lack of production from catcher position

[heathco9]

what other options do we have at the catcher position? we are getting absolutely nothing right now.at some point in time (probably this weekend) we are gonna need to get the ball out of the infield . around a 200 BA is not gonna cut it after this many at bats for some of these guys.its good to see Austin getting his chance again and making the most of it.

 

[baseballfanatic]

Well, Moore was doing alright there defensively and he's our offensive leader at this point in time. I'm not sure what prompted the move to put Booth back at catcher. I think that was the best move for the lineup though. Generally, a catcher's legs get weaker as the season progress so it affects his offense. Moore's too good of an offensive player for us this season, so we needed to get him out from behind the plate and let his legs rest up.

I'm surprised by the offensive numbers Tullidge has put up this year, but he's still a tremendous liability in the field (even including the two runs he's has saved) at third. I still think we'd be better served by letting Cole take his lumps this season at the plate. His defense is better and he's got more potential at the plate than either Tullidge or Booth at 3rd. This season's a waste anyways so why not put young guys at the positions where we think they'll be playing next season and let them get a big taste of what they can expect.

This is the lineup I'd like to see:

Dugas - CF
Reaves - SS (not sure about this, but don't know who else would fit here)
Moore - RF
Smith - 1B
Kelton/Rosecrans (RHP/LHP) - DH
Carlisle - LF
Roberts - 2B
Booth - C
Cole - 3B

IMO, this lineup gives us the most talent on the field and at the plate. The problem is that most of these guys haven't produced most of the season, either that, or have gotten limited at-bats and haven't been given significant opportunity to show that they can produce. I think one of the best ways to adjust to a difference in the game is to get playing time. You can practice and practice and practice, but when you first come into a new league, chances are you're going to struggle until you can adjust to what's happening. IMO, Carlisle (64 ABs) and Cole (18!!!! ABs) haven't been giving ample opportunity for that. In Carlisle's case, a good number of his ABs have come in PH opportunities, which is tough to have a lot of success in.

Outside of Dugas, Reaves, Rosecrans, and Kelton, that will most likely be the lineup we'll have next year, again IMO.

 

[heathco9]

what other options do we have at the catcher position? we are getting absolutely nothing right now.at some point in time (probably this weekend) we are gonna need to get the ball out of the infield . around a 200 BA is not gonna cut it after this many at bats for some of these guys.its good to see Austin getting his chance again and making the most of it.

Booth by the end of the weekend will be below 200 in his batting average. Move Moore to catcher and sit Booth. I am not down on Tulledge he is out hitting Booth and plays as well at third so you can sit Booth now if the coaches would do that to the Golden Boy. Move Miller to right and I think you will be fine. Then you have Roberts at 2nd that quite frankly will never hit this year great defense but can't help us. Kelton has had enough opportunities and is a 200 or less average sit him.

 

[baseballfanatic]

If you sit everybody who's average isn't good we wouldn't have anybody playing. I don't understand the love-fest with playing Miller. He's struggled in his limited ABs this year (.154 in 21 games (16 starts)), even throwing this year out, it's not like he lit the world on fire his first two years hitting .247 and .250.

Booth would have to go 0 for his next 17 ABs for his average to drop to .200. He's not the greatest offensive threat we've got for sure, but I don't understand why everybody wants to sit him, whether he's the "Golden Chosen One" or not. Who else do we have that can or has given us the same or better performance than Booth? Yeah we could put Moore back there and defensively we'd be either the same or slightly worse than Booth, but who would we put in RF that would match the production from losing Booth in the lineup? Miller, no. Carlisle, while I think he needs to be in the game, is hitting .194 in 26 games (16 starts, mostly DH). Kelton doesn't have the arm for RF, Jeremiah Tullidge has all of 1 AB this season. Brandt Hendricks last played against UAB on March 27 and is hitless in all of his ABs. Baxter, maybe, but I think he needs to see more time on the mound after missing last year from TJ surgery. I'm having a hard time coming up with someone who could match or improve on what we're getting from having Booth at C and Moore in RF.

We've got players struggling at multiple positions, so it's not like we can single a position out and say "you're getting replaced cause you're not producing like we think you should."

 

[Zona]

I believe Jeremiah Tullidge left the team early on. I think it was Roy who posted early on that Ladson Montgomery had a great fall, but when he realized he wouldn't be playing over Golden Boy (despite the fact he's probably much better), he went to JUCO

 

[bamamick]

Watch Miller in the outfield and you know why he should have been playing all along. Watch his throws to 3rd and home in the warmups and then watch whoever is out there with him. The hitting will never be huge, but he can hit at least as good or better than Gregory, Carlisle, whoever, with the exception of course of Dugas and Moore. Moore has been very solid this year and I am glad we've got him, and I am not comparing he and Miller, but for whatever reason the staff has pretty much just shut down a kid who started a lot of games his first couple of years without even giving him a real chance.

I am assuming Miller will not be back next year. Heck, hopefully he will come home and play for Spring Hill if he isn't going to get any reps at Bama. I would hate to see him finish playing baseball without having some fun doing it.

rtr

 

[baseballfanatic]

Watch Miller in the outfield and you know why he should have been playing all along. Watch his throws to 3rd and home in the warmups and then watch whoever is out there with him. The hitting will never be huge, but he can hit at least as good or better than Gregory, Carlisle, whoever, with the exception of course of Dugas and Moore. Moore has been very solid this year and I am glad we've got him, and I am not comparing he and Miller, but for whatever reason the staff has pretty much just shut down a kid who started a lot of games his first couple of years without even giving him a real chance.

I am assuming Miller will not be back next year. Heck, hopefully he will come home and play for Spring Hill if he isn't going to get any reps at Bama. I would hate to see him finish playing baseball without having some fun doing it.

rtr

I won't argue that he's probably a better defensive fielder than anyone else we've got on the team, but I don't think he's a better option offensively than what we've got now. I'd like to see him turn it around because of his defense, but at this point, I don't think he will.

 

[bamamick]

He won't get the chance unless someone else gets hurt. It looks to me like they have pretty much written the guy off.

rtr