Yadi Redux

[skmsw]

Yes, we all know it is a tired subject. But as long as the paper continues to print stories about it, and TLR continues to gush, I'll continue to comment. Move on to another thread if it's not your cup of tea!

Here we go again, from this morning's PD:

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa speaks of Molina as nothing less than a catching prodigy, a talent allowed just 297 games and barely 1,000 at-bats in the minor leagues before succeeding two-time Gold Glove winner Mike Matheny . . . "I'll take him over anybody … anybody," La Russa said.

This does NOT sound like the words of a manager trying to bolster the confidence of a young player.

"A lot goes into this that people don't think about," Molina said. "A catcher has to get ready for his pitcher every day, watching film, working on defense, a lot of things. That is what's most important."

Don't the other major league catchers have to do those things too?

"I'd like to think it helped him a lot with his confidence. He's a year older and a year more mature," Oquendo said. "To me, last postseason he was the MVP, not just for his bat but for the way he handled guys."

So, if he puts up a 650 OPS this year, can we conclude that the problem was NOT confidence?

In his first full major-league season, the Cardinals led the major leagues in earned-run average and Chris Carpenter became the franchise's first Cy Young Award winner since 1970. Many in the Cardinals clubhouse and Molina's family believe his batting average may have adversely affected Molina's candidacy for a Gold Glove, an award given to the Houston Astros' Brad Ausmus by league managers and coaches.

Did he really just suggest that the hitting prowess of mighty Brad Ausmus led to Yadi being overlooked for a defensive honor?

Honestly, Yadi gets more apologies than any player I can remember.

"It kind of got in his head. After the season, he didn't think about his numbers anymore. Whatever happened, just happened," Pujols said. "During the season he probably tried to do too much. It became difficult for him to stick with one approach. In the playoffs, he felt comfortable and found a good position to hit."

If he could "get comfotable" and "put it out of his head" and "stick with one approach" during the post season, why couldn't he do it in the regular season? Will he be able to do those things in the regular season this year (finally figured it out!), or only in the post-season again?

I certainly do hold out hope that Yadi really DID figure something out in the post season, and that he really will be able to repeat it and maintain the improvements this time (unlike all the other times he figured something out enough to get hot for two to four weeks, and still reverted back).

Not only because he is a Cardinal, and he is likeable, and he contributes something with his defense. No, all those things are good enough reasons to root for him, and so I shall, but most of all: because he is evidently going to be here for a long time, and in the very near future (read: 2008) is going to be paid as if he were a useful hitter, and not just a valuable arm, adequate catcher, and sub-replacement level hitter.

[Hungary Jack]

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa speaks of Molina as nothing less than a catching prodigy, a talent allowed just 297 games and barely 1,000 at-bats in the minor leagues before succeeding two-time Gold Glove winner Mike Matheny . . . "I'll take him over anybody … anybody," La Russa said.

If this does not qualify as a vote of confidence in Molina, then I don't know what does.

Molina didn't make it to the big leagues because of his bat. You could almost state that he made the majors in spite of his bat. Molina's minor league resume includes 1,044 AB, over which he slugged .368 and had an OPS of .703. Why should expect anything significantly different from his a pro?

[greenback44]

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa speaks of Molina as nothing less than a catching prodigy, a talent allowed just 297 games and barely 1,000 at-bats in the minor leagues before succeeding two-time Gold Glove winner Mike Matheny . . . "I'll take him over anybody … anybody," La Russa said.

This does NOT sound like the words of a manager trying to bolster the confidence of a young player.

It sounds like LaRussa's trying to manage the fans and...

Honestly, Yadi gets more apologies than any player I can remember.

...apparently it's working.

I'll say it again: If Bryan Anderson's hitting .325 with good D at Memphis, giving the Cardinals a legit alternative to Molina, then I'm worried about remarks like this. For now though this is just the typical "Everything's Wonderful!" corporate spin that the Cardinals and every other team spout about players they're stuck with for the next couple of years.

[ghostrunner]

I'll apologize for him. He's an exciting defensive player, and brings something to the game other players and even other catchers don't. He makes it fun every time an opposing player is on first or second. If we didn't have Pujols or Rolen, I'd still watch the games to see him catch.

I'd sooner focus on upgrading shortstop or the outfield where it's more likely you can pick up some production. We've got another year here to see what the possibly new Molina can do. In the meantime, by all means call up Bryan Anderson and see what he can do against big league pitching.

It doesn't seem worth what it would take to trade for an established catcher, and Yadi's career .633 OPS doesn't seem like it would be significantly different from a minor league call-up. Depending on what Duncan does this year, we could have a very good lineup. I'd always like fewer holes, but this is not one I mind carrying.

[TimeForGuinness]

This team has too many holes in the OF for me to really care who is behind the plate.

[Popeye_Card]

This team has too many holes in the OF for me to really care who is behind the plate.

Don't forget the rotation too.

The biggest thing the Cards need is an impact hitter to replace Edmonds' now ordinary production. It's most likely going to be found in LF or RF. It is most likely not going to come from the catcher position, so I'm going to pretty much be fine with Molina's production as long as he stays in the 7/8 spots and maintains his good defense.

--P--

[Phyrkrakr]

This team has too many holes in the OF for me to really care who is behind the plate.

Don't forget the rotation too.

The biggest thing the Cards need is an impact hitter to replace Edmonds' now ordinary production. It's most likely going to be found in LF or RF. It is most likely not going to come from the catcher position, so I'm going to pretty much be fine with Molina's production as long as he stays in the 7/8 spots and maintains his good defense.

--P--

In the short term, at least, Yadi's defense is making up for his bat. Having an experienced, talented, defensive catcher behind the plate will do wonders (I'm hoping) for our unproven rotation. His offense is definitely a problem, but it's a problem that can be dealt with after this season.

I'm giving him a mulligan for 2007. If he really has turned the corner after last year's postseason, we'll see it this year. If he hasn't, his abilities behind the plate are still necessary to deal with this rotation.

But Bryan Anderson is my new prospect to watch.

[fanforever]

Yadie does have his flaws, but tyhat HR against the Mets in game 7 in the NLCS on the road in the ninth inning was one of the biggest clutch hits in my lifetime at least.

No one, and I mean No one, expected him (of all all people) to take Hielman over the wall on the first pitch.

That moment is what I will always cherish about Yadier Molina

[skmsw]

This team has too many holes in the OF for me to really care who is behind the plate.

Don't forget the rotation too.

The biggest thing the Cards need is an impact hitter to replace Edmonds' now ordinary production. It's most likely going to be found in LF or RF. It is most likely not going to come from the catcher position, so I'm going to pretty much be fine with Molina's production as long as he stays in the 7/8 spots and maintains his good defense.

--P--

I do not disagree with either of you. I'm as much an advocate of anybody for adding impact bats. And I've acknowledged many times over that we cannot have all-star caliber hitters at every position, and that while young, inexpensive, and strong defensively (although different people interpret that last one differently), Yadi is not necessarily te wrong player at the wrong time.

For me, though, the issue is, deep lineups score more than lineups with a cornerstone player or two and rounded out with average hitters.

Our lineup used to be deep AND anchored by a couple cornerstone players. Now, we have a cornerstone hitter, two very good hitters (800-900 OPS), and the rest average or below average (likely to have two regulars with <700 OPS; likely to have two other regulars with uncommonly low platoon splits; likely to have three regulars in the bottom third in OPS at their position; first INF and first OF off the bench both sub-700 OPS even in protected, reserve roles; etc).

At some point, it's worth considering the fact that you do not get deeper by making your best players better; you get deeper by having more good hitters up and down the lineup. When a quality hitter comes up to bat every single inning, you are more likely to score than when your great hitters are great, but you routinely go stretches of three or four batters in a row who are not run-producers.

As such, we might be better off improving catcher from 650 to 750, than we'd be by improving RF from 750 to 850.

[Cronos]

I'm just confused by the fact that Yadi has these great spring trainings and then he goes O for April or whatever and lowers his average into this black hole that he never gets out of.