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Catching breakdown...


JPN366
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...just my logic, but seems likely to me.

 

Chicago

A.J. and Corky

A right handed bat to back up Pierzynski. Corky's also the most experienced anyway.

 

Charlotte

Cole Armstrong and Chris Stewart

Cole starts, Stew backs up. Two work horses, who plays most? Lefty, righty platoon perhaps? Both are equally adept hitters.

 

B'ham

Flowers and Lucy

Flowers starts, Lucy backs up. Lucy is the perfect person to mentor Flowers' development and he may be capable of starting once or twice a week. He's tough as nails, so if anybody can at least be a back up catcher after dislocating a knee, Donny can. I saw him take a ball in the dirt off the cup on a cold night and keep playing. Plus, he played the next night.

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I think whichever of Miller and Stewart doesn't make the squad, is likely to be released.

 

And they wouldn't send Lucy backwards to AA.

 

I think we get Corky or Stewart in Chicago, the other being released. Armstrong and Lucy split time in Charlotte, Flowers starting in B-Ham. That is my best guess.

 

An alternative is that Armstrong gets traded.

 

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 09:29 PM)
And they wouldn't send Lucy backwards to AA.

 

Lucy's only 26 and has technically only played two whole months in AAA. The last month of the season in 2007, and the first month in 2008. Like I said, mentoring Flowers would be the reasoning for a return to AA. And, to evaluate how much he can play.

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QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 09:37 PM)
I still think Stewart wins it. Dude was raking against lefties last season not to mention this is Corky f***ing Miller were talking about here.

 

Trust me, I love Chris Stewart. He's a class act all the way. He had a great year for B'ham in 2005. Of course, everybody did. But, for a catcher, 11 HR and 51 RBI.

 

The Barons 2005 roster included...

Josh Fields

Jerry Owens (.330 average and Southern League honors)

Chris Young

Ryan Sweeney

Casey Rogowski (The Man)

&

SL RBI title holder Darren Blakely (he beat out Dan Uggla)

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QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 5, 2009 -> 04:23 AM)
...just my logic, but seems likely to me.

 

Chicago

A.J. and Corky

A right handed bat to back up Pierzynski. Corky's also the most experienced anyway.

 

Charlotte

Cole Armstrong and Chris Stewart

Cole starts, Stew backs up. Two work horses, who plays most? Lefty, righty platoon perhaps? Both are equally adept hitters.

 

B'ham

Flowers and Lucy

Flowers starts, Lucy backs up. Lucy is the perfect person to mentor Flowers' development and he may be capable of starting once or twice a week. He's tough as nails, so if anybody can at least be a back up catcher after dislocating a knee, Donny can. I saw him take a ball in the dirt off the cup on a cold night and keep playing. Plus, he played the next night.

 

Not that big of a deal. You walk it off. I'm not sayin the guy ain't tough though.

 

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A few weeks in to camp, a brief look at the contenders thus far...

 

Flowers in 5 games:

10 AB, .200/.200/.200/.400... 10 innings, 1 error, 1 PB, 1/1 SB Against

 

Miller in 4 games:

10 AB, .500/.500/1.000/1.500... 21 innings, 0 errors, 1 PB, 4/5 SB Against

 

Stewart in 4 games:

9 AB, .222/.222/.566/.788... 18 innings, 1 error, 0 PB, 0/0 SB Against

 

Lucy in 4 games:

7 AB, .286/.286/.714/1.000... 14.2 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 5/5 SB Against

 

Armstrong in 3 games:

7 AB, .000/.000/.000/.000, 15 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 1.1 SB Against

 

 

Thoughts so far?

 

 

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I agree with JPN. Miller has the best chance to backup AJ. I thought he was just a body for camp as well, but so far he has shown he's somewhat competent with the bat, and from what I have read, he's suppossed to be really good defensively. But it will likely be one of Stewart and Miller, and the loser gets sent down to Charlotte with Armstrong. And speaking of Armstrong, my oh my does he look lost at bat. I'm not surprised that so far major league pitching (for the most part) has shut him down. I am surprised that he actually hit good at times in the minors and in the AFL however. But he and Stewart/Miller should provide Charlotte with a decent backstop.

 

I agree that Lucy will be sent back down to AA. He's still recovering from that injury (if not physically, mentally), and just like a major leaguer in a similar situation, you start them low to get back to speed and go from there. Also, he should see plenty of time catching due to the fact Flowers doesn't look like much of a catcher anyway. Does Birmingham have the DH? If so, I could see Flowers spending some time there (with Allen at 1B).

 

So far, all four of our affiliates look good. W-S and Kanny should benefit from our strong draft class from last year, and AA and AAA look pretty solid from what I can tell. I wish the White Sox had all their affiliates centered around Illinois and the midwest instead of down primarily in the south east.

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Mar 8, 2009 -> 10:11 PM)
I agree with JPN. Miller has the best chance to backup AJ. I thought he was just a body for camp as well, but so far he has shown he's somewhat competent with the bat, and from what I have read, he's suppossed to be really good defensively. But it will likely be one of Stewart and Miller, and the loser gets sent down to Charlotte with Armstrong. And speaking of Armstrong, my oh my does he look lost at bat. I'm not surprised that so far major league pitching (for the most part) has shut him down. I am surprised that he actually hit good at times in the minors and in the AFL however. But he and Stewart/Miller should provide Charlotte with a decent backstop.

 

I agree that Lucy will be sent back down to AA. He's still recovering from that injury (if not physically, mentally), and just like a major leaguer in a similar situation, you start them low to get back to speed and go from there. Also, he should see plenty of time catching due to the fact Flowers doesn't look like much of a catcher anyway. Does Birmingham have the DH? If so, I could see Flowers spending some time there (with Allen at 1B).

 

So far, all four of our affiliates look good. W-S and Kanny should benefit from our strong draft class from last year, and AA and AAA look pretty solid from what I can tell. I wish the White Sox had all their affiliates centered around Illinois and the midwest instead of down primarily in the south east.

 

Yes, the Barons use the DH. I still think that Flowers will catch 4 out of 5 and Lucy will get the other game. Unless Tyler is just horrible, then I can see him DH'ing a lot. He could even DH when not catching. If they are both here like I think, I'm sure I'll see them talking catching frequently.

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QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 01:39 AM)
Yes, the Barons use the DH. I still think that Flowers will catch 4 out of 5 and Lucy will get the other game. Unless Tyler is just horrible, then I can see him DH'ing a lot. He could even DH when not catching. If they are both here like I think, I'm sure I'll see them talking catching frequently.

I can't see them DHing Flowers much. He either needs to catch and try to improve or find a different position. You don't want someone his age to be strickly a DH. I think Flowers will catch everyday until they decide he just will never be able to do it, and then move him to another position to see if he can handle that. DH has to be the final option.

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Mar 8, 2009 -> 10:11 PM)
I agree with JPN. Miller has the best chance to backup AJ. I thought he was just a body for camp as well, but so far he has shown he's somewhat competent with the bat, and from what I have read, he's suppossed to be really good defensively. But it will likely be one of Stewart and Miller, and the loser gets sent down to Charlotte with Armstrong. And speaking of Armstrong, my oh my does he look lost at bat. I'm not surprised that so far major league pitching (for the most part) has shut him down. I am surprised that he actually hit good at times in the minors and in the AFL however. But he and Stewart/Miller should provide Charlotte with a decent backstop.

 

I agree that Lucy will be sent back down to AA. He's still recovering from that injury (if not physically, mentally), and just like a major leaguer in a similar situation, you start them low to get back to speed and go from there. Also, he should see plenty of time catching due to the fact Flowers doesn't look like much of a catcher anyway. Does Birmingham have the DH? If so, I could see Flowers spending some time there (with Allen at 1B).

 

So far, all four of our affiliates look good. W-S and Kanny should benefit from our strong draft class from last year, and AA and AAA look pretty solid from what I can tell. I wish the White Sox had all their affiliates centered around Illinois and the midwest instead of down primarily in the south east.

Despite what he did the first week of spring training, Corky Miller cannot hit. I think he has a .176 career batting average.

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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 07:00 AM)
Despite what he did the first week of spring training, Corky Miller cannot hit. I think he has a .176 career batting average.

yep, and stewarts is .188...though corky miller has had had a nice batting eye in his career in the minors...im still pretty disappointed KW didn't go after Blanco who would have been a perfect fit here IMO....

Edited by daa84
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QUOTE (daa84 @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 09:28 AM)
yep, and stewarts is .188...though corky miller has had had a nice batting eye in his career in the minors...im still pretty disappointed KW didn't go after Blanco who would have been a perfect fit here IMO....

Yes he would have been, but perhaps he did go after him but playing time was an issue. He's probably going to play a lot more in SD.

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Since I did this a week ago, maybe I'll make it a weekly deal. Today's update on the backup catcher candidates in camp, IN ORDER OF INNINGS PLAYED...

 

Miller in 6 games:

14 AB, .429/.429/.786/1.215... 31 innings, 0 errors, 1 PB, 4/6 SB Against

 

Stewart in 6 games:

12 AB, .250/.308/.500/.808... 26 innings, 1 error, 0 PB, 0/0 SB Against

 

Lucy in 6 games:

10 AB, .300/.300/.600/.900... 21.2 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 5/5 SB Against

 

Armstrong in 4 games:

9 AB, .111/.111/.444/.555… 19 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 1/1 SB Against

 

Flowers in 7 games:

12 AB, .250/.250/.250/.500... 14 innings, 1 error, 1 PB, 1/1 SB Against

 

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QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 12:34 PM)
Bard has thrown out less than 19% of prospective base runners for his career. He'd fit in perfectly.

Heh. That is one of the things I am happy about with these 4 candidates (Flowers isn't getting the job), is that all four have shown they can throw out basestealers during their careers.

 

 

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Well, since the last weekly update, Armstrong and Flowers were sent to minor league camp, and Stewart was sent back to the Yankees. That leaves just two candidates - Miller and Lucy.

 

To date in ST...

 

Miller in 9 games:

22 AB, .409/.409/.773/1.182... 49 innings, 0 errors, 1 PB, 7/10 SB Against

 

Lucy in 8 games:

14 AB, .214/.214/.429/.643... 29.2 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 6/6 SB Against

 

 

Miller has apparently all but won the job and is still hitting very well, though no official word on the job yet, from what I know. I assume this means that Lucy and Armstrong split time in Charlotte, and if Miller falters (which seems likely), the better of the two takes the job in Chicago. Lucy seems to have the leg up right now among those two.

 

I'm still hanging onto a thread of hope for Lucy, but he'd need to tear the cover off the rest of ST and have Miller falter.

 

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