Side Salad

by elricsi on Jun 1, 2007 10:43 AM PDT

We all know Nipples stared slow this year, but anything can happen in 100 to 200 at bats.

I wonder if we realize just how good of a hitter he is as a catcher.

Over the last few years I think there are 4 catchers that clearly stand out as the best hitting backstops and they are:

Jorge Posada
Victor Martinez
Joe Mauer
Brian McCann (my 7th cousin, 6 times removed)

Not sure what order they go in, but I think those 4 are clearly proven to be the best. Some other guys are almost in that group, but have shit the bed in at least one season recently (Varitek and I-Rod).

My question is, can you name a catcher (other than those 4), who is definitely a better hitter than Napoli?

It seems that Russell Martin is kind of getting there , but we don't quite have enough info on him, and he is doing it in the NL.

Is Side Salad really the 5th or 6th best hitting catcher in all of baseball?

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Catchers

IROD has some gas left in the tank
Johjima is more consistent than Napoli but at a lower wattage
Jason Kendall of course is proof Billy Beane is a genius
Hate him or hate him AJ Pollock is league average
Josh Paul is to Tampa Bay what Shea Hillenbrand is to Anaheim
Greg Zaun almost sunk my Fantasy Season

However...
BENGIE MOLINA OF THE GIANTS is doing pretty good.

by Rev Halofan on Jun 1, 2007 10:59 AM PDT reply actions

Johnny Estrada...

Not the best in baseball, but solid for the catcher spot. Much higher average than Napoli... but lower OPS. Fewer HR, but fewer K's.

I like what Napoli brings offensively, especially considering he's a catcher. Somone who gets on base and can smack it out of the park in any given at bat is truly an asset.

by iLoveLamp on Jun 1, 2007 11:01 AM PDT reply actions

Two come to mind:

John Buck is emerging as good offensive catcher. His line so far this year is .274/8/18 in 117 AB. He shows slight improvement every year and he's only 26.

Ramon Hernandez seems obvious to me. Since his all-star 2003, he's consistently been one of the best hitting catchers in the majors. He's off to a slow start this year, but who knows...

by Higz on Jun 1, 2007 11:12 AM PDT reply actions

Hernandez

How dare you imply that Billy Beane is not a genius by trading Ramon Hernandez for the oft-injured Mark Kotsay and then getting Jason Kendall to replace Ramon behind the dish....

by Rev Halofan on Jun 1, 2007 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Dang, I forgot about that.

I can know fully appreciate your previous sarcastic remark.

Hey, did you know that if you apply the same nicknaming conventions to Ramon and Felix Hernandez as are applied to A-Rod and Man-Ram you get Ram-Her and F-Her? What a treat!

by Higz on Jun 1, 2007 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

Veratech

by higdog on Jun 1, 2007 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

More Napolitana Choices

Can Mike Pizza...er, Piazza still be considered a catcher? He's kinda good. And he's also got that dinner thing going on, along with Mike "Insalata di" Napoli (just lose the "a" and you've got pizza & salad).

by jjackflash on Jun 1, 2007 11:33 AM PDT reply actions

Russell Martin is THE MAN

Sorry dudes. I would like to have Russell Martin over everyone but Joe Mauer.

The last world series champion in California has "Anaheim" written next to their name.

by Anaheim of Anaheim on Jun 1, 2007 2:31 PM PDT reply actions

and...

he's dating baseball groupie Alyssa Milano.

Who's The Boss now, huh?

by Ty Webb on Jun 1, 2007 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions

there you go

another reason for martin being the man.

How does that work though? Must make for great awkward conversation on the mound when he catches Penny(didn't Penny date her last year?).

The last world series champion in California has "Anaheim" written next to their name.

by Anaheim of Anaheim on Jun 1, 2007 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions

preposterous.

I will take McCann thanks.

I'm giving Figgins a big F U.

by hauldog on Jun 1, 2007 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm under a bit of a spell...

I work a lot of Dodger games and have been very impressed. The only player that I see on a regular basis that has impressed me more than Martin this season is Vlad(but we all expect Vlad to be Vlad).

The last world series champion in California has "Anaheim" written next to their name.

by Anaheim of Anaheim on Jun 1, 2007 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Martin is really good

McCann is better.

We all have our favorites.

I'm giving Figgins a big F U.

by hauldog on Jun 1, 2007 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Not hardly

As I mentioned in the comments section at Sons of Steve Garvey a day or so ago, Martin is simply the best offensive catcher in the NL right now ($), and it's not particularly close. The top five:

Catcher VORP ---------------------- Russell Martin 18.6 Bengie Molina 10.8 Paul LoDuca 10.7 Brian McCann 7.8 Johnny Estrada 6.1

LoDuca will fade in the second half; heck, they probably all will to some degree, but I'm betting on Martin to hold up very well over the course of the season.

Ervin Santana To AAA! (But only for road games.)

by scareduck on Jun 1, 2007 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks Rob Neyer

I am willing to bet that McCann picks up his performance

I'm giving Figgins a big F U.

by hauldog on Jun 1, 2007 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions

he's

the best catcher outside of baseball too.

by CaLiKrAzY on Jun 1, 2007 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Did you know...?

Sal Fasano has a HR this year? That's one more than Jose Molina!

I didn't even know the 'Stache was still in the majors until today.

by Higz on Jun 1, 2007 3:27 PM PDT reply actions

side salad?

I don't get it.

by LosAngel on Jun 1, 2007 9:00 PM PDT reply actions

Nap's nickname.

Willits for ROY

by 101halo on Jun 1, 2007 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Yea, got that part

but why side salad?

by LosAngel on Jun 1, 2007 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Because he's not Ty COBB

DarkAngel hath spoken....

by darkangel01 on Jun 2, 2007 1:42 AM PDT up reply actions

that's just lame

by shiftyeyedgoat on Jun 2, 2007 2:58 AM PDT up reply actions

it is the law of the land

Coming up with a nickname for a player to only be used among a small group of fans is based on an initial gut reaction. And it is then received or denied by the rest of HH. Similarly, I believe this is much the same way "PANTHER" came to becoming a household name. I'm not totally sure because it was just before my birth into the HalosHeaven world, but now I can't go a whole game without using that term.

Long Live the Lore of the Panther...
http://www.halosheaven.com/story/2006/6/5/41318/19900

I still want to DFA Hillenbrand

by Hutch (someone took my name) on Jun 2, 2007 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions