Buhner Dot Com Est. 2000, which is like 1947 in Internet years.

Protecting Joe

I would generally leave the Twins to others more qualified to do so in the OOTP Blogging Circle, but when it was brought to my attention that the Twins were carrying 4 catchers on their 25 man roster, it sparked my interest.

I'm a catching nut, and I know how easy it can be for a team to want to carry three catchers on their roster. Four, however, seemed a bit out of the ordinary, so I went to take a look at the Twins 25 man roster to see how they could pull it off.

First, the Twins are carrying 11 pitchers, which is a bit unusual for a team in April. Generally, teams will carry 12 pitchers in April to protect their starters, whom they don't want pitching too many innings that early in the season. The Twins have enough players in their bullpen that can go more than an inning in relief, so they can survive with 11 pitchers without much of a problem.

The roster only lists four outfielders - Jacque Jones, Shannon Stewart, Torii Hunter, and Lew Ford. All four are considered starters; Ford is the DH, while the other three play the field. One might think that this puts the outfield in danger, as Ford can't go from DH to the outfield in case of an injury or substitution without causing the team to lose the DH and forcing the pitcher to bat.

That problem is fixed in the infield. Both Nick Punto and Michael Cuddyer played the outfield last season, with Punto spending a minor amount of time in center field, and Cuddyer playing the corners. Punto has also started at second, third, and shortstop in his short major league career, while Cuddyer has started at second, third, first, left, and right. Fellow backup infielder Juan Castro has played every infield position in his career.

The Twins are using an interesting philosophy when it comes to their roster - if you want to play on the major league roster, either be good enough to start every day, or bring something else to the table. The Twins "four catchers" is a bit misleading too - Matt LeCroy is considered the fourth catcher, but he's more of an emergency catcher than anything, someone who could catch, but isn't in any contention for ever getting a major league role as a starting catcher anytime soon.

The Twins are carrying four catchers because they want to be careful with Joe Mauer's knee, something that's understandable. The guy had knee surgery at 21 at a position that requires a lot of stress on the knees. I've torn meniscus in my time (I was 19 when I did it) and it didn't feel good. I didn't get it worked on (or had any therapy) until 6 years later, and I pay for it every day. Mauer's one to be careful for too - he's completely lived up to the hype when he's played, but after missing most of last season with that knee problem, the Twins aren't taking any chances.

Most likely, the "four catcher" experiment ends when Justin Morneau comes off the DL, and the Twins get comfortable with Mauer behind the plate most of the time, and Redmond (I'll assume he stays with Corky Miller* getting sent down/DFAed) getting every 5th-6th start. The Twins approach to roster management allows for neat tricks like this, but keeps otherwise deserving players off the roster. The Twins have already lost Mike Restovich to waivers and were without Lew Ford and Justin Morneau in the beginning of last season because of the desire to keep the flexible non-hitting multi-position-fielding players on the roster. Ford was only called up because Shannon Stewart started the season on the DL, and Morneau was only called up when the team realized that they could only look at Doug Mientkiewicz in the lineup for so long with Morneau hitting 22 home runs and a 300+ average in only 72 games in AAA.

The approach is a good one, especially for a team that can't afford to drop $2 million for a 4th outfielder, but too much isn't always a good thing.

*Interesting fact from the Twins website - Corky Miller's given name is... wait for it... Corky Miller. HIS MOTHER NAMED HIM CORKY.

Various quick hits

Stuff I want to address before it gets too late but don't want to talk much about.

Sheets signs with Milwaukee longterm - See? That's what I'm talking about. It's hard to believe that Ben Sheets has 4 years of major league experience already. Sheets has always pitched decently, with a good walk to strikeout ratio, and this past season dropping his ERA a bit. It looks like he's turned the corner, and Milwaukee extending Sheets' contract keeps him in a Milwaukee uniform while sending a message to Brewer fans that the team is committed to winning. Pickups like this help players who are trying to pick between two similar teams pick one over the other.

Perez and Bay struggling for Pittsburgh - The Pirates made news this offseason when they hardlined two of their best players out of a few hundred thousand dollars in their contracts. While both Oliver Perez, the Pirates best pitcher last season, and Jason Bay, the National League Rookie of the Year were asking for raises, the Pirates elected to give the players all they were required to give them, which were two small raises, which peaved both players and teammates, namely Jack Wilson. Both have responded so far this season with mediocre play - Perez has pitched poorly in three starts so far this season, while Bay's got a hearty .304 slugging percentage and only 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. It isn't fair to say that the two aren't playing to their full potential - anyone can slump - but one has to wonder if the two have been somewhat affected by how they felt they were treated during the offseason. It's doubtful though, because if both continue to play poorly, they're just proving management right for not signing them longterm, and hurting their chances of signing a big money deal.

Sheffield avoids fine and suspension - Gary Sheffield won't get punished by MLB for his reaction towards a fan in a game against Boston. Sheffield's reaction was questionable, but not harsh, and outside of a shove, there was no contact made. I think a one-game suspension may have been best if you wanted to send the message that players should never have contact with fans, but I don't have a real issue with letting Sheffield off the hook. I think his raction was normal, and if it keeps fans form interfering in the game (or especially with players), then so be it. I also think that the punishment for the fan was appropriate. They've taken his season tickets away for the season, but will also refund his money and reconsider renewing his tickets for the 2006 season. It's not too harsh, but it also sends a message that doing what he did won't be tolerated.

Orioles going after Helton? - Laura Vecsey of the Baltimore Sun seems to be using the New York media style of writing - when the news is slow, make up a trade rumor that is feasable regardless of whether or not it's been discussed. Vessey takes a team that feels it could use a first baseman (Baltimore) and pairs it with a first baseman with a huge contract who is on a team going with a youth movement. There's even a "Yankees might be interested" reference in there. Realisticly though, there's not much Baltimore can offer Colorado that makes it worth it for the Rockies to deal their best player, except for payroll help, and Helton is too good of a player for that. It would be interesting to see what Helton would do playing completely out of Coors, though - Helton is still a very good hitter outside of Coors, but not the kind of hitter he is in Colorado. An extended run outside of Coors with good power and average numbers would help his Hall of Fame credentials.

Tuesday’s update

Quick note to say that I didn't ignore today - I just decided to anchor a post to explain my issue with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, since I'm sure some people rerading this for the first time might wonder why I rip on them all the time.

Special bonus Tampa bashing coverage!

BREAKING NEWS: Tampa still doesn't "get it".

When Alex Sanchez was suspended for ten days for a positive drug test, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays filled said roster slot with Joey Gathright, a speedy weak-hitting center fielder prospect who failed to make the team out of Spring Training. Gathright's Spring Training chances were pretty much shot when Sanchez, a speedy weak-hitting center fielder non-prospect who failed to make the Tigers out of Spring Training was signed to a minor league deal.

Common logic says that in order for one player to be used over another, there has to be a reason. Since Sanchez isn't faster than Gathright (those who have seen Gathright swear he may be the fastest player in baseball), not a better fielder than Gathright (while Gathright's MLB experience has been limited, his fielding numbers don't show a lack of range nor errors. Sanchez is a bad center fielder), and the Rays were under no contractual obligation to Sanchez (he was signed to a minor league contract, and would have cost the team almost nothing had he not made the major league team), Sanchez must still be on the major league club because Gathright can't hit, or at least Sanchez is a better hitter.

Well, Gathright played in six games for the Rays. During those six games, Gathright hit safely in four of them, including going 2-2 on April 9th and 3-4 on April 12th. Gathright doubled and tripled during his 6 game stint, walked twice (striking out twice), and was 3 for 4 in stolen base attempts. In those six games, he batted .350, had a .409 OBP, and scored six times, which ties him for second on the team.

Naturally, Gathright was sent down when Sanchez returned.

What more could Gathright have done? Apparently nothing, and the belief seems to be that either Lou Pinella or Chuck LaMar has no faith in Gathright, considering that Gathright was already in the minors before Sanchez was signed.

The point isn't that Gathright is going to be some world-beater. Most prospect watchers seem to compare him to Vince Coleman, which doesn't afford you a promising career, unless the 1991 Mets happen to reappear. The point is that for a team that complains about its financial status and the teams it has to compete against "buying all their talent", Tampa remains content with consistent mediocrity instead of the possibility of upside, which is funny considering past recent Devil Rays history shows the team willing to bring up their young players immediately (Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli) and have success.

I understand not learning from your mistakes, but can't you learn from your successes?

Da Juice

Unlike my previous call, we've already gotten two positive tests in MLB's new stronger steroid drug testing policy. I assumed we'd hit zero - I really didn't think anyone would get "caught".

I still don't, and no one really has. The first, the rather coincidental snag of Alex Sanchez the afternoon before the first game of the regular season, is laughable. Sanchez has argued that whatever came up on the test as positive he bought over the counter, and that he often uses "milkshakes" and multivitamins in his fitness routine. The reason the suspension here is laughable is because Sanchez is as far from a "power" hitter as anyone in Major League Baseball. While home runs are generally the measuring stick of power in a batter, extra base hits - hits to the gap and over drawn in outfielders are a good judge of power as well.

Sanchez had 107 hits last season in 79 games for Detroit. 14 of them were for extra bases. Fourteen. A player with the speed of Sanchez would surely take an extra base on a ball hit in the gap, but not Sanchez, mainly because he doesn't hit balls into the gap. He's a weak hitter who hits ground balls past the infield for base hits.

Now, Major League Baseball can point to Sanchez and say "hey! Don't look at the home run numbers over the last few years as the result of steroids! Steroids are a random problem - ignore the power numbers seen recently." Many have already said that steroids won't help a player hit a curve ball, which is true. Steroids make the greatest change to a player who is a good hitter for average but who doesn't have home run numbers. Jason Giambi was a great example of this, and sure enough, since he was an admitted steroid user (at least under grand jury testimony), let's look at him.

As Giambi went though the Oakland minor league system out of college, he put up impressive numbers for his batting average and on base percentage, but didn't show great power numbers (never hitting more than 12 home runs over the course of any year). When Giambi was called up to the A's in 1995, he joined the team to play first and third, as Oakland's other third base options were Craig Paquette (ugh) and a Scott Brosius who hadn't gotten his glove work down yet (11 errors in 60 games. While Giambi showed surprising leather at third, his .398 slugging percentage was the worst out of the three. Going into the 1996 season, Giambi saw a team that was looking at Brosius at third, had Mark McGwire at first, and wanted a little more bat from a questionable-at-best corner outfielder. A bad-fielding walk-taking corner outfielder is generally not a popular player to keep on the major league roster.

But in 1996, Giambi stuck around. Granted, they didn't have a position for him, but he was hitting the ball. He hit 20 home runs and mustered up 40 doubles, getting his slugging percentage up to .481. He was slightly more acceptable as a bad fielding corner outfielder, but the A's saw that he wasn't a feasable option in the outfield. Scott Brosius was entrenched at third though, and Geronimo Berroa outhit him at the DH spot.

In 1997, with Giambi playing mostly in left field, the A's made the decision to cut payroll by trading McGwire to St. Louis, and putting Giambi at 1st. Giambi would remain there, getting progressively stronger until his free agency year, where he cashed in with the Yankees on a huge contract.

Now, if Giambi doesn't hit in 1996, maybe this doesn't happen. Maybe the A's give Phil Plantier more of a shot. Maybe Matt Stairs gets a full shot (which he'd get the following year). Maybe Damon Mashore breaks out. Brian Lesher? Pedro Munoz? Jose Herrera? Maybe they make Berroa play the field. Going into the 1996 season, the A's had a lot of possibilities for those corner outfield slots. Too many guys now are in their mid to late 20s as corner outfielders who can play first who will never see a regular slot in the majors because those corner outfielder/first basemen are a dime a dozen - you have to stand out to get a shot.

Case in point - Ross Gload. I love Ross. I even played against the guy in high school (once) and sponsor his baseball-reference page. But he was painted into this "dime a dozen" stereotype, hitting well at the AAA level but not standout enough to be considered a prospect, and therefore sat at AAA hitting over .300 and hitting between 15-20 home runs. Only last year, at the age of 28, was he given the opportunity to be on a major league roster for an entire season. Gload responded by batting .321 in 234 at bats - further proof that if given the opportunity, some of these players can make an impact at a discount price. But for every Gload, there are 10 Jack Custs and Billy McMillons.

Giambi didn't want to be a Cust or a McMillon, and that's why he took steroids - to make a fringe player into a necessary one. Alex Sanchez doesn't become a necessary player taking steroids. Hell, nothing could make Alex Sanchez a necessary player outside of a 8 man roster, which makes his unusual positive test for steroids even more unusual, especially considering the timing.

Jorge Piedra falls more into the Giambi fringe/necessary catagory. Piedra, who became the second player to test positive, is an outfield prospect for Colorado, a team that seems to have a few dozen outfield prospects. Piedra, who didn't make the team out of Spring Training, knows he's in a situation where when and if he gets called up, he's going to have to make a great impression in order to stay up. Any slump, and he'll get cast aside for another prospect who needs an opportunity. He fits perfectly into the Giambi senerio, and while Piedra swears that the positive test "may have been caused by pills he took from a previous injury", he fits completely into the senerio of a player who stands to gain from steroid use.

Sheffield gets bitchslapped

So you work at a job. You're in the middle of doing your job, when someone smacks you in your face. Maybe the guy has been saying things to you for the last hour or so, maybe you've never seen the guy.

In baseball, this is ok, just as long as the player doesn't do anything in return. We'll kick the guy out of the stadium, maybe we'll have him arrested.

If the player does something in return... oh boy. With great vengence and furious anger, you will know MLB's name as the lord when it lays its vengence upon you.

In real life, if this happens, chances are that you're going to smack said guy back in the head, depending on your size compared to his. If a 300 lb biker does it and you're a 110 lb accountant, maybe you don't swing back. But still, the feeling is there. In baseball, you're supposed to let this happen - go against instinct.

Chances are that Sheffield (who got a smack in the face - your observation of how "hard" a smack may vary) will get fined and suspended, which I hope he doesn't. Design of stadiums has to be done so that fans aren't so close to the field of play. Baseball fans can touch the field, especially in Boston where the walls aren't that high. In football and hockey, fans have no contact for different reasons - football seats are nowhere near the field, and hockey fans are behind plexiglass. Basketball is relatively close, and we saw what happened there.

Monica Seles got stabbed because fans could get that close to the players of a sport. No fans should be allowed to get so close to the playing surface that they actually affect the game being played. Cubs fans will agree to that in a second.