The Mariners get Mike Morse from Washington in a three-team trade. Sort of understandable, given the Nats just resigned Adam LaRoche. Although I'm thinking (1) LaRoche is two years older than Morse, and (2) Morse has more upside, but whatever.
A's dump George Kottaras as part of the deal, who would make a good backup catcher for someone.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Friday, April 13, 2012
Your 2012 Radio Announcers
Baltimore Orioles – Joe Angel, Fred Manfra
Boston Red Sox – Joe Castiglione, Dave O’Brien
Chicago White Sox – Ed Farmer, Darrin Jackson
Cleveland Indians – Tom Hamilton, Jim Rosenhaus
Detroit Tigers – Dan Dickerson, Jim Price
Kansas City Royals – Denny Matthews, Bob Davis, Steve Physioc
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Terry Smith, Jose Mota
Minnesota Twins – Kris Atteberry, Cory Provus
New York Yankees – John Sterling, Suzyn Waldman
Oakland Athletics – Ken Korach, Vince Cotroneo, Ray Fosse
Seattle Mariners – Rick Rizzs, (rotating) Ron Fairly/Ken Levine/Ken Wilson/Dave Henderson/Dave Valle
Tampa Bay Rays – Andy Freed, Dave Wills
Texas Rangers – Eric Nadel, Steve Busby
Toronto Blue Jays – Jerry Howarth, Mike Wilner, Alan Ashby
Arizona Diamondbacks – Greg Schulte, Tom Candiotti, Jeff Munn
Atlanta Braves – Jim Powell, Don Sutton
Chicago Cubs – Pat Hughes, Keith Moreland
Cincinnati Reds – Marty Brennaman, Jeff Brantley, Jim Kelch
Colorado Rockies – Jack Corrigan, Jerry Schemmel
Houston Astros – Milo Hamilton, Brett Dolan, Dave Raymond
Los Angeles Dodgers – Vin Scully, Charlie Steiner, Rick Monday
Miami Marlins – Dave Van Horne, Glenn Geffner
Milwaukee Brewers – Bob Uecker, Joe Block
New York Mets – Howie Rose, Josh Lewin
Philadelphia Phillies – Chris Wheeler, Larry Andersen
Pittsburgh Pirates – Greg Brown, Tim Neverett, Bob Walk, Steve Blass, John Wehner
San Diego Padres – Jerry Coleman, Ted Leitner, Andy Masur
San Francisco Giants – Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, Dave Flemming
St. Louis Cardinals – John Rooney, Mike Shannon
Washington Nationals – Charlie Slowes, Dave Jageler
Friday, January 13, 2012
Superhits '78, Part 4
Wow, it's been a long time since I posted one of these.
Kiss, “Shout It Out Loud [live version],” #54, February 12, 1978
Yet another song my son can sing along to thanks to its exposure on Scooby-Doo. This was the second time “Shout It Out Loud” had been released as a single; the studio version had peaked at #31 in May of 1976. Kiss was a merchandise bonanza by that point, given “Shout It Out Loud” came from their second double live album, along with six studio albums, in four years – not to mention all the other stuff (including their own comic book). The worm would start to turn within the next two years: the band members’ solo albums were all sales disappointments, a made-for-TV movie was an artistic failure, the disco-sounding “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” turned off the heavy metal fans, and drummer Peter Criss would be phased out of the band (Ace Frehley would follow a few years later).
Prism, “Take Me to the Kaptin,” #59, February 12, 1978
Uninteresting hard rock piece from a Vancouver-based band probably best known for launching the careers of producer Bruce Fairbairn (he co-produced their self-titled first album, from which this is taken), and songwriter Jim Vallance (who plays drums here under the pseudonym Rodney Higgs). This is the second of three Hot 100 hits for the band, which still records and tours today (although I don’t believe any of the original members of the group remain).
Cerrone, “Supernature,” #70, February 12, 1978
Disco concoction from French superstar Mark Cerrone, who was a bestseller in Europe but wasn’t able to achieve the same in the states. I remember picking up my first issue of Billboard magazine at age 15 and seeing a 16-page ad piece on this “best-selling” singer, all the time wondering who on earth he was.
Billy Joel, “Just the Way You Are,” #3, February 19, 1978
The song that really launched Joel into the stratosphere. First hit off The Stranger, his fourth solo album (well, fifth if you count the mastered-at-the-wrong-speed curio Cold Spring Harbor). Actually, I’ve heard that “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” was the first release and did nothing, only charting after this song hit, but I don’t have any way of verifying that. Written for his (first) ex-wife, Elizabeth.
Santa Esmeralda, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” #15, February 19, 1978
And I spent all these years thinking this was one of the first songs by a Hispanic group to hit the Top 20. Not so much; the band was formed in Paris, and lead singer Leroy Gomez, previously in Tavares, was born in Wareham, Massachusetts. Nifty disco concoction, and it tied the Animals’ version when it hit #15 (the song was actually written for Nina Simone).
Foreigner, “Long, Long Way From Home,” #20, February 19, 1978
Third and least of the singles from Foreigner’s self-titled debut, which had already yielded “Cold as Ice” and “Feels Like the First Time.” Left off of the first full Foreigner greatest hits set (I’m not counting their first greatest hits set from 1982, Records, which Atlantic Records concocted to create Christmas product while Foreigner was between albums) for no apparent reason, so some listeners may not know this one as well. It’s still an AOR staple today.
Odyssey, “Native New Yorker,” #21, February 19, 1978
Not really a disco song, contrary to popular opinion; call it sleek soul instead. The group was made up of three sisters from the Virgin Islands, and Filipino singer Tony Reynolds. “Native New Yorker” (which, oddly, didn’t get a whole lot of airplay on the New York Top 40 stations as I recall) would be their only American Top 40 hit.
Con Funk Shun, “Ffun,” #23, February 19, 1978
Long-lived seven-piece funk band from Valejo, California that would place 26 hits on the Billboard R&B charts over three decades, but never quite hit the same heights on the pop charts, scraping into the Top 40 only one more time in 1981 with “Too Tight.” This song was, uh, fun to listen to, but apparently didn’t draw enough of a pop audience to keep the momentum going.
Meco, “Theme From Close Encounters,” #25, February 19, 1978
Thirty-three years after it hit the charts, this song is now greeted by listeners with “This is a joke, right?” Domenico Monardo (a.k.a. Meco) was a jazz trombonist and arranger who decided to go in a different direction after seeing Star Wars four times in its first 24 hours of release. Working with producer/engineer Tony Bongiovi (yes, he’s Jon Bon Jovi’s brother), with whom he’d collaborated on songs like Gloria Gaynor’s “Never Can Say Goodbye,” Meco turned out the #1 “Star Wars” theme a few months later. This one was the followup, and what was similar to his big hit then makes one laugh today (especially the “goodbye… goodbye” part at the end). Still, Meco had nine chart hits between 1977 and 1983, so he must have known something.
Wet Willie, “Street Corner Serenade,” #30, February 19, 1978
Sixth chart hit (but only the second to hit the Top 40, three and a half years after their Top 10 smash “Keep On Smilin’”) for this southern rock group. Fifties nostalgia had already started going away at this point (the continued popularity of Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley notwithstanding), so the doo-wop sound and attitude of this song already must have felt a little passé to AM program directors.
War, “Galaxy,” #39, February 19, 1978
Fourteenth and final chart hit of the decade (including two with Eric Burdon), and unfortunately also their last. A catchy song that just didn’t live up to their biggest hits (“Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider,” etc.). A label change, some confusion over identity, the loss of a couple of members, and a bitter split between the group and their manager (four of them still tour today as the Lowrider Band, but are prohibited from calling themselves War because one other member stuck with that manager and thus retains the name) have put them on the margins, but they deserve mention as a soul/funk band right with Sly & The Family Stone.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Breakdown,” February 19, 1978
The very first chart hit for Petty and the Heartbreakers, which didn’t become a hit until over a year after the self-titled LP came out. Still a signature song for Petty today, and the first of many, many hits for the band. Even better in its live version, where the audience sings the first verse. Here's how that works: http://youtu.be/qNxfPAF1frM (unfortunately, this video can't be embedded).
Stillwater, “Mind Bender,” February 19, 1978
This – thing, on the other hand, is justifiably never heard on the radio today. It used the “talk box” guitar effect (best known today on such songs as Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” and the Eagles’ “Those Shoes”) over the course of an entire song, with the guitar telling the singer of its lineage. Stillwater was a southern rock band from the late ‘70s on Capricorn Records (home of The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, and others); headed to obscurity after that label collapsed. They’re not to be confused with the band Stillwater in the Cameron Crowe movie Almost Famous.
Andrea True Connection, “What’s Your Name, What’s Your Number,” February 19, 1978
Yikes, this is actually worse than the last song. Once and future pornographic actress True’s last Hot 100 hit, revealing the limits of her singing ability. For what it’s worth, True’s film work wasn’t a major factor in her music career; most of her publicity didn’t mention it, and in the days before Howard Stern, it wasn’t like she made lots of radio appearances in minimal attire. Fortunately, she seems to have invested her money well, as she’s been retired from both industries since the early 1980s, with no comebacks on the horizon (she turns 68 later this year).
UPDATE: I just rechecked Wikipedia; True died in November 2011 of heart failure.
Ted Nugent, “Home Bound,” #70, February 19, 1978
Follow up to Nugent’s biggest hit, “Cat Scratch Fever” (which actually only hit #30 – Nugent really wasn’t a singles artist), and the second single off the Cat Scratch Fever album. Nugent’s first eight solo albums (after leaving The Amboy Dukes) all went gold or platinum, so he was on a commercial high here. I’m not a Nugent fan (either of his music or his opinions), so my comments would be superfluous.
Pockets, “Come Go With Me,” #84, February 19, 1978
Not much available on this band, who does have a CD in print from this era through Collectables Records (unfortunately, none of the songs are available for legal download). Appears to be an eight-piece soul group from the Baltimore area, and this may have been their only Hot 100 entry.
Pablo Cruise, “Never Had a Love,” #87, February 19, 1978
Third and final single from their A Place in the Sun album, after the breakthrough hit “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and the title track. Fun and sun for this band from southern California, which still occasionally tours today (when founder Cory Lerios can break away from writing TV themes – he’s written the main theme or score for shows ranging from Baywatch to Days of Our Lives).
Eloise Laws, “1,000 Laughs,” #91, February 19, 1978
Dance hit from the R&B singer from Houston (her sister, Debra, was also a somewhat popular singer around this time). Laws had bad label luck – her first label, Invictus, folded not long after her first album came out, and her second, ABC, was in the middle of being sucked into MCA at that point, which meant only the superstar acts got attention. She’s still got a fair amount of material in print, but this song ain’t one of them.
Brick, “Ain’t Gonna’ Hurt Nobody,” #92, February 19, 1978
Funk/jazz band that had a hard time finding the handle outside of their 1977 hit “Dazz” (although the followup, “Dusic,” did climb into the Top 20). It probably didn’t help that their label was Bang Records, which was not terribly successful outside of Neil Diamond, and was in its death throes by the late 1970s. Still in print today, but as far as I can tell the band has gone its separate ways.
Kiss, “Shout It Out Loud [live version],” #54, February 12, 1978
Yet another song my son can sing along to thanks to its exposure on Scooby-Doo. This was the second time “Shout It Out Loud” had been released as a single; the studio version had peaked at #31 in May of 1976. Kiss was a merchandise bonanza by that point, given “Shout It Out Loud” came from their second double live album, along with six studio albums, in four years – not to mention all the other stuff (including their own comic book). The worm would start to turn within the next two years: the band members’ solo albums were all sales disappointments, a made-for-TV movie was an artistic failure, the disco-sounding “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” turned off the heavy metal fans, and drummer Peter Criss would be phased out of the band (Ace Frehley would follow a few years later).
Prism, “Take Me to the Kaptin,” #59, February 12, 1978
Uninteresting hard rock piece from a Vancouver-based band probably best known for launching the careers of producer Bruce Fairbairn (he co-produced their self-titled first album, from which this is taken), and songwriter Jim Vallance (who plays drums here under the pseudonym Rodney Higgs). This is the second of three Hot 100 hits for the band, which still records and tours today (although I don’t believe any of the original members of the group remain).
Cerrone, “Supernature,” #70, February 12, 1978
Disco concoction from French superstar Mark Cerrone, who was a bestseller in Europe but wasn’t able to achieve the same in the states. I remember picking up my first issue of Billboard magazine at age 15 and seeing a 16-page ad piece on this “best-selling” singer, all the time wondering who on earth he was.
Billy Joel, “Just the Way You Are,” #3, February 19, 1978
The song that really launched Joel into the stratosphere. First hit off The Stranger, his fourth solo album (well, fifth if you count the mastered-at-the-wrong-speed curio Cold Spring Harbor). Actually, I’ve heard that “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” was the first release and did nothing, only charting after this song hit, but I don’t have any way of verifying that. Written for his (first) ex-wife, Elizabeth.
Santa Esmeralda, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” #15, February 19, 1978
And I spent all these years thinking this was one of the first songs by a Hispanic group to hit the Top 20. Not so much; the band was formed in Paris, and lead singer Leroy Gomez, previously in Tavares, was born in Wareham, Massachusetts. Nifty disco concoction, and it tied the Animals’ version when it hit #15 (the song was actually written for Nina Simone).
Foreigner, “Long, Long Way From Home,” #20, February 19, 1978
Third and least of the singles from Foreigner’s self-titled debut, which had already yielded “Cold as Ice” and “Feels Like the First Time.” Left off of the first full Foreigner greatest hits set (I’m not counting their first greatest hits set from 1982, Records, which Atlantic Records concocted to create Christmas product while Foreigner was between albums) for no apparent reason, so some listeners may not know this one as well. It’s still an AOR staple today.
Odyssey, “Native New Yorker,” #21, February 19, 1978
Not really a disco song, contrary to popular opinion; call it sleek soul instead. The group was made up of three sisters from the Virgin Islands, and Filipino singer Tony Reynolds. “Native New Yorker” (which, oddly, didn’t get a whole lot of airplay on the New York Top 40 stations as I recall) would be their only American Top 40 hit.
Con Funk Shun, “Ffun,” #23, February 19, 1978
Long-lived seven-piece funk band from Valejo, California that would place 26 hits on the Billboard R&B charts over three decades, but never quite hit the same heights on the pop charts, scraping into the Top 40 only one more time in 1981 with “Too Tight.” This song was, uh, fun to listen to, but apparently didn’t draw enough of a pop audience to keep the momentum going.
Meco, “Theme From Close Encounters,” #25, February 19, 1978
Thirty-three years after it hit the charts, this song is now greeted by listeners with “This is a joke, right?” Domenico Monardo (a.k.a. Meco) was a jazz trombonist and arranger who decided to go in a different direction after seeing Star Wars four times in its first 24 hours of release. Working with producer/engineer Tony Bongiovi (yes, he’s Jon Bon Jovi’s brother), with whom he’d collaborated on songs like Gloria Gaynor’s “Never Can Say Goodbye,” Meco turned out the #1 “Star Wars” theme a few months later. This one was the followup, and what was similar to his big hit then makes one laugh today (especially the “goodbye… goodbye” part at the end). Still, Meco had nine chart hits between 1977 and 1983, so he must have known something.
Wet Willie, “Street Corner Serenade,” #30, February 19, 1978
Sixth chart hit (but only the second to hit the Top 40, three and a half years after their Top 10 smash “Keep On Smilin’”) for this southern rock group. Fifties nostalgia had already started going away at this point (the continued popularity of Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley notwithstanding), so the doo-wop sound and attitude of this song already must have felt a little passé to AM program directors.
War, “Galaxy,” #39, February 19, 1978
Fourteenth and final chart hit of the decade (including two with Eric Burdon), and unfortunately also their last. A catchy song that just didn’t live up to their biggest hits (“Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider,” etc.). A label change, some confusion over identity, the loss of a couple of members, and a bitter split between the group and their manager (four of them still tour today as the Lowrider Band, but are prohibited from calling themselves War because one other member stuck with that manager and thus retains the name) have put them on the margins, but they deserve mention as a soul/funk band right with Sly & The Family Stone.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Breakdown,” February 19, 1978
The very first chart hit for Petty and the Heartbreakers, which didn’t become a hit until over a year after the self-titled LP came out. Still a signature song for Petty today, and the first of many, many hits for the band. Even better in its live version, where the audience sings the first verse. Here's how that works: http://youtu.be/qNxfPAF1frM (unfortunately, this video can't be embedded).
Stillwater, “Mind Bender,” February 19, 1978
This – thing, on the other hand, is justifiably never heard on the radio today. It used the “talk box” guitar effect (best known today on such songs as Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” and the Eagles’ “Those Shoes”) over the course of an entire song, with the guitar telling the singer of its lineage. Stillwater was a southern rock band from the late ‘70s on Capricorn Records (home of The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, and others); headed to obscurity after that label collapsed. They’re not to be confused with the band Stillwater in the Cameron Crowe movie Almost Famous.
Andrea True Connection, “What’s Your Name, What’s Your Number,” February 19, 1978
Yikes, this is actually worse than the last song. Once and future pornographic actress True’s last Hot 100 hit, revealing the limits of her singing ability. For what it’s worth, True’s film work wasn’t a major factor in her music career; most of her publicity didn’t mention it, and in the days before Howard Stern, it wasn’t like she made lots of radio appearances in minimal attire. Fortunately, she seems to have invested her money well, as she’s been retired from both industries since the early 1980s, with no comebacks on the horizon (she turns 68 later this year).
UPDATE: I just rechecked Wikipedia; True died in November 2011 of heart failure.
Ted Nugent, “Home Bound,” #70, February 19, 1978
Follow up to Nugent’s biggest hit, “Cat Scratch Fever” (which actually only hit #30 – Nugent really wasn’t a singles artist), and the second single off the Cat Scratch Fever album. Nugent’s first eight solo albums (after leaving The Amboy Dukes) all went gold or platinum, so he was on a commercial high here. I’m not a Nugent fan (either of his music or his opinions), so my comments would be superfluous.
Pockets, “Come Go With Me,” #84, February 19, 1978
Not much available on this band, who does have a CD in print from this era through Collectables Records (unfortunately, none of the songs are available for legal download). Appears to be an eight-piece soul group from the Baltimore area, and this may have been their only Hot 100 entry.
Pablo Cruise, “Never Had a Love,” #87, February 19, 1978
Third and final single from their A Place in the Sun album, after the breakthrough hit “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and the title track. Fun and sun for this band from southern California, which still occasionally tours today (when founder Cory Lerios can break away from writing TV themes – he’s written the main theme or score for shows ranging from Baywatch to Days of Our Lives).
Eloise Laws, “1,000 Laughs,” #91, February 19, 1978
Dance hit from the R&B singer from Houston (her sister, Debra, was also a somewhat popular singer around this time). Laws had bad label luck – her first label, Invictus, folded not long after her first album came out, and her second, ABC, was in the middle of being sucked into MCA at that point, which meant only the superstar acts got attention. She’s still got a fair amount of material in print, but this song ain’t one of them.
Brick, “Ain’t Gonna’ Hurt Nobody,” #92, February 19, 1978
Funk/jazz band that had a hard time finding the handle outside of their 1977 hit “Dazz” (although the followup, “Dusic,” did climb into the Top 20). It probably didn’t help that their label was Bang Records, which was not terribly successful outside of Neil Diamond, and was in its death throes by the late 1970s. Still in print today, but as far as I can tell the band has gone its separate ways.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
19 Days of Football (Sorry I Missed the First Five!)
Thursday, December 22
8:00 PM – Maaco Bowl: Arizona State (6-6) vs. Boise State (11-1), ESPN
8:20 PM – Houston at Indianapolis, NFL Network
Saturday, December 24
Fox has the NFL doubleheader. Check the506.com for the games airing in your area.
1:00 PM – New York Giants at New York Jets, Fox
1:00 PM – Cleveland at Baltimore, CBS
1:00 PM – Denver at Buffalo, CBS
1:00 PM – Tampa Bay at Carolina, Fox
1:00 PM – Oakland at Kansas City, CBS
1:00 PM – Arizona at Cincinnati, Fox
1:00 PM – Miami at New England, CBS
1:00 PM – St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Fox
1:00 PM – Jacksonville at Tennessee, CBS
1:00 PM – Minnesota at Washington, Fox
4:05 PM – San Diego at Detroit, CBS
4:15 PM – Philadelphia at Dallas, Fox
4:15 PM – San Francisco at Seattle, Fox
8:00 PM – Hawaii Bowl: Nevada (7-5) vs. Southern Mississippi (11-2), ESPN
Sunday, December 25
8:20 PM – Green Bay at Chicago, NBC
Monday, December 26
5:00 PM – Independence Bowl: Missouri (7-5) vs. North Carolina (7-5), ESPN2
8:30 PM – Atlanta at New Orleans, ESPN
Tuesday, December 27
4:30 PM – Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6), ESPN
8:00 PM – Belk Bowl: Louisville (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (7-5), ESPN
Wednesday, December 28
4:30 PM – Military Bowl: Toledo (8-4) vs. Air Force (7-5), ESPN
8:00 PM – Holiday Bowl: California (7-5) vs. Texas (7-5), ESPN
Thursday, December 29
5:30 PM – Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (8-4), ESPN
9:00 PM – Alamo Bowl: Washington (7-5) vs. Baylor (9-3), ESPN
Friday, December 30
12:00 Noon – Armed Forces Bowl: BYU (9-3) vs. Tulsa (8-4), ESPN
3:20 PM – Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers (8-4) vs. Iowa State (6-6), ESPN
6:40 PM – Music City Bowl: Mississippi State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (6-6), ESPN
10:00 PM – Insight Bowl: Iowa (7-5) vs. Oklahoma (9-3), ESPN
Saturday, December 31
12 Noon – Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Northwestern (6-6), ESPN
2:00 PM – Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5), CBS
3:30 PM – Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois (6-6) vs. UCLA (6-7), ESPN
3:30 PM – Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6), ABC
7:30 PM – Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), ESPN
Sunday, January 1
CBS has the doubleheader. Check the506.com for games airing in your area.
1:00 PM – New York Jets at Miami, CBS
1:00 PM – Chicago at Minnesota, Fox
1:00 PM – Dallas at New York Giants, Fox
1:00 PM – Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Fox
1:00 PM – Baltimore at Cincinnati, CBS
1:00 PM – San Francisco at St. Louis, Fox
1:00 PM – Washington at Philadelphia, Fox
1:00 PM – Pittsburgh at Cleveland, CBS
1:00 PM – Detroit at Green Bay, Fox
1:00 PM – Tennessee at Houston, CBS
1:00 PM – Indianapolis at Jacksonville, CBS
1:00 PM – Buffalo at New England, CBS
1:00 PM – Carolina at New Orleans, Fox
4:15 PM – Seattle at Arizona, Fox
4:15 PM – Kansas City at Denver, CBS
4:15 PM – San Diego at Oakland, CBS
Monday, January 2
12:00 PM – Ticket City Bowl, Houston (12-1) vs. Penn State (9-3), ESPNU
1:00 PM – Gator Bowl, Ohio State (6-6) vs. Florida (6-6), ESPN2
1:00 PM – Outback Bowl, Michigan State (10-3) vs. Georgia (10-3), ABC
1:00 PM – Capital One Bowl, Nebraska (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2), ESPN
5:00 PM – Rose Bowl, Wisconsin (11-2) vs. Oregon (11-2), ESPN
8:30 PM – Fiesta Bowl, Stanford (11-1) vs. Oklahoma State (11-1), ESPN
Tuesday, January 3
8:30 PM – Sugar Bowl, Michigan (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2), ESPN
Wednesday, January 4
8:30 PM – Orange Bowl, West Virginia (9-3) vs. Clemson (10-3), ESPN
Friday, January 6
8:00 PM – Cotton Bowl, Kansas (10-2) vs. Arkansas (10-2), Fox
Saturday, January 7
1:00 PM – Compass Bowl, SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6), ESPN
NFL Wild-Card Round Playoffs (times and teams to come), NBC
Sunday, January 8
NFL Wild-Card Round Playoffs (times and teams to come), CBS and Fox
9:00 PM – GoDaddy.com Bowl, Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (10-3), ESPN
Monday, January 9
8:30 PM – BCS Championship Game, Alabama (11-1) vs. LSU (13-0), ESPN
8:00 PM – Maaco Bowl: Arizona State (6-6) vs. Boise State (11-1), ESPN
8:20 PM – Houston at Indianapolis, NFL Network
Saturday, December 24
Fox has the NFL doubleheader. Check the506.com for the games airing in your area.
1:00 PM – New York Giants at New York Jets, Fox
1:00 PM – Cleveland at Baltimore, CBS
1:00 PM – Denver at Buffalo, CBS
1:00 PM – Tampa Bay at Carolina, Fox
1:00 PM – Oakland at Kansas City, CBS
1:00 PM – Arizona at Cincinnati, Fox
1:00 PM – Miami at New England, CBS
1:00 PM – St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Fox
1:00 PM – Jacksonville at Tennessee, CBS
1:00 PM – Minnesota at Washington, Fox
4:05 PM – San Diego at Detroit, CBS
4:15 PM – Philadelphia at Dallas, Fox
4:15 PM – San Francisco at Seattle, Fox
8:00 PM – Hawaii Bowl: Nevada (7-5) vs. Southern Mississippi (11-2), ESPN
Sunday, December 25
8:20 PM – Green Bay at Chicago, NBC
Monday, December 26
5:00 PM – Independence Bowl: Missouri (7-5) vs. North Carolina (7-5), ESPN2
8:30 PM – Atlanta at New Orleans, ESPN
Tuesday, December 27
4:30 PM – Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6), ESPN
8:00 PM – Belk Bowl: Louisville (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (7-5), ESPN
Wednesday, December 28
4:30 PM – Military Bowl: Toledo (8-4) vs. Air Force (7-5), ESPN
8:00 PM – Holiday Bowl: California (7-5) vs. Texas (7-5), ESPN
Thursday, December 29
5:30 PM – Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (8-4), ESPN
9:00 PM – Alamo Bowl: Washington (7-5) vs. Baylor (9-3), ESPN
Friday, December 30
12:00 Noon – Armed Forces Bowl: BYU (9-3) vs. Tulsa (8-4), ESPN
3:20 PM – Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers (8-4) vs. Iowa State (6-6), ESPN
6:40 PM – Music City Bowl: Mississippi State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (6-6), ESPN
10:00 PM – Insight Bowl: Iowa (7-5) vs. Oklahoma (9-3), ESPN
Saturday, December 31
12 Noon – Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Northwestern (6-6), ESPN
2:00 PM – Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5), CBS
3:30 PM – Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois (6-6) vs. UCLA (6-7), ESPN
3:30 PM – Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6), ABC
7:30 PM – Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), ESPN
Sunday, January 1
CBS has the doubleheader. Check the506.com for games airing in your area.
1:00 PM – New York Jets at Miami, CBS
1:00 PM – Chicago at Minnesota, Fox
1:00 PM – Dallas at New York Giants, Fox
1:00 PM – Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Fox
1:00 PM – Baltimore at Cincinnati, CBS
1:00 PM – San Francisco at St. Louis, Fox
1:00 PM – Washington at Philadelphia, Fox
1:00 PM – Pittsburgh at Cleveland, CBS
1:00 PM – Detroit at Green Bay, Fox
1:00 PM – Tennessee at Houston, CBS
1:00 PM – Indianapolis at Jacksonville, CBS
1:00 PM – Buffalo at New England, CBS
1:00 PM – Carolina at New Orleans, Fox
4:15 PM – Seattle at Arizona, Fox
4:15 PM – Kansas City at Denver, CBS
4:15 PM – San Diego at Oakland, CBS
Monday, January 2
12:00 PM – Ticket City Bowl, Houston (12-1) vs. Penn State (9-3), ESPNU
1:00 PM – Gator Bowl, Ohio State (6-6) vs. Florida (6-6), ESPN2
1:00 PM – Outback Bowl, Michigan State (10-3) vs. Georgia (10-3), ABC
1:00 PM – Capital One Bowl, Nebraska (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2), ESPN
5:00 PM – Rose Bowl, Wisconsin (11-2) vs. Oregon (11-2), ESPN
8:30 PM – Fiesta Bowl, Stanford (11-1) vs. Oklahoma State (11-1), ESPN
Tuesday, January 3
8:30 PM – Sugar Bowl, Michigan (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2), ESPN
Wednesday, January 4
8:30 PM – Orange Bowl, West Virginia (9-3) vs. Clemson (10-3), ESPN
Friday, January 6
8:00 PM – Cotton Bowl, Kansas (10-2) vs. Arkansas (10-2), Fox
Saturday, January 7
1:00 PM – Compass Bowl, SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6), ESPN
NFL Wild-Card Round Playoffs (times and teams to come), NBC
Sunday, January 8
NFL Wild-Card Round Playoffs (times and teams to come), CBS and Fox
9:00 PM – GoDaddy.com Bowl, Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (10-3), ESPN
Monday, January 9
8:30 PM – BCS Championship Game, Alabama (11-1) vs. LSU (13-0), ESPN
Thursday, November 17, 2011
National League Second Basemen, 2011
1. Cincinnati – Brandon Phillips (.300 AVG / .457 SLG / .353 OBP / .810 OPS / .235 SEC)
Kind of surprising Phillips is #1, but there’s less competition here than there was a few years back. He’s pretty capable at almost everything – power, hits for average, steals some bases, great defensively. The only place he’s a little short is taking a base on balls, which is somewhat exacerbated by the fact that the Reds often bat him first since they have no one better to lead off. He’s signed a deal that will bring him back for 2012.
2. Atlanta – Dan Uggla (.233 AVG / .453 SLG / .311 OBP / .764 OPS / .294 SEC)
Uggla takes walks and has great power – his 36 home runs led the team – but he didn’t hit for a great average last year despite a 33-game hitting streak, and his defense is roughly average. Basically, he’s the anti-Phillips.
3. Pittsburgh – Neal Walker (.273 AVG / .408 SLG / .334 OBP / .742 OPS / .220 SEC)
Walker will do for the next couple of years. He has some pop – his 36 doubles were second among all second basemen to Phillips – and he’s above average around the second base bag. Again, Pittsburgh has a lot of worries, so they should try to keep Walker around for a few years and enjoy his peak seasons (he’s 26).
4. Arizona – Kelly Johnson / Aaron Hill (.233 AVG / .430 SLG / .310 OBP / .739 OPS / .300 SEC)
Johnson had a lot of power (18 homers) and took a few walks, but his .209 average put off the Diamondbacks. They sent him packing in August in favor of Hill, who put up a 30-homer season in 2009 with the Jays but had similar contact issues after that. Hill put up an .878 OPS in 144 plate appearances. The D-Backs declined his $8 million option, but may be looking to sign him at a lower price.
5. Washington – Danny Espinosa (.236 AVG / .414 SLG / .323 OBP / .737 OPS / .279 SEC)
2011 was Espinosa’s first full year in the bigs, and he wasn’t bad for much of it (in fact, he was on the All-Star team). But a big problem with making contact – 166 strikeouts – makes him an iffy proposition for the long haul.
6. Milwaukee – Rickie Weeks / Craig Counsell / Jerry Hairston, Jr. (.251 AVG / .401 SLG / .335 OBP / .735 OPS / .248 SEC)
Weeks’ .818 OPS was actually a bit better than Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips (maybe they can meet for dinner sometime and grouse about St. Louis), but he also missed 44 games. Weeks has always been somewhat injury prone, and given Craig Counsell’s creeping up on 40 and hit .178 last year, he’s not a good long-term plan as the backup. Hairston primarily played third base during the playoffs, but played quite a bit at second during the regular season.
7. Philadelphia – Chase Utley / Wilson Valdez (.255 AVG / .390 SLG / .324 OBP / .715 OPS / .227 SEC)
Utley had an amazing run of five straight seasons with an OPS of .900 or higher between 2005 and 2009, but he’s missed over a hundred games with injuries over the last two seasons, and didn’t hit that well when he was active (.769 OPS). These aren’t good numbers for Phillie fans to hear, but Utley’s style of play (he once led the league in getting hit by pitches three straight seasons) is not going to be conducive to aging gracefully at the pivot. Valdez is a utility infielder/placeholder who was meant to bat a hundred times a year, not 300.
8. Florida – Omar Infante (.276 AVG / .382 SLG / .315 OBP / .696 OPS / .162 SEC)
Not surprisingly, Infante was nowhere near as productive as a regular with the Marlins as he was in a reserve role in Atlanta. Florida’s got a lot of holes to fill; Infante’s going to be with the team again next year, be it as a reserve or back at second.
9. New York Mets – Justin Turner / Ruben Tejada (.270 AVG / .347 SLG / .345 OBP / .6927 OPS / .173 SEC)
Since the Mets were paying Luis Castillo $6 million to stay away from Queens in 2011, they had to come up with a cheap second base solution. Turner and Tejada did the trick – I wouldn’t say they were all-stars, but they got by on low salaries. Turner’s got a little more power, Tejada takes a few more walks. I wouldn’t count on Turner being around for a long time – he’s got a utility infielder’s skills, but he doesn’t play shortstop. Tejada does, and may be used there next year if Jose Reyes isn’t resigned. Daniel Murphy also played at second quite a bit, but he really should stay away.
10. St. Louis – Skip Schumaker / Ryan Theriot / Nick Punto (.277 AVG / .357 SLG / .336 OBP / .6926 OPS / .157 SEC)
If Pujols isn’t resigned, the offensive output of the remaining three-quarters of the St. Louis infield will come under much closer scrutiny. Schumaker and Theriot are good fielders (Theriot can also play shortstop well), but they’re not productive at the plate. Punto was actually the best hitter of the trio (.809 OPS), but that may have been a fluke; he hasn’t hit like that in the past.
11. Los Angeles Dodgers – Jamey Carroll / Aaron Miles (.283 AVG / .347 SLG / .337 OBP / .683 OPS / .147 SEC)
The Dodgers trudged through the year with retreads Carroll and Miles at second (Carroll also played a lot of shortstop when Rafael Furcal was injured early in the year). The production wasn’t great, but was likely more than they should have expected. They will not stand pat for 2012; Carroll has already signed a two-year deal with the Twins, who apparently don’t have enough light-hitting utility infielders.
12. Chicago Cubs – Darwin Barney (.276 AVG / .353 SLG / .313 OBP / .666 OPS / .131 SEC)
If the Cubs are congratulating themselves on having Barney emerge at second, they shouldn’t be. He has almost no power and doesn’t take walks (just 20 unintentional walks in 570 place appearances). He’s an okay fielder, but not spectacular. Since his hitting profile at second is pretty much the same as Starlin Castro’s at short (minus about 20 walks, 30 hits, and 15 stolen bases), and Castro’s got better upside (he’s about five years younger), I don’t see Barney being long for the Cubs. It tells me something that the lower half of the second base rankings are made up of teams who used two or more players out of either necessity or ineffectiveness; the Cubs were the only team that didn’t.
13. Colorado – Mark Ellis / Jonathan Herrera / Chris Nelson (.256 AVG / .354 SLG / .306 OBP / .550 OPS / .173 SEC)
I’m not sure who was supposed to start at second at the beginning of the year for the Rockies, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of these guys. Ellis has the best track record, and if his salary isn’t exorbitant he could be back next year.
14. Houston – Jose Altuve / Bill Hall / Jeff Keppinger / Angel Sanchez (.260 AVG / . 343 SLG / .300 OBP / .643 OPS / .143 SEC)
Yikes. Houston’s original plan was to start Bill Hall at second, based on his decent 2010 as a utility player for the Red Sox, but a .612 OPS put an end to that, and he was released in August. Altuve, Keppinger, and Hall combined for 17 walks in 531 plate appearances. No one really contributed much at the dish, aside from Keppinger, but he’s not around any longer.
15. San Francisco – Freddy Sanchez / Mike Fontenot / Jeff Keppinger / Emmanuel Burriss (.249 AVG / .344 SLG / .299 OBP / .642 OPS / .168 SEC)
And look how well getting traded turned out for Keppinger. Second is really Sanchez’s position, but he had a lot of injury problems last year. Fontenot really can’t hit lefties (although it doesn’t look like he hit anyone particularly well last year).
16. San Diego – Orlando Hudson / Alberto Gonzalez (.234 AVG / .326 SLG / .302 OBP / .627 OPS / .199 SEC)
Orlando Hudson officially took up residence in the Land of the Useless last year, and at age 34, he may not be able to leave. His OPS dropped under .700 for the first time in his career (although, oddly, he had a career-high 19 steals), he’s played more than 126 games only once in the last four years, and fielding has moved down into league average. Sadly, the Padres owe him $5.5 million next year and $2 million in a buyout in 2013 ($8 million if they actually decide to keep him). Gonzalez had a .539 OPS in 2011, moving his career OPS down to .598.
Kind of surprising Phillips is #1, but there’s less competition here than there was a few years back. He’s pretty capable at almost everything – power, hits for average, steals some bases, great defensively. The only place he’s a little short is taking a base on balls, which is somewhat exacerbated by the fact that the Reds often bat him first since they have no one better to lead off. He’s signed a deal that will bring him back for 2012.
2. Atlanta – Dan Uggla (.233 AVG / .453 SLG / .311 OBP / .764 OPS / .294 SEC)
Uggla takes walks and has great power – his 36 home runs led the team – but he didn’t hit for a great average last year despite a 33-game hitting streak, and his defense is roughly average. Basically, he’s the anti-Phillips.
3. Pittsburgh – Neal Walker (.273 AVG / .408 SLG / .334 OBP / .742 OPS / .220 SEC)
Walker will do for the next couple of years. He has some pop – his 36 doubles were second among all second basemen to Phillips – and he’s above average around the second base bag. Again, Pittsburgh has a lot of worries, so they should try to keep Walker around for a few years and enjoy his peak seasons (he’s 26).
4. Arizona – Kelly Johnson / Aaron Hill (.233 AVG / .430 SLG / .310 OBP / .739 OPS / .300 SEC)
Johnson had a lot of power (18 homers) and took a few walks, but his .209 average put off the Diamondbacks. They sent him packing in August in favor of Hill, who put up a 30-homer season in 2009 with the Jays but had similar contact issues after that. Hill put up an .878 OPS in 144 plate appearances. The D-Backs declined his $8 million option, but may be looking to sign him at a lower price.
5. Washington – Danny Espinosa (.236 AVG / .414 SLG / .323 OBP / .737 OPS / .279 SEC)
2011 was Espinosa’s first full year in the bigs, and he wasn’t bad for much of it (in fact, he was on the All-Star team). But a big problem with making contact – 166 strikeouts – makes him an iffy proposition for the long haul.
6. Milwaukee – Rickie Weeks / Craig Counsell / Jerry Hairston, Jr. (.251 AVG / .401 SLG / .335 OBP / .735 OPS / .248 SEC)
Weeks’ .818 OPS was actually a bit better than Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips (maybe they can meet for dinner sometime and grouse about St. Louis), but he also missed 44 games. Weeks has always been somewhat injury prone, and given Craig Counsell’s creeping up on 40 and hit .178 last year, he’s not a good long-term plan as the backup. Hairston primarily played third base during the playoffs, but played quite a bit at second during the regular season.
7. Philadelphia – Chase Utley / Wilson Valdez (.255 AVG / .390 SLG / .324 OBP / .715 OPS / .227 SEC)
Utley had an amazing run of five straight seasons with an OPS of .900 or higher between 2005 and 2009, but he’s missed over a hundred games with injuries over the last two seasons, and didn’t hit that well when he was active (.769 OPS). These aren’t good numbers for Phillie fans to hear, but Utley’s style of play (he once led the league in getting hit by pitches three straight seasons) is not going to be conducive to aging gracefully at the pivot. Valdez is a utility infielder/placeholder who was meant to bat a hundred times a year, not 300.
8. Florida – Omar Infante (.276 AVG / .382 SLG / .315 OBP / .696 OPS / .162 SEC)
Not surprisingly, Infante was nowhere near as productive as a regular with the Marlins as he was in a reserve role in Atlanta. Florida’s got a lot of holes to fill; Infante’s going to be with the team again next year, be it as a reserve or back at second.
9. New York Mets – Justin Turner / Ruben Tejada (.270 AVG / .347 SLG / .345 OBP / .6927 OPS / .173 SEC)
Since the Mets were paying Luis Castillo $6 million to stay away from Queens in 2011, they had to come up with a cheap second base solution. Turner and Tejada did the trick – I wouldn’t say they were all-stars, but they got by on low salaries. Turner’s got a little more power, Tejada takes a few more walks. I wouldn’t count on Turner being around for a long time – he’s got a utility infielder’s skills, but he doesn’t play shortstop. Tejada does, and may be used there next year if Jose Reyes isn’t resigned. Daniel Murphy also played at second quite a bit, but he really should stay away.
10. St. Louis – Skip Schumaker / Ryan Theriot / Nick Punto (.277 AVG / .357 SLG / .336 OBP / .6926 OPS / .157 SEC)
If Pujols isn’t resigned, the offensive output of the remaining three-quarters of the St. Louis infield will come under much closer scrutiny. Schumaker and Theriot are good fielders (Theriot can also play shortstop well), but they’re not productive at the plate. Punto was actually the best hitter of the trio (.809 OPS), but that may have been a fluke; he hasn’t hit like that in the past.
11. Los Angeles Dodgers – Jamey Carroll / Aaron Miles (.283 AVG / .347 SLG / .337 OBP / .683 OPS / .147 SEC)
The Dodgers trudged through the year with retreads Carroll and Miles at second (Carroll also played a lot of shortstop when Rafael Furcal was injured early in the year). The production wasn’t great, but was likely more than they should have expected. They will not stand pat for 2012; Carroll has already signed a two-year deal with the Twins, who apparently don’t have enough light-hitting utility infielders.
12. Chicago Cubs – Darwin Barney (.276 AVG / .353 SLG / .313 OBP / .666 OPS / .131 SEC)
If the Cubs are congratulating themselves on having Barney emerge at second, they shouldn’t be. He has almost no power and doesn’t take walks (just 20 unintentional walks in 570 place appearances). He’s an okay fielder, but not spectacular. Since his hitting profile at second is pretty much the same as Starlin Castro’s at short (minus about 20 walks, 30 hits, and 15 stolen bases), and Castro’s got better upside (he’s about five years younger), I don’t see Barney being long for the Cubs. It tells me something that the lower half of the second base rankings are made up of teams who used two or more players out of either necessity or ineffectiveness; the Cubs were the only team that didn’t.
13. Colorado – Mark Ellis / Jonathan Herrera / Chris Nelson (.256 AVG / .354 SLG / .306 OBP / .550 OPS / .173 SEC)
I’m not sure who was supposed to start at second at the beginning of the year for the Rockies, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of these guys. Ellis has the best track record, and if his salary isn’t exorbitant he could be back next year.
14. Houston – Jose Altuve / Bill Hall / Jeff Keppinger / Angel Sanchez (.260 AVG / . 343 SLG / .300 OBP / .643 OPS / .143 SEC)
Yikes. Houston’s original plan was to start Bill Hall at second, based on his decent 2010 as a utility player for the Red Sox, but a .612 OPS put an end to that, and he was released in August. Altuve, Keppinger, and Hall combined for 17 walks in 531 plate appearances. No one really contributed much at the dish, aside from Keppinger, but he’s not around any longer.
15. San Francisco – Freddy Sanchez / Mike Fontenot / Jeff Keppinger / Emmanuel Burriss (.249 AVG / .344 SLG / .299 OBP / .642 OPS / .168 SEC)
And look how well getting traded turned out for Keppinger. Second is really Sanchez’s position, but he had a lot of injury problems last year. Fontenot really can’t hit lefties (although it doesn’t look like he hit anyone particularly well last year).
16. San Diego – Orlando Hudson / Alberto Gonzalez (.234 AVG / .326 SLG / .302 OBP / .627 OPS / .199 SEC)
Orlando Hudson officially took up residence in the Land of the Useless last year, and at age 34, he may not be able to leave. His OPS dropped under .700 for the first time in his career (although, oddly, he had a career-high 19 steals), he’s played more than 126 games only once in the last four years, and fielding has moved down into league average. Sadly, the Padres owe him $5.5 million next year and $2 million in a buyout in 2013 ($8 million if they actually decide to keep him). Gonzalez had a .539 OPS in 2011, moving his career OPS down to .598.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
National League First Basemen, 2011
1. Milwaukee – Prince Fielder (.299 AVG / .566 SLG / .415 OBP / .981 OPS / .385 SEC)
Fielder had an outstanding year. And, of course, he’s due to be a free agent this winter. I would be slightly more interested in him than Albert Pujols – if the contract is for four years or less. He’s 27 right now, so he should be in the middle of his peak years – but he’s also overweight, and heavy first basemen over 30 tend to go downhill very fast (Mo Vaughn, Boog Powell, Kent Hrbek, and, well, Cecil Fielder). The other option is Fielder could DH – the New York Daily News just ran a column suggesting this option for the Yankees, and given they're set at first base and Fielder's name does not correlate to his skills with a glove, it's not a bad idea – but that’s not going to make him any thinner.
2. Cincinnati – Joey Votto (.309 AVG / .531 SLG / .416 OBP / .947 OPS / .347 SEC)
This is an off year compared to Votto’s 2010 season, but on a par with 2009. He’s signed with the Reds for the next two years (although he’s actually eight months older than Fielder, even though Fielder came up two years earlier), and he’ll definitely be a better value to the Reds than Fielder will be in the future.
3. St. Louis – Albert Pujols (.299 AVG / .541 SLG / .366 OBP / .906 OPS / .328 SEC)
You can tell there are a lot of good first basemen in the NL when Albert Pujols finishes third in the rankings. That aside, I would find it very questionable that he goes anywhere this year, even though that’s the big story after the World Series ends. The only team that would throw a ridiculous amount of money at him is the Yankees, who already have Mark Teixeira at first base. Pujols turns 32 next January (Teixeira’s seven months younger), and is starting to show minor signs of slippage – he had 29 doubles last year and 37 home runs (never a good sign to have more two-baggers than homers). I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays put.
4. Colorado – Todd Helton/Jason Giambi (.292 AVG / .498 SLG / .378 OBP / .876 OPS / .303 SEC)
Helton has seemingly been going downhill and on the DL for the last decade, but he put up an .850 OPS in 491 plate appearances, so he’s not through yet. He takes a lot of walks, still has a little power, and is a clubhouse leader. Giambi has made a post-steroids career out of being a belting pinch-hitter and backup to Helton, and put up a .950 OPS in 152 plate appearances. Colorado’s likely to stand pat here.
5. Philadelphia – Ryan Howard (.253 AVG / .488 SLG / .346 OBP / .835 OPS / .328 SEC)
Howard’s slowed down a little over the last couple of years to fall out of the top tier, but he’s likely extended his career. Since 2008, he’s lost 35 pounds, going from 275 to 240. So he’s lost a little power, but he’s less likely to succumb to the issues Prince Fielder is facing right now. Of course, having just torn his Achilles in the playoffs, he has his own issues.
6. New York Mets – Daniel Murphy/Lucas Duda/Nick Evans/Ike Davis (.298 AVG / .462 SLG / .359 OBP / .821 OPS / .238 SEC)
Surprising to see the Mets this high. Davis started the season at first base, had a great six weeks (.925 OPS), hurt his ankle, and missed the rest of the year. If he can come back at full strength next year, he goes back to first, since he’s also a good fielder. Daniel Murphy took over for the most part (he also played second and third, and was taken out for the year for the second year running on a play at second), and hit .320 with an .809 OPS. He’s a brutal fielder at second and the outfield and passable at first and third, but he could go back to first if Davis isn’t ready to go. Duda will likely play right field next year (.852 OPS) – unless Davis isn’t ready, in which case he’s back in the first base picture. Evans will struggle to maintain his spot in the bigs (.718 OPS – he really doesn’t hit right-handed pitching very well).
7. Chicago Cubs – Carlos Pena (.225 AVG / .462 SLG / .357 OBP / .819 OPS / .370 SEC)
Pena doesn’t hit for much of an average, but takes piles of walks (thus an OPS behind the Mets’ group but a secondary average well above). However, he took a one-year deal to be with the Cubs, and he may wind up the beneficiary of a desperate team after the Pujols/Fielder situation shakes out.
8. Atlanta – Freddie Freeman (.282 AVG / .448 SLG / .346 OBP / .795 OPS / .244 SEC)
I had Freeman on my fantasy team, and he really didn’t impress me all that much – he doesn’t have that much power, and doesn’t get on base a lot. He could pick up over the next few years, but he doesn’t look like the next Joey Votto to me.
9. Washington – Michael Morse/Adam LaRoche/Chris Marrero (.270 AVG / .458 SLG / .336 OBP / .793 OPS / .254 SEC)
Adam LaRoche started out 2011 as the Nationals’ first baseman, but got hurt quickly. Morse picked up the position and ran with it (.910 OPS), so now the job’s his, even though he’s not exactly an acrobat in the field. LaRoche becomes trade bait, if they can find anyone foolish enough to pick up his $8 million salary for 2012.
10. Florida – Gaby Sanchez (.266 AVG / .427 SLG / .352 OBP / .779 OPS / .262 SEC)
Sanchez isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but he’ll do until someone better comes along. Logan Morrison could be his main competition down the road, assuming the Marlins don’t decide he’s too much of a pain in the rear to keep around.
11. Houston – Brett Wallace/Carlos Lee (.269 AVG / .418 SLG / .339 OBP / .757 OPS / .232 SEC)
Brett Wallace was the big acquisition for the Astros in 2010 (coming in the Roy Oswalt deal), although some kind soul might have said, “Hey, St. Louis, Oakland, and now Toronto have decided to trade him, so is he really that good?” Apparently not. Wallace (.703 OPS) was sent back to AAA in August, and the Astros moved Carlos Lee to first – which makes you wonder if there are any functioning parts in the upper managements’ heads. It’s not like had anything left to prove at AAA, or that anyone thought Lee would be a significant part of Houston’s future success. Yes, Lee is better suited at this point to play first base (actually, he’s better suited at this point to play the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in a Ghostbusters remake), but why move him to first weeks after you’ve traded away your other two starting outfielders?
12. Los Angeles Dodgers – James Loney (.288 AVG / .416 SLG / .339 OBP / .755 OPS / .199 SEC)
Loney has regressed enough for the Dodgers to understand he’s not the long-term solution at first base, unless they want to duplicate the offensive prowess of Wes Parker. Problem is, I don’t know if they have any better solutions around, so he may stay another year or two.
13. Pittsburgh – Lyle Overbay / Derrek Lee / Garrett Jones (.248 AVG / .417 SLG / .321 OBP / .738 OPS / .255 SEC)
Overbay was brought in on a one-year deal for 2011, and didn’t hit. Lee came over from Baltimore at the trade deadline, and while he played well when he played, he also spent time on the DL. Jones filled in here and in the outfield. This is a challenge for the Pirates – they’d probably love to have Lee back on a cheap one-year deal, but I don’t know if they can get that done.
14. Arizona – Juan Miranda / Xavier Nady / Paul Goldschmidt (.237 AVG / .407 SLG / .310 OBP / .717 OPS / .255 SEC)
Up front, Goldschmidt is the future here – he’s 23 years old, had an .808 OPS in limited playing time, and hit well in the NLDS. Miranda and Nady are the past – heck, they may have already been lopped off the roster.
15. San Francisco – Brandon Belt / Aubrey Huff (.240 AVG / .381 SLG / .306 OBP / .687 OPS / .226 SEC)
Yikes. The Giants tried to promote Belt, but given 2010 was his first year of professional baseball, it’s not a shock he didn’t hit very well. (I think he was also on the disabled list for a time.) The question going into 2011 for the Giants was whether Huff’s bad 2009 season was an aberration, or his wonderful 2010 season was – and, well, now they know. Unfortunately, they’ll be paying Huff $10 million in 2012 and a likely $2 million buyout in 2013 for having guessed wrong.
16. San Diego – Jesus Guzman / Brad Hawpe / Jorge Cantu / Anthony Rizzo (.235 AVG / .360 SLG / .303 OBP / .663 OPS / .216 SEC)
Bad sign for San Diego when their first basemen combine for numbers around the same as a below-league average second baseman. The consolation is that Hawpe and Cantu are either gone or will be shortly, and Guzman was pretty good in limited playing time (.847 OPS, best on the Padres). The bad news is Rizzo was one of the big prizes in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and he was horrendous (.504 OPS). But if he plays first base, Guzman has to play elsewhere – and he’s been a butcher in the minors at most other positions (he’s been around for a few years, knocking around AAA in the Oakland and San Francisco systems). Still, with as few bats as the Padres have, they have to find a spot for a good hitter somewhere.
Fielder had an outstanding year. And, of course, he’s due to be a free agent this winter. I would be slightly more interested in him than Albert Pujols – if the contract is for four years or less. He’s 27 right now, so he should be in the middle of his peak years – but he’s also overweight, and heavy first basemen over 30 tend to go downhill very fast (Mo Vaughn, Boog Powell, Kent Hrbek, and, well, Cecil Fielder). The other option is Fielder could DH – the New York Daily News just ran a column suggesting this option for the Yankees, and given they're set at first base and Fielder's name does not correlate to his skills with a glove, it's not a bad idea – but that’s not going to make him any thinner.
2. Cincinnati – Joey Votto (.309 AVG / .531 SLG / .416 OBP / .947 OPS / .347 SEC)
This is an off year compared to Votto’s 2010 season, but on a par with 2009. He’s signed with the Reds for the next two years (although he’s actually eight months older than Fielder, even though Fielder came up two years earlier), and he’ll definitely be a better value to the Reds than Fielder will be in the future.
3. St. Louis – Albert Pujols (.299 AVG / .541 SLG / .366 OBP / .906 OPS / .328 SEC)
You can tell there are a lot of good first basemen in the NL when Albert Pujols finishes third in the rankings. That aside, I would find it very questionable that he goes anywhere this year, even though that’s the big story after the World Series ends. The only team that would throw a ridiculous amount of money at him is the Yankees, who already have Mark Teixeira at first base. Pujols turns 32 next January (Teixeira’s seven months younger), and is starting to show minor signs of slippage – he had 29 doubles last year and 37 home runs (never a good sign to have more two-baggers than homers). I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays put.
4. Colorado – Todd Helton/Jason Giambi (.292 AVG / .498 SLG / .378 OBP / .876 OPS / .303 SEC)
Helton has seemingly been going downhill and on the DL for the last decade, but he put up an .850 OPS in 491 plate appearances, so he’s not through yet. He takes a lot of walks, still has a little power, and is a clubhouse leader. Giambi has made a post-steroids career out of being a belting pinch-hitter and backup to Helton, and put up a .950 OPS in 152 plate appearances. Colorado’s likely to stand pat here.
5. Philadelphia – Ryan Howard (.253 AVG / .488 SLG / .346 OBP / .835 OPS / .328 SEC)
Howard’s slowed down a little over the last couple of years to fall out of the top tier, but he’s likely extended his career. Since 2008, he’s lost 35 pounds, going from 275 to 240. So he’s lost a little power, but he’s less likely to succumb to the issues Prince Fielder is facing right now. Of course, having just torn his Achilles in the playoffs, he has his own issues.
6. New York Mets – Daniel Murphy/Lucas Duda/Nick Evans/Ike Davis (.298 AVG / .462 SLG / .359 OBP / .821 OPS / .238 SEC)
Surprising to see the Mets this high. Davis started the season at first base, had a great six weeks (.925 OPS), hurt his ankle, and missed the rest of the year. If he can come back at full strength next year, he goes back to first, since he’s also a good fielder. Daniel Murphy took over for the most part (he also played second and third, and was taken out for the year for the second year running on a play at second), and hit .320 with an .809 OPS. He’s a brutal fielder at second and the outfield and passable at first and third, but he could go back to first if Davis isn’t ready to go. Duda will likely play right field next year (.852 OPS) – unless Davis isn’t ready, in which case he’s back in the first base picture. Evans will struggle to maintain his spot in the bigs (.718 OPS – he really doesn’t hit right-handed pitching very well).
7. Chicago Cubs – Carlos Pena (.225 AVG / .462 SLG / .357 OBP / .819 OPS / .370 SEC)
Pena doesn’t hit for much of an average, but takes piles of walks (thus an OPS behind the Mets’ group but a secondary average well above). However, he took a one-year deal to be with the Cubs, and he may wind up the beneficiary of a desperate team after the Pujols/Fielder situation shakes out.
8. Atlanta – Freddie Freeman (.282 AVG / .448 SLG / .346 OBP / .795 OPS / .244 SEC)
I had Freeman on my fantasy team, and he really didn’t impress me all that much – he doesn’t have that much power, and doesn’t get on base a lot. He could pick up over the next few years, but he doesn’t look like the next Joey Votto to me.
9. Washington – Michael Morse/Adam LaRoche/Chris Marrero (.270 AVG / .458 SLG / .336 OBP / .793 OPS / .254 SEC)
Adam LaRoche started out 2011 as the Nationals’ first baseman, but got hurt quickly. Morse picked up the position and ran with it (.910 OPS), so now the job’s his, even though he’s not exactly an acrobat in the field. LaRoche becomes trade bait, if they can find anyone foolish enough to pick up his $8 million salary for 2012.
10. Florida – Gaby Sanchez (.266 AVG / .427 SLG / .352 OBP / .779 OPS / .262 SEC)
Sanchez isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but he’ll do until someone better comes along. Logan Morrison could be his main competition down the road, assuming the Marlins don’t decide he’s too much of a pain in the rear to keep around.
11. Houston – Brett Wallace/Carlos Lee (.269 AVG / .418 SLG / .339 OBP / .757 OPS / .232 SEC)
Brett Wallace was the big acquisition for the Astros in 2010 (coming in the Roy Oswalt deal), although some kind soul might have said, “Hey, St. Louis, Oakland, and now Toronto have decided to trade him, so is he really that good?” Apparently not. Wallace (.703 OPS) was sent back to AAA in August, and the Astros moved Carlos Lee to first – which makes you wonder if there are any functioning parts in the upper managements’ heads. It’s not like had anything left to prove at AAA, or that anyone thought Lee would be a significant part of Houston’s future success. Yes, Lee is better suited at this point to play first base (actually, he’s better suited at this point to play the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in a Ghostbusters remake), but why move him to first weeks after you’ve traded away your other two starting outfielders?
12. Los Angeles Dodgers – James Loney (.288 AVG / .416 SLG / .339 OBP / .755 OPS / .199 SEC)
Loney has regressed enough for the Dodgers to understand he’s not the long-term solution at first base, unless they want to duplicate the offensive prowess of Wes Parker. Problem is, I don’t know if they have any better solutions around, so he may stay another year or two.
13. Pittsburgh – Lyle Overbay / Derrek Lee / Garrett Jones (.248 AVG / .417 SLG / .321 OBP / .738 OPS / .255 SEC)
Overbay was brought in on a one-year deal for 2011, and didn’t hit. Lee came over from Baltimore at the trade deadline, and while he played well when he played, he also spent time on the DL. Jones filled in here and in the outfield. This is a challenge for the Pirates – they’d probably love to have Lee back on a cheap one-year deal, but I don’t know if they can get that done.
14. Arizona – Juan Miranda / Xavier Nady / Paul Goldschmidt (.237 AVG / .407 SLG / .310 OBP / .717 OPS / .255 SEC)
Up front, Goldschmidt is the future here – he’s 23 years old, had an .808 OPS in limited playing time, and hit well in the NLDS. Miranda and Nady are the past – heck, they may have already been lopped off the roster.
15. San Francisco – Brandon Belt / Aubrey Huff (.240 AVG / .381 SLG / .306 OBP / .687 OPS / .226 SEC)
Yikes. The Giants tried to promote Belt, but given 2010 was his first year of professional baseball, it’s not a shock he didn’t hit very well. (I think he was also on the disabled list for a time.) The question going into 2011 for the Giants was whether Huff’s bad 2009 season was an aberration, or his wonderful 2010 season was – and, well, now they know. Unfortunately, they’ll be paying Huff $10 million in 2012 and a likely $2 million buyout in 2013 for having guessed wrong.
16. San Diego – Jesus Guzman / Brad Hawpe / Jorge Cantu / Anthony Rizzo (.235 AVG / .360 SLG / .303 OBP / .663 OPS / .216 SEC)
Bad sign for San Diego when their first basemen combine for numbers around the same as a below-league average second baseman. The consolation is that Hawpe and Cantu are either gone or will be shortly, and Guzman was pretty good in limited playing time (.847 OPS, best on the Padres). The bad news is Rizzo was one of the big prizes in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and he was horrendous (.504 OPS). But if he plays first base, Guzman has to play elsewhere – and he’s been a butcher in the minors at most other positions (he’s been around for a few years, knocking around AAA in the Oakland and San Francisco systems). Still, with as few bats as the Padres have, they have to find a spot for a good hitter somewhere.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
National League Catcher Rankings, 2011
Third year in a row I’m starting this. I’ll do my best to finish this year.
Key:
AVG – batting average (hits/times at bat)
SLG – slugging percentage (total bases/times at bat)
OBP – on-base percentage (hits + walks + times hit by pitch/total plate appearances)
OPS – slugging percentage + on-base percentage
SEC – secondary average (extra bases + walks + stolen bases/at-bats + walks)
NL Catchers
1. Arizona – Miguel Montero/Henry Blanco (.277 AVG / .481 SLG / .348 OBP / .828 OPS / .278 SEC)
Montero took a step up this year, and is pretty much neck-and-neck for the best catcher in the league with Atlanta’s Brian McCann. Blanco actually improved upon Montero’s numbers (Montero - .820 OPS, Blanco - .870), but Blanco’s also 39 years old and unlikely to hit eight home runs in a hundred at-bats again next year.
2. Atlanta – Brian McCann/David Ross (.269 AVG / .456 SLG / .347 OBP / .803 OPS / .278 SEC)
As noted before, Montero and McCann had pretty much the same season in 2011 (they were tied for on-base percentage and three points apart in slugging), so much of the difference here comes down to David Ross vs. Henry Blanco as the backup. Ross’ .761 OBP would be better than all but three NL teams. This is a fine backstop duo, and the least of Atlanta’s worries.
3. St. Louis – Yadier Molina/Gerald Laird (.293 AVG / .447 SLG / .341 OBP / .788 OPS / .221 SEC)
Molina the good showed up this year, and what has sometimes been a black hole offensively turned into a positive. Unable to hold onto his starting position with a few AL teams, Laird is a competent, if unspectacular, backup.
4. Cincinnati Reds – Ramon Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan (.275 AVG / .404 SLG / .349 OBP / .753 OPS / .211 SEC)
Second straight year of pretty good catching from this duo, and possibly the last – rookie Devin Morasco’s presence means Hernandez, at age 35, is unlikely to be resigned.
5. Colorado Rockies – Chris Ianetta/Eliezer Alfonzo/Jose Morales (.246 AVG / .388 SLG / .359 OBP / .746 OPS / .278 SEC)
Ianetta did decently in his first year not platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, although what saved him is taking 70 walks. Alfonzo and Morales were standard backups, so Colorado may be in the market for a better one for 2012.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Doumit/Michael McKenry/Chris Snyder (.267 AVG / .405 SLG / .330 OBP / .735 OPS / .213 SEC)
Not a strength for the Pirates, but not a weakness – except when both Doumit and Snyder were hurt. McKenry (.598 OPS) simply didn’t produce as well as the others (not that a third-string catcher should be expected to do so).
7. Milwaukee Brewers – Jonathan Lucroy/George Kottaras (.262 AVG / .405 SLG / .312 OBP / .717 OPS / .203 SEC)
A middle-of-the-pack finish is actually an improvement for the Brewers. Lucroy has stabilized the catching and should be there for a few years, although Kottaras actually had slightly better offensive stats.
8. Washington Nationals – Wilson Ramos/Ivan Rodriguez/Jesus Flores (.249 AVG / .401 SLG / .312 OBP / .713 OPS / .221 SEC)
Ramos did the same for the Nationals that Lucroy has done for Milwaukee. 15 HR and 52 RBI may not seem like a lot for some teams, but it’s a big step up for the Nats. Not sure why they’ll need Ivan Rodriguez around anymore (I assume Rodriguez is trying to hang in for 3,000 hits; he’s 156 away). Flores offers nothing of note.
9. Philadelphia Phillies – Carlos Ruiz/Brian Schneider (.258 AVG / .353 SLG / .343 OBP / .696 OPS / .187 SEC)
Major drop for the Phillies from previous years. Ruiz (.754 OPS) is slightly above league average at this point, and Brian Schneider (.502 OPS) had the lowest numbers of the 38 catchers on this list. When you’re hitting less than the Cubs’ Koyie Hill, that’s saying something. I don’t expect Schneider to be back next year.
10. San Diego Padres – Nick Hundley/Rob Johnson/Kyle Phillips (.239 AVG / .386 SLG / .305 OBP / .691 OPS / .219 SEC)
This can be broken down in two parts. Nick Hundley (.824 OPS), when he was healthy, was at the same level as Miguel Montero and Brian McCann. However, he only had 308 plate appearances. Johnson (.544 OPS) and Phillips (.548) were unsatisfactory replacements. So the Pads have to keep Hundley healthy and find more competent backups.
11. Florida Marlins – John Buck/Brett Hayes (.228 AVG / .378 SLG / .311 OBP / .688 OPS / .233 SEC)
You could see this one coming. Buck had a career year in 2009 with Kansas City (.802 OPS), so Florida gave him a three-year contract. In 2010, he regressed to his previous level (.683 OPS), which meant his backup actually outhit him slightly. But now they have Buck for two more years, which means Hayes either stays the backup and the Fish lose some of his most valuable years (he’s now 27), or they flip them and Buck becomes a very expensive reserve.
12. New York Mets – Josh Thole/Ronny Paulino (.268 AVG / .347 SLG / .332 OBP / .6791 OPS / .158 SEC)
Let’s face it, Thole was a disappointment this year. He didn’t hit the way the Mets expected, and had some issues behind the plate (although he’s not as bad a catcher as his critics claim). Paulino did nothing special, and I would say he’s not coming back except the Mets really need him to hit lefties, because Thole can’t.
13. Chicago Cubs – Geovany Soto/Koyie Hill (.220 AVG / .378 SLG / .300 OBP / .6785 SLG / .241 SEC)
Soto had a down year last year (he seems to alternate them) and didn’t take as many walks as he did in 2009. Hill has never hit (.545 OPS last year, .573 lifetime), and really should be an emergency guy stashed at AAA only, or a coach.
14. Los Angeles Dodgers – Rod Barajas/Dioner Navarro (.216 AVG / .391 SLG / .283 OBP / .674 OPS / .241 SEC)
Barajas performed as well as he was expected to – some home run power, no batting average, no walks, average defense. Navarro was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays a few years back with the reputation as a great prospect; he came back this year as a backup catcher, and that’s what he remains.
15. San Francisco Giants – Eli Whiteside/Buster Posey/Chris Stewart (.225 AVG / .333 SLG / .302 OBP / .635 OPS / .195 SEC)
I noted in this space last year that if Buster Posey got hurt the Giants would be in serious trouble – and, well, I’m sorry to say I was right. Posey was taken out for the year in a home-plate collision, and Whiteside and Stewart struggled in his stead. In fairness, Posey was only slightly above league average even before his injury, but his exit for the season put a major hurt on the Giants’ chance to repeat.
16. Houston Astros – Humberto Quintero/Carlos Corporan/J.R. Towles (.211 AVG / .293 SLG / .256 OBP / .549 OPS / .128 SEC)
Good Lord, Houston, isn’t it time to get a catcher that can hit? You’ve been in existence now for 50 years, and you’ve had a grand total, to my knowledge, of three catchers with more than 400 plate appearances who’ve put up a single-season OPS of .800 or better (Joe Ferguson in 1977, Alan Ashby in 1987, and Mitch Meluskey in 2000). That’s horrendous. Seriously, there’s no hope here for the future: Jason Castro, who missed 2011 with an ACL injury, was the great hope, and he had a .574 OPS in 2010. J.R. Towles has had an astonishing career: .859 OPS in the minors, .583 with the Astros.
Key:
AVG – batting average (hits/times at bat)
SLG – slugging percentage (total bases/times at bat)
OBP – on-base percentage (hits + walks + times hit by pitch/total plate appearances)
OPS – slugging percentage + on-base percentage
SEC – secondary average (extra bases + walks + stolen bases/at-bats + walks)
NL Catchers
1. Arizona – Miguel Montero/Henry Blanco (.277 AVG / .481 SLG / .348 OBP / .828 OPS / .278 SEC)
Montero took a step up this year, and is pretty much neck-and-neck for the best catcher in the league with Atlanta’s Brian McCann. Blanco actually improved upon Montero’s numbers (Montero - .820 OPS, Blanco - .870), but Blanco’s also 39 years old and unlikely to hit eight home runs in a hundred at-bats again next year.
2. Atlanta – Brian McCann/David Ross (.269 AVG / .456 SLG / .347 OBP / .803 OPS / .278 SEC)
As noted before, Montero and McCann had pretty much the same season in 2011 (they were tied for on-base percentage and three points apart in slugging), so much of the difference here comes down to David Ross vs. Henry Blanco as the backup. Ross’ .761 OBP would be better than all but three NL teams. This is a fine backstop duo, and the least of Atlanta’s worries.
3. St. Louis – Yadier Molina/Gerald Laird (.293 AVG / .447 SLG / .341 OBP / .788 OPS / .221 SEC)
Molina the good showed up this year, and what has sometimes been a black hole offensively turned into a positive. Unable to hold onto his starting position with a few AL teams, Laird is a competent, if unspectacular, backup.
4. Cincinnati Reds – Ramon Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan (.275 AVG / .404 SLG / .349 OBP / .753 OPS / .211 SEC)
Second straight year of pretty good catching from this duo, and possibly the last – rookie Devin Morasco’s presence means Hernandez, at age 35, is unlikely to be resigned.
5. Colorado Rockies – Chris Ianetta/Eliezer Alfonzo/Jose Morales (.246 AVG / .388 SLG / .359 OBP / .746 OPS / .278 SEC)
Ianetta did decently in his first year not platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, although what saved him is taking 70 walks. Alfonzo and Morales were standard backups, so Colorado may be in the market for a better one for 2012.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Doumit/Michael McKenry/Chris Snyder (.267 AVG / .405 SLG / .330 OBP / .735 OPS / .213 SEC)
Not a strength for the Pirates, but not a weakness – except when both Doumit and Snyder were hurt. McKenry (.598 OPS) simply didn’t produce as well as the others (not that a third-string catcher should be expected to do so).
7. Milwaukee Brewers – Jonathan Lucroy/George Kottaras (.262 AVG / .405 SLG / .312 OBP / .717 OPS / .203 SEC)
A middle-of-the-pack finish is actually an improvement for the Brewers. Lucroy has stabilized the catching and should be there for a few years, although Kottaras actually had slightly better offensive stats.
8. Washington Nationals – Wilson Ramos/Ivan Rodriguez/Jesus Flores (.249 AVG / .401 SLG / .312 OBP / .713 OPS / .221 SEC)
Ramos did the same for the Nationals that Lucroy has done for Milwaukee. 15 HR and 52 RBI may not seem like a lot for some teams, but it’s a big step up for the Nats. Not sure why they’ll need Ivan Rodriguez around anymore (I assume Rodriguez is trying to hang in for 3,000 hits; he’s 156 away). Flores offers nothing of note.
9. Philadelphia Phillies – Carlos Ruiz/Brian Schneider (.258 AVG / .353 SLG / .343 OBP / .696 OPS / .187 SEC)
Major drop for the Phillies from previous years. Ruiz (.754 OPS) is slightly above league average at this point, and Brian Schneider (.502 OPS) had the lowest numbers of the 38 catchers on this list. When you’re hitting less than the Cubs’ Koyie Hill, that’s saying something. I don’t expect Schneider to be back next year.
10. San Diego Padres – Nick Hundley/Rob Johnson/Kyle Phillips (.239 AVG / .386 SLG / .305 OBP / .691 OPS / .219 SEC)
This can be broken down in two parts. Nick Hundley (.824 OPS), when he was healthy, was at the same level as Miguel Montero and Brian McCann. However, he only had 308 plate appearances. Johnson (.544 OPS) and Phillips (.548) were unsatisfactory replacements. So the Pads have to keep Hundley healthy and find more competent backups.
11. Florida Marlins – John Buck/Brett Hayes (.228 AVG / .378 SLG / .311 OBP / .688 OPS / .233 SEC)
You could see this one coming. Buck had a career year in 2009 with Kansas City (.802 OPS), so Florida gave him a three-year contract. In 2010, he regressed to his previous level (.683 OPS), which meant his backup actually outhit him slightly. But now they have Buck for two more years, which means Hayes either stays the backup and the Fish lose some of his most valuable years (he’s now 27), or they flip them and Buck becomes a very expensive reserve.
12. New York Mets – Josh Thole/Ronny Paulino (.268 AVG / .347 SLG / .332 OBP / .6791 OPS / .158 SEC)
Let’s face it, Thole was a disappointment this year. He didn’t hit the way the Mets expected, and had some issues behind the plate (although he’s not as bad a catcher as his critics claim). Paulino did nothing special, and I would say he’s not coming back except the Mets really need him to hit lefties, because Thole can’t.
13. Chicago Cubs – Geovany Soto/Koyie Hill (.220 AVG / .378 SLG / .300 OBP / .6785 SLG / .241 SEC)
Soto had a down year last year (he seems to alternate them) and didn’t take as many walks as he did in 2009. Hill has never hit (.545 OPS last year, .573 lifetime), and really should be an emergency guy stashed at AAA only, or a coach.
14. Los Angeles Dodgers – Rod Barajas/Dioner Navarro (.216 AVG / .391 SLG / .283 OBP / .674 OPS / .241 SEC)
Barajas performed as well as he was expected to – some home run power, no batting average, no walks, average defense. Navarro was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays a few years back with the reputation as a great prospect; he came back this year as a backup catcher, and that’s what he remains.
15. San Francisco Giants – Eli Whiteside/Buster Posey/Chris Stewart (.225 AVG / .333 SLG / .302 OBP / .635 OPS / .195 SEC)
I noted in this space last year that if Buster Posey got hurt the Giants would be in serious trouble – and, well, I’m sorry to say I was right. Posey was taken out for the year in a home-plate collision, and Whiteside and Stewart struggled in his stead. In fairness, Posey was only slightly above league average even before his injury, but his exit for the season put a major hurt on the Giants’ chance to repeat.
16. Houston Astros – Humberto Quintero/Carlos Corporan/J.R. Towles (.211 AVG / .293 SLG / .256 OBP / .549 OPS / .128 SEC)
Good Lord, Houston, isn’t it time to get a catcher that can hit? You’ve been in existence now for 50 years, and you’ve had a grand total, to my knowledge, of three catchers with more than 400 plate appearances who’ve put up a single-season OPS of .800 or better (Joe Ferguson in 1977, Alan Ashby in 1987, and Mitch Meluskey in 2000). That’s horrendous. Seriously, there’s no hope here for the future: Jason Castro, who missed 2011 with an ACL injury, was the great hope, and he had a .574 OPS in 2010. J.R. Towles has had an astonishing career: .859 OPS in the minors, .583 with the Astros.
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