suzuki play about 2/3 of the games and stay rested.

by Elston Gunn on Aug 3, 2009 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

Ronny Cedeno had a pronounced reverse platoon split

and maintained it over several years, leading to much debate over whether there was something peculiar about him or he was just an extreme random outlier.

More significantly, examinations of those few MLB players who do post reverse platoon splits shows a very strong correlation with players who came over from Japan, leading to speculation about how different pitching and hitting styles in Japan might reduce or even reverse the usual pattern we see here on this continent.

This came up a while back on AN and I think I linked to the relevant articles then. An AN archive search ought to turn it up.

(As far as I know, Kurt Suzuki never played in Japan, so I would assume his own split is just a fluke.)

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Aug 3, 2009 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

Zook actually seems to be correcting this problem as he gets more experience

Platoon OPS advantage, vs. RH

2007: +149 points (SSS)
2008: +87 points
2009: -.016 points

So this year he’s a tiny bit better against lefties than against righties. If he can keep the trend going in the right direction, maybe he can improve his production significantly next season.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think the key is for him is to hit righties worse

It’s easier than hitting lefties better.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions  

They should bring me in as his personal hitting coach

I guarantee I can make him a worse hitter vs. righties!

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

Or you could pitch to him and he'd be better against righties

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 6:11 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not if I get to use a giant nerf ball

Then he’d be baffled by my scroogie.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 6:35 PM PDT up reply actions  

If it's light green, then you're right.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

Another interesting statistic is that Suzuki hits .325 on the road and .230 on the road.

The Ultimate Opportunist

by Rated-R Superstar on Aug 3, 2009 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions  

Wow those road and road splits are large, the problem is deciding which road to sit him on.

Dating girls is like starting pitching depth, you think you have a good full rotation, even too many starters, then in an instant as soon as you trade your depth away injuries decimate your rotation and you are forced to start Sidney Ponson.

by designatedforassignment on Aug 3, 2009 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

I meant to say that he hits .230 at home. I am so silly.

The Ultimate Opportunist

by Rated-R Superstar on Aug 3, 2009 2:54 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

He also hits .325 at home.

It’s a weird split that you don’t see often: .325 at home, .230 at home, .325 on the road, and .230 on the road.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions  

That’s how amazing Kurt Suzuki is.

The Ultimate Opportunist

by Rated-R Superstar on Aug 3, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Half of the fans were there to see Rickey, half were there to see the game

and the other half were there to see Suzuki hit on the road.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

Kurt is what you call a palindrome.

This is almost as good as a ferrarodrome but not as good as hitting for the cycle.

Bob Garen is incontinent

by Aufheben on Aug 3, 2009 7:55 PM PDT up reply actions  

I like the personal catcher route

like Maddux / Eddie Perez with the Braves. It allows Powell the ability to work with the specific pitcher and plan/view film accordingly. It gives Suzuki 20% of the games off, giving him just under 130 games a year.

by echerrst on Aug 3, 2009 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

The most famous one

…was Tim McCarver and Steve Carlton, in both St. Louis and Philadelphia.

by richwol1 on Aug 3, 2009 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions  

Agreed -- I say we start Powell every time Carlton is pitching!

Those are also the games I’m ok with Crosby playing.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

Powell catches Brett Anderson -- got it!

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

Didn't Ron Hassey always catch for Bob Welch?

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think Welch's impression was that it was two Ron Hasseys.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Welch's impression of two Ron Hasseys

That would involve him sticking his arms out, right?

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 3, 2009 6:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

From what I remember, yes.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

Who is Kurk Suzuki?

What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.

by winchester5 on Aug 3, 2009 11:19 AM PDT reply actions  

I believe Pam has the answer to that.

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Aug 3, 2009 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions  

... but apparently she's not reading this thread, so

Not sure, but I think that was in San Diego. Or maybe Dodger Stadium.

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Aug 3, 2009 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions  

You know why Suzuki is throwing to second? 'Cause there's a man on first...

“May the force be with you.”

Oh come on — it’s “Star something.”

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions  

DH

I am a fan of the idea that Powell, Carter, Barton and Suzuki would make an excellent 4 way tandem at 1b and DH

by jeffro on Aug 3, 2009 11:59 AM PDT reply actions  

That's too many people at the two positions that are easiest to play.

I’d like to see Wallace and a backup playing 3B, Carter and Barton playing 1B, Suzuki catching, and whoever is left over from that group can take a DH spot.

by NateHST on Aug 3, 2009 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

How is that different than what I just wrote?

You have Wallace, another guy, Barton, Carter and Suzuki (and another guy?) That is 6 for 3 instead of 4 for 2? Did I misread?

by jeffro on Aug 3, 2009 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions  

I just re read this

I meant Suzuki at Catcher, Powell as his back up, Barton as the emergency Catcher and then… Carter, Barton and Powell splitting DH and 1b… so 4 for 3 really.

by jeffro on Aug 4, 2009 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

I've actually thought about this quite a bit

I don’t doubt for a second that Powell is the better hitter. If he wasn’t a walking corpse, then I’d have no problem with him starting over Kurt.

Solace: Law says he's a fourth OFer
PaulThomas: I think Keith Law is only a fourth analyst

by hero66 on Aug 3, 2009 12:08 PM PDT reply actions  

Weird timing for this post

I love Kurt Suzuki but I have been second guessing him lately. It appears that he is calling his own game and I don’t feel comfortable with what pitches he is calling in many situations. One that immediately comes to mind— Andrew Bailey should be throwing a fastball and should set that pitch up with a fastball. Why is he throwing a 2nd pitch when the 1st one is nearly unhittable?

The rookies are getting “bedrocked” too but I’m not confident that they’re throwing the best pitch for each situation. Cahill had a nice change working for him in Boston but he didn’t seem to use it nearly enough. Maybe the coaches are telling him what to call more than I realize in which case I can blame them instead of Suzuki?

What does everyone else think? We should leave Gio out of this discussion because he simply can’t command any part of the strikezone on most nights. He has great stuff but he seems to tailor his game after Nuke Laloosh.

These ain't your father's A's.

by ohtobe21likehuston on Aug 3, 2009 12:18 PM PDT reply actions  

I don't see as many of the games as most

But from where I sit, Captain Kurk is doing just fine. The D – and mainly the handling of the pitching staff – is the most important part of the job. He’s at least good at that, and possibly very good.

If on top of that the catcher gives you anything productive offensively, it’s a plus. So, even if we assumed that Powell’s stats were replicable over a full season, I wouldn’t see him replacing the Captain. But Suzuki is hardly a slouch at the plate. He’s one of the team’s best hitters. Granted, not a power guy, but still a very good hitter.

Between the two of them, it seems like we have a very good situation. I do agree with giving Powell more time, mostly to rest Suzuki. But catching is not this team’s weakness.

As for those pitch selections, I can’t really comment other than to say that even Mariano Rivera uses his other pitches sometimes. You have to keep major league hitters honest, because there is almost no pitch that you can get by a good hitter if he knows it’s coming.

Do you know the way to San Jose?

by eastcoasta'sfan on Aug 3, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

Kurt in the aggregate (offense and defense) is the better player

Landon’s bat is a sweet, sweet luxury. Or, possibly, a great trade chip.

by Joey C. on Aug 3, 2009 3:03 PM PDT reply actions  

Given his propensity to drive in runs,

Powell could be a pretty valuable backup catcher and on other days the team’s “ace in the hole, once/game high leverage” hitter (pinch hitter). The latter is basically the role Nomar has, except Powell might actually be good at it.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 3, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Agreed

I like having Powell’s bat to spell Suzuki, or to take over for extended periods if Suzuki ever proves he’s a true Athletic and has to go on the DL (knocking on every wood surface in my home).

Still, catchers with offensive capabilities are highly valued in baseball. If some team saw Landon as a viable starter and offered a sweet deal, I’d take it in a heartbeat. Especially with Donaldson not too far away.

by Joey C. on Aug 3, 2009 6:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

Sounds like Melhuse

They say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing all the time!

by muffinpryde on Aug 3, 2009 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

Donaldson.

Is prob the best offensive catcher in out system. I expect good things from him.

"Their Triple-A rotation, led by Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, could be better than some big-league rotations; Michael Ynoa is the best Latin American prospect of the decade; 2008 draftees Jemile Weeks and Rashun Dixon bring much-needed tools to an advanced group of hitters." - BaseballProspectus.com

by Syphon on Aug 3, 2009 3:17 PM PDT reply actions  

Suzuki next Biggio?

The concept of playing Powell some at 1st and DH is good. I also think Suzuki is athletic and fast enough to learn another position — 3rd base

by BlueMoon on Aug 3, 2009 4:59 PM PDT reply actions  

I've always thought that we could move zook to 3B or 2B....

….on occasion so as not to kill his knees. Plus he seems to hit better when he’s DHed or PHed, so maybe a IF position would be better on his bat

by thashyt on Aug 4, 2009 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think this is a lot harder than we might think

Other than Craig Biggio, has any catcher ever successfully become a 2B? I can’t think of a single one who did it successfully. The skill sets are pretty different — for instance, catchers don’t exactly need a lot of range. And 2B’s can get away with having average to mediocre arms. I guess the A’s put Scott Hemond at 2B and 3B from time to time, and his fielding numbers there weren’t disastrous (SSS). Maybe if he’d been able to hit he would have made it as a super-utility guy, or a 2B. Or maybe they just would have kept him at C.

3B is a slightly more common conversion. Johnny Bench played 3B after he’d destroyed his knees catching for a decade — but that was because he was a great hitter and the Reds wanted to keep his bat in the lineup and I suppose they didn’t have an obvious candidate to replace Rose. Despite being one of the best defensive catchers ever — soft hands, incredibly quick, cannon arm — he was a terrible 3B. And playing 3B is a lot easier than catching.

I mean, Dale Murphy started his career as a catcher, then played some 1B, then finally was put in CF and became a multiple gold-glove winner and 2-time MVP. But I think it would be a big, big mistake to look at any of our catchers and say, “Hey, he’s the solution to our CF problems.”

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 4, 2009 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

You mean Daric Murphy

If Donaldson looked like he could give you a really solid bat and be a good defensive catcher, it would almost make sense to think about moving Suzuki to 3B — except for the fact that a better solution in that scenario would just be to play Donaldson at 3B, Suzuki at C.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 4, 2009 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yes on moving Donaldson

who sounds like a worse defensive catcher than Zook (who sets a pretty high bar).

Donaldson has caught 77 games this year (13 errors and 16 PBs, though good CS% (41%), and played 3B in only 15. So it doesn’t seem like the A’s are planning on moving him. And those E and PB numbers are really, really bad. I mean, at that rate Donaldson can be expected to commit an error or allow a passed ball nearly every series the team plays. Blech.

The argument against moving him could be (a) he’s bad at 3B and won’t get good enough to reach the majors there; or (b) he’s a more valuable trading chip if he can reach the majors as a catcher, and anyway it’s never a bad idea to have a good, young catcher in your system (in case Zook gets hurt or someone offers players we really want in return for him).

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 4, 2009 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions  

Also he didn't really even start catching till his final year at Auburn

So it makes a lot of sense to give him time to improve behind the plate before sending him back to third base.

Dating girls is like starting pitching depth, you think you have a good full rotation, even too many starters, then in an instant as soon as you trade your depth away injuries decimate your rotation and you are forced to start Sidney Ponson.

by designatedforassignment on Aug 4, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

+1 Ive thought about this, he’s very athletic and has a great fundamental understanding of the game, why not try him at 3B?

by PL78 on Aug 7, 2009 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog about Oakland Athletics.

Community Guidelines ANcillary Terms

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Small
A's relocation option from a legal expert on the issue
Oakland_athletics_team_logo_photofile_small
Prospects 1Q Report

Recent FanPosts

Small
GOG 2012 #18: The Twins have a shiny new park, and not much else
Small
Gotta Be Their Pitching
Hardly-boys_small
Minor League notes on Major League Day Off
Small
Cespedes Upate?
Small
The SF Warriors, the LA Raiders and the Oakland A's
Photo__11__small
COG #17 - Yankees vs. Athletics or Spank me! Spank me!
100_1536_small
What to do? What to do?
Small
Fans Should Buy the A's
Reg3_small
Tom Milone's Nickname

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Yahoo_full_count

Front Page Writers

Maya_papi_small Tyler Bleszinski

08-_the_author_small 67MARQUEZ

Baseball_small baseballgirl

Poochini-butt_in_box_2_small Nico

Img_1877_small Billy Frijoles

Img_0653_small dwishinsky

Sb_nation1_small ahhall

Front Page Writers

Smiley_face_small gigglingone

Venasfans_small OaklandSi

60-minutes-clock_small cuppingmaster

Patpicturebucky2_small YonYonson

Img_3830_small David Fung

Moderators

Photofunia-5c770b_small coffee roaster

Denver_small Colorado Fan

Ls_logo100_small LoneStranger

Thumbs_up_small LongTimeFan

Marty_profile_in_green_small mrod

Babycomputergeek_small paris7

Img_0115_small Tutu-late