On Balance I Guess I Like Perk's Candor

[stringer bell]

Perkins spoke to Mackey & Judd on ESPN1500 and gave Pinto a broadside for his catching ability. It's pretty interesting that Perk would jab a past and future teammate, but it seems he says what he thinks most of the time. The article I'm linking goes into pitch framing, which ranks second to me to defensive metrics, but the irony is that Suzuki is also rated very low as a pitch framer.

 

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/06/17/twinsights-glen-perkins-offers-candid-radio-comments-about-josmil-pintos-pitch-framing/

[Seth Stohs]

I'ts what we as fans love to hear... not sure that it's a good thing. But it does give us a pitcher's insights on a catcher and what's important.

 

Perkins can maybe get away with it.

[JB_Iowa]

I really don't know what to make of this interview.

 

I thought about it earlier today when looking at Correia's starts and wondered if having Suzuki catch the last 2 starts had made a difference. But when I looked, Correia had some bad outings with Suzuki and some good ones with Pinto -- so I decided that really wasn't a part of the story. I certainly never saw Correia cast any blame on Pinto. Since Deduno was the only other starter that Pinto caught with any regularity, it was hard to draw any conclusions.

 

But now I wonder how much impact the relievers may have had on Pinto's fate. And it is confusing because looking just at metrics, Suzuki doesn't rate well, either.

 

I still think sending Pinto down was probably a good thing since he wasn't getting much time behind the plate at the ML level. Hope the work pays off for him.

[stringer bell]

Perkins also said you don't want a 25-year old DH, which I agree with. Pinto needs to be able to be competent as a receiver and apparently he hasn't been.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I really don't know what to make of this interview.

 

Ditto.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Perkins also said you don't want a 25-year old DH, which I agree with. Pinto needs to be able to be competent as a receiver and apparently he hasn't been.

 

Perkins said a lot more things than that.

[pierre75275]

Perk didnt say anything everybody didnt already know. Pinto has a big league bat and needs work on his pitch framing and game calling. FO has said it before

[drock2190]

Remember when Pavano said he wanted Butera to be his main catcher because they make such a better battery?

 

When comparing the stats between when Butera and Mauer caught him, the pitching lines were very similiar. So I think its mainly a mental thing.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Perk didnt say anything everybody didnt already know. Pinto has a big league bat and needs work on his pitch framing and game calling. FO has said it before

 

Mostly true, but that is some Major League under-the-bus throwing!

 

Also, for a catching prospect, Pinto is not young.

[Pius Jefferson]

I'm fine with criticism if it's also said face to face to the individual and it's not done in a negative way.

[Winston Smith]

They did this to Ramos not long before he was traded. Finding some things that weren't up to par kind of like setting up a reason for the trade. Can't think it will be fun down the road, for Pinto, if they get back on the field together.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I'm fine with criticism if it's also said face to face to the individual and it's not done in a negative way.

 

Yep. It's possible that conversation took place. Again, not being insiders, the things we don't know.

[pierre75275]

Mostly true, but that is some Major League under-the-bus throwing!

 

Also, for a catching prospect, Pinto is not young.

 

I didnt say anything about his age. This is more about trying to create a story when their isnt one. This is the big leagues...Pinto can handle constructive critisism.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

One of the things Perkins said is Pinto is young and came up through the system quickly. No and no.

[TheLeviathan]

I never find public comments about a young player's game to be a good idea. Perkins should've stopped here:

 

He can hit, but that’s not what it’s all about. You’ve got to be able to do other things, especially a young guy like that.

 

Everything beyond that was completely unnecessary.

[adorduan]

I don't see anything wrong with what he said. Everything he said was true.

[Mr. Brooks]

Where is the rest of the article where he is just being honest and ripping suzuki for being nearly as bad?

Oh that's right he didn't.

 

I don't get what he's doing here, at all.

[adorduan]

Did the interviewer ask him about Suzuki?

[notoriousgod71]

Perkins also said you don't want a 25-year old DH, which I agree with. Pinto needs to be able to be competent as a receiver and apparently he hasn't been.

 

Terry Ryan didn't want a 26 year old DH so he released him...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am NOT saying Pinto is Ortiz.

[Mr. Brooks]

He can't talk about a player that they didn't ask about?

[70charger]

What Perkins said wasn't exactly complimentary but it wasn't mean-spirited either. In fact, if I'm Pinto, I pretty much know everything that Perkins just said already. Why? Well, I was probably told that when I was sent down to AAA. Or I took a peek at my stats.

 

Pinto is an adult. He knows what happened to him and why better than anyone. And if he's honest with himself, he knows that his defense isn't at the major league level yet. (I mean, I'm no scout, but I've watched him catch.)

 

But one of the very best things about Pinto is his reputation for sterling work ethic. If anybody will take this criticism to heart and learn from it, it'll be a guy like Pinto. Don't count him out. We're not through with Pinto yet.

[Beezer07]

When I watched Pinto, every time he caught a pitch low in the zone, his glove would drop toward the ground immediately upon catching it. Made every single pitch look like an obvious ball.

[adorduan]

What Perkins said wasn't exactly complimentary but it wasn't mean-spirited either. In fact, if I'm Pinto, I pretty much know everything that Perkins just said already. Why? Well, I was probably told that when I was sent down to AAA. Or I took a peek at my stats.

 

Pinto is an adult. He knows what happened to him and why better than anyone. And if he's honest with himself, he knows that his defense isn't at the major league level yet. (I mean, I'm no scout, but I've watched him catch.)

 

But one of the very best things about Pinto is his reputation for sterling work ethic. If anybody will take this criticism to heart and learn from it, it'll be a guy like Pinto. Don't count him out. We're not through with Pinto yet.

 

This ^^^^ Couldn't have said it better.

[Willihammer]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=21855

[Willihammer]

Pinto's 25. He is what he is, another Ryan Doumit.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Pinto's 25. He is what he is, another Ryan Doumit.

 

So what do we do at catcher?

[snepp]

So what do we do at catcher?

 

Robots.

[iTwins]

I was surprised by Perk's comments. Primarily because you don't see that type of honesty from players. Usually it's the same, safe, boiler plate stuff. You certainly don't see that kind of honesty come out with a players name attached. (It's frequently hidden under "a team source" or "someone with the team").

 

I don't think Perk is wrong and if he's honest with himself, Pinto knows everything Perkins said was true.

 

I can see the benefit of a face of the team coming out and saying "Hey, fix this if you want to be a fixture on the team" maybe it'll motivate Pinto to work harder - I hope it does.

[Boom Boom]

Perky's comments seemed unnecessarily negative to me. They fell somewhere in between "He's got work to do" and "he's just plain awful".

 

If I was the manager I'd give him an earful about it. Speaking your mind is one thing, running at the mouth is another. Nobody (in the organization) bludgeoned Florimon over his hitting when he was sent down.

[DaveW]

Awesome comments from Perkins and he is spot on, one thinks that combined with Gardy talking about pretty much the same thing perhaps Pinto was the only one who thought his defense was satisfactory at this level?

 

Anyways, improving Pinto's defense is his best and perhaps only chance to stick in the majors for a decent amount of time, he is a nice hitter, but I don't think he hits enough to slot in as a traditional DH most of the time. Maybe ultimately he becomes a Ryan Doumit (back up catcher, part time DH, nice PH off the bench) which would be fine, however it would be a shame if he couldnt stick behind the dish as a starter for a few years prior.