Comments on: Would the Yanks dare start Molina in the playoffs? http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/ A New York Yankees Blog Mon, 28 May 2012 15:13:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Michael http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-612976 Michael Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:41:03 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-612976 Hate to say I told you so but...... Hate to say I told you so but……

]]> By: The A.J. and Jose show | River Avenue Blues http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-606960 The A.J. and Jose show | River Avenue Blues Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:38:12 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-606960 [...] so we fear what this means. As Joe speculated last week, it appears as though Joe Girardi will pair up A.J. Burnett and Jose Molina during the playoffs. [...] [...] so we fear what this means. As Joe speculated last week, it appears as though Joe Girardi will pair up A.J. Burnett and Jose Molina during the playoffs. [...]

]]> By: Kiersten http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-600667 Kiersten Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:15:14 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-600667 Imagine Molina batting 8th in an NL park. Oyyyyyy. Imagine Molina batting 8th in an NL park. Oyyyyyy.

]]> By: Bob Stone http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599222 Bob Stone Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:58:54 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599222 Best comment of the week. Best comment of the week.

]]> By: Nigel Incubator-Jones http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599188 Nigel Incubator-Jones Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:49:17 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599188 I knew what you meant.. Just playing around.. I knew what you meant.. Just playing around..

]]> By: matthaggs http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599180 matthaggs Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:39:58 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599180 Greg Maddux just about always used a scrub catcher instead of Javy Lopez, so there is precedent. I wouldn't do it, but the only way Girardi would do it is if a)Cervelli was also on the roster, b) they were facing a running team like the Angels c)they were facing a tough left-handed starter. (Matsui cranks lefties but Girardi somehow isn't aware of this). There's a small chance that even two of those three things will happen, so Molina will sit the bench, which is where he belongs. Also, it's not just the caught stealing factor with Burnett. He has thrown a ton of wild pitches this year. I'd be curious to see the wild pitch numbers with Jorge as opposed to Molina and/or Cervelli. But not curious enough to look them up myself. Greg Maddux just about always used a scrub catcher instead of Javy Lopez, so there is precedent.

I wouldn’t do it, but the only way Girardi would do it is if a)Cervelli was also on the roster, b) they were facing a running team like the Angels c)they were facing a tough left-handed starter. (Matsui cranks lefties but Girardi somehow isn’t aware of this).

There’s a small chance that even two of those three things will happen, so Molina will sit the bench, which is where he belongs.

Also, it’s not just the caught stealing factor with Burnett. He has thrown a ton of wild pitches this year. I’d be curious to see the wild pitch numbers with Jorge as opposed to Molina and/or Cervelli. But not curious enough to look them up myself.

]]> By: The Honorable Congressman Mondesi http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599179 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:21:37 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599179 Honestly... I don't remember Wells or Pettitte having a problem with Posada (and Posada currently catches Pettitte, and Pettitte is a longtime Posada guy, so I think any one-time issue with Pettitte is a moot point). Mussina and Johnson... I don't know, man, I think it's a stretch to get too worked up with Posada just because two of the quirkiest personalities in baseball didn't mesh with him. So even if I just assume Wells said something about Posada, I really think the group of guys you're talking about here who didn't like throwing to Posada is Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson and David Wells. There's another common thread between those three guys, in addition to not loving Posada - they're all weird, unique personalities. Look... Nobody's saying Posada is Bob Boone back there. But all these narratives out there about his defense are built, for the most part, on a lot of unsubstantiated and irrelevant BS. When a guy is the starting catcher for a team for over a decade it's not surprising for a few pitchers during that time to have clashes with him. Jorge Posada is a perfectly adequate defensive catcher, and an amazing offensive catcher. He has been the catcher during a lot of very good pitching performances over a very long period of time. The evidence we have points to him being very good, the only negatives we have about him are based on purely anecdotal narratives. Honestly… I don’t remember Wells or Pettitte having a problem with Posada (and Posada currently catches Pettitte, and Pettitte is a longtime Posada guy, so I think any one-time issue with Pettitte is a moot point). Mussina and Johnson… I don’t know, man, I think it’s a stretch to get too worked up with Posada just because two of the quirkiest personalities in baseball didn’t mesh with him. So even if I just assume Wells said something about Posada, I really think the group of guys you’re talking about here who didn’t like throwing to Posada is Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson and David Wells. There’s another common thread between those three guys, in addition to not loving Posada – they’re all weird, unique personalities.

Look… Nobody’s saying Posada is Bob Boone back there. But all these narratives out there about his defense are built, for the most part, on a lot of unsubstantiated and irrelevant BS. When a guy is the starting catcher for a team for over a decade it’s not surprising for a few pitchers during that time to have clashes with him. Jorge Posada is a perfectly adequate defensive catcher, and an amazing offensive catcher. He has been the catcher during a lot of very good pitching performances over a very long period of time. The evidence we have points to him being very good, the only negatives we have about him are based on purely anecdotal narratives.

]]> By: The Honorable Congressman Mondesi http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599174 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:11:42 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599174 To be fair, Molina historically has a higher CS% than Posada, but yeah, the numbers don't show that he's been so much better this year (though I remember his % being pretty low early in the season and I think it's been rising since). But the point is really just that it's not like Posada has a noodle for an arm and allows teams to run all over him. Check this out: (from: http://stats.nj.com/mlb/getleaders.asp?rank=146&btnGo=Go) Rank Player Team Stats 1 Gerald Laird Det 42.4 ( 39/92 ) 2 Rod Barajas Tor 35.1 ( 26/74 ) 3 Jorge Posada NYY 29.4 ( 30/102 ) 4 Miguel Olivo KC 27.0 ( 20/74 ) 5 Joe Mauer Min 26.8 ( 19/71 ) 6 Matt Wieters Bal 26.3 ( 21/80 ) 7 Kurt Suzuki Oak 26.2 ( 27/103 ) 8 Dioner Navarro TB 24.7 ( 18/73 ) 9 Jarrod Saltalamacchia Tex 23.8 ( 19/80 ) 10 A.J. Pierzynski CWS 23.3 ( 30/129 ) 11 Mike Napoli LAA 21.7 ( 20/92 ) 12 Jason Varitek Bos 13.0 ( 15/115 ) To be fair, Molina historically has a higher CS% than Posada, but yeah, the numbers don’t show that he’s been so much better this year (though I remember his % being pretty low early in the season and I think it’s been rising since).

But the point is really just that it’s not like Posada has a noodle for an arm and allows teams to run all over him.

Check this out:
(from: http://stats.nj.com/mlb/getlea.....8;btnGo=Go)

Rank Player Team Stats
1 Gerald Laird Det 42.4 ( 39/92 )
2 Rod Barajas Tor 35.1 ( 26/74 )
3 Jorge Posada NYY 29.4 ( 30/102 )
4 Miguel Olivo KC 27.0 ( 20/74 )
5 Joe Mauer Min 26.8 ( 19/71 )
6 Matt Wieters Bal 26.3 ( 21/80 )
7 Kurt Suzuki Oak 26.2 ( 27/103 )
8 Dioner Navarro TB 24.7 ( 18/73 )
9 Jarrod Saltalamacchia Tex 23.8 ( 19/80 )
10 A.J. Pierzynski CWS 23.3 ( 30/129 )
11 Mike Napoli LAA 21.7 ( 20/92 )
12 Jason Varitek Bos 13.0 ( 15/115 )

]]> By: JMK http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599168 JMK Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:03:50 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599168 Different era (you know the rest). Different era (you know the rest).

]]> By: Tom Zig http://riveraveblues.com/2009/09/would-the-yanks-dare-start-molina-in-the-playoffs-17569/#comment-599159 Tom Zig Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:53:33 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=17569#comment-599159 Wow, I didn't know the CS% was so close. Everyday a new meme is put out to pasture Wow, I didn’t know the CS% was so close. Everyday a new meme is put out to pasture

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