Thread: Article: The Mauer Formula: Finding Time to Catch

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=...-Time-to-Catch

I think there is a fallacy here.

Hitting catchers are considered more valuable if they catch because the drop off is so huge to their replacements. But in this case, Mauer not catching just means Ryan Doumit is. The only difference between Doumit catching and Mauer at DH or vice versa is the difference in defense - and Mauer wasn't all that great defensively last year.

In general, I agree with the point that Mauer will be more valuable when he catches. But for this year and next, so long as Doumit is healthy, I'd like to see the Twins take it easy on both.

(Now, when one is hurt, and the option is Butera, then I'm all for driving them into the ground....)

I would like to see 100 games at C, 50 games @ 1B/DH and 12 days off.

Mauer spending more time behind the plate is likely the only way that Morneau finishes his career in MN (short of an epic Parmalee implosion)

Time between pitches is another factor affecting Joe Mauer's longevity at catcher. I hope Twins pitchers re-dedicate themselves this season to spending less time wandering around the mound between deliveries. Everybody in the whole wide world will appreciate it, including Mauer's knees.

Forget that he calls a terrible game! Mauer should not catch at all anymore. He's terrible at throwing out runners. He calls way too many fastballs away. He's paid a ton and keeping him healthy at any position is more valuable than having to basically eat the last couple years of his contract because he's perennially hurt or under performing offensively. Keeping him at catcher more than half time like last year is a big mistake. Way too much money for way too many years they have to protect that investment.

I suspect Mauer does not call a bad game, but that he's called a lot of fastballs away because of the caliber of pitching the Twins have had in recent years.
I still think Mauer is the best overall Twins catcher. I agree with John Bonnes about Butera – we need someone who can play other positions.

I think if Mauer or Doumit were hurt and put on the DL, we'd see Chris Herrmann up due to his ability to play pretty much everywhere.

Gardy said that he plans on doing about he same thing they did in 2012. When one of the media guys asked, "What if Mauer wants to catch more?"

Gardy said, "Oh, I’ll send him out to the bullpen and he can work out there. No, if Joe wants to catch more, he’s going to tell me. That’s the great thing about it, we talk. I talk to him every day about, “Hey, this is my plan. This is what I’d like to do. You catch two of these games here, the third day you’re going to play first base, then you’re going to DH one.” "

Originally Posted by SweetOne69

I would like to see 100 games at C, 50 games @ 1B/DH and 12 days off.

That sounds like a good plan for next year, and a very good baseline for a generic 'Joe's early 30's' ratio.

But since they're very likely going nowhere in 2013, it might be good for JM to catch somewhere around 85 games. Less wear and tear, more games to keep Doumit sharp behind the plate to enhance possible deadline value, and more chances to either expose Butera as an utter fraud of a major leaguer or showcase him for a GM with an all-glove/no-bat fetish.

Originally Posted by fairweather

Forget that he calls a terrible game! Mauer should not catch at all anymore. He's terrible at throwing out runners. He calls way too many fastballs away. He's paid a ton and keeping him healthy at any position is more valuable than having to basically eat the last couple years of his contract because he's perennially hurt or under performing offensively. Keeping him at catcher more than half time like last year is a big mistake. Way too much money for way too many years they have to protect that investment.

If I had a choice between calling 911 to get EMS help for either the person who posted this or the guy in a bathrobe wandering around my mostly-ok neighborhood sniffing garbage cans and occasionally clenching his fists together and screaming "Khaaaaaan!!!", you would have heard sirens before I read the 4th sentence.

Is the whole Mauer-at-third thing utter fantasy?

Originally Posted by fairweather

Forget that he calls a terrible game! Mauer should not catch at all anymore. He's terrible at throwing out runners. He calls way too many fastballs away. He's paid a ton and keeping him healthy at any position is more valuable than having to basically eat the last couple years of his contract because he's perennially hurt or under performing offensively. Keeping him at catcher more than half time like last year is a big mistake. Way too much money for way too many years they have to protect that investment.

1. I'd like to see statistical evidence that he calls more fastballs away than other Twins catchers.

2. When the average Twins pitcher throws 86 MPH with little life on that fastball, your only option is to call that fastball low and away unless you want it parked in the outfield seats. It's not as if Scott Diamond is going to blow it by Prince Fielder by throwing it inside. Fielder will just turn on the pitch and leisurely plod around the bases.

Catch more. He is paid to catch. He will be declining by the time they even try to put a good team on the field, so they may as well catch him while he is healthy.

Great point Bonnes, the twins bench is exactly deep with Jim Thome like bats. So when switching between Mauer and Doumit the only real loss is Mauer's superior defensive skills. Priority one should be keeping mauers bat in the lineup as much as possible. If that means 6 days per month at DH/1B so be it. That man is an on base machine and Willingham's RBI numbers are visible proof of that value.

Originally Posted by singlesoverwalks

Is the whole Mauer-at-third thing utter fantasy?

Unfortunately, I think so.