More Side Salad

by halofan91 on Jun 24, 2008 8:34 PM PDT Comment 37 comments

After today, I was reminded why I wish Sosh would play Napoli more often. Sure he fell below the Mendoza line but that could be due to infrequent PAs, and sure I love Mathis's athleticism (though his rash of throws into the outfield are not that inspiring) but my sense is that:

1) The two are both great on game calling

2) Mathis has a slight edge in fielding (not so clear in throwing out runners)

3) Napoli is the much more potent offensive threat (HR + OBP)

which given our need for offense leads me to want to return to Napoli as starter, Mathis to spell him (whereas it has been reversed for the last few weeks).

Thoughts?

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Lotsa rest

Neither will wear out if this semi-random platoon holds up.

by Rev Halofan on Jun 24, 2008 8:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It seemed to me that

Mathis is getting the lion’s share these days, but I am too lazy to check it out. I agree about rest, and might be OK with 50/50.

K-brothers rule! (Kendrick & Kotch)

by halofan91 on Jun 24, 2008 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've got to know

And I apologize for not being in on it before or being able to deduce it, but what is the origin of the nickname Side Salad?

"I've got more action than my man John Woo
And I've got mad hits like I was Rod Carew" - Shure Shot, The Beastie Boys

by Zoe Necrosis on Jun 24, 2008 9:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

See here

LINK – to – SALAD

"Never throw the ball so far over the fence where you can't go back and get it." Chuck Knox quoted through Darryl Henley

by Downing Rules on Jun 24, 2008 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i used to work at z pizza

and i never once made or heard an order for a napoli salad. people loved the napoli pizzas though!

by Of Angels and Angles on Jun 25, 2008 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the napoli pizzas sure are tasty!

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 25, 2008 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is Z a chain?

Maybe the LB one has a Napoli salad? Or maybe yeswecan is on crack?

"Never throw the ball so far over the fence where you can't go back and get it." Chuck Knox quoted through Darryl Henley

by Downing Rules on Jun 26, 2008 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think yeswecan is on crack, but thats just me

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 26, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

not on crack yet

i might have misread the menu, though. but i thought i saw a Napoli salad on there.

should we start calling him “Z Pizza”? i like Side Salad better, due to his role on the team.

by yeswecan on Jun 26, 2008 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i stand corrected

let’s eat!

by yeswecan on Jun 26, 2008 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But, then you might mistake him for...

Mike Piazza … yuck.

"Never throw the ball so far over the fence where you can't go back and get it." Chuck Knox quoted through Darryl Henley

by Downing Rules on Jun 26, 2008 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I AM NOT GAY

(mike piazza impression)

by yeswecan on Jun 26, 2008 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You should probably call a press conference to annnounce this

Seattle I would like to thank you for sucking. It allows me to get back to my roots: Hating Fremont.

Kobe tell me how my ass tastes

by hauldog on Jun 26, 2008 7:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i agree

i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again… Naps has a much higher upside, and he should be playing, considering our offensive struggles

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 24, 2008 9:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

As of late Mathis’ Defense has not been any better than Napoli’s. However Napoli’s offense has been far greater in less PA’s then Mathis’. I personally prefer Mike.

Anyone think one of them can be used for a trade, considering we still have Budde & Trumbo?

by lesserknown on Jun 24, 2008 9:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

...and Bobby Wilson in AAA Salt Lake…

by Rev Halofan on Jun 24, 2008 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

how bout spier, mathis, and HGH for uhhh...

i was gonna say adam dunn, but that wouldnt help us with the OF problem…. hmmmm.
suggestions?

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 24, 2008 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe all of this Mathis playing time is kind of a showcase...

but we can’t dump all of our garbage for a good player… you’ve got to give something too.

if Myspace can throw well, maybe we can trade Weaver, Mathis and (insert reserve/prospect) for a Dunn//Hanley Ramirez/Uggla type player.

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 24, 2008 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trumbo is a 1B

Go Angels!

by Four Ts on Jun 25, 2008 8:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry Trumbo’s not even a catcher wrong name…

I was thinking of Wilson or Duff

by lesserknown on Jun 25, 2008 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What's bugging me

(and I say this with the greatest respect) is that Sosh seems to have a big crush on Mathis. He constantly talks about how defense and game calling is all that matters in a catcher. I agree in principle, but if you have two catchers who are both great game callers, and one is better offensively (or at least has a better upside) than the other, then play him.

The test if I am right (about the crush) is whether Sosh keeps playing Mathis 3-4 out of 5 games rather than more Side Salad or at least 50/50.

K-brothers rule! (Kendrick & Kotch)

by halofan91 on Jun 24, 2008 10:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was very Napoli over Mathis

But Mathis has grown on me. Let’s see where they are at the end of the year.

Angels Defense. Angels Pitching. Get past that. :-[

by vladtheimpaler on Jun 24, 2008 10:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Id like to introduce to the fold a little thing called CERA (catchers ERA)

mike napolis CERA is 4.62 (Career 4.11)
Jeff Mathis CERA is 3.21 (Career 3.89)

Now let me state that i think i am in the pro-napoli camp. i say think because i used to be strongly in the napoli camp until about 2 weeks ago. now im leaning towards napoli. now these stats are not to be taken very seriously because CERA has many flaws and a huge discrepancy could happen if one is lets say Lackey’s personal catcher as opposed to Judy’s personal catcher. But if these stats have any merit (i think they have a little), then they could be the reason that mathis is starting more because with the way the angels offense is non existant (minus this game) its more important to stop runs rather than have the potential (its not guaranteed napoli will hit a HR or have many RBIs) of scoring more. having said that, i am still a napoli supporter however

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 24, 2008 10:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

can you recalculate that

to include just the starts with the current rotation … neither of those catchers made Moseley and Adenhart match the ball to the bat….

by Rev Halofan on Jun 24, 2008 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

ill try, but i might get too lazy and stop.

if im not back and posted in 35 minutes, send someone after me…

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 24, 2008 10:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

quick quesiton, does that include just rotation or also bullpen?

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 24, 2008 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

RESULTS*

Ok, ive gone through every game report and have compiled the data (not including pitchers no longer on our 25 man roster, so no bootcheck or saunders, but yes speier and o’day).
Defense:
First, Napoli: He has a 3.84 CERA in 218 innings catching starters.
He has a 3.08 CERA in 84.66 innings catching relievers.
Total, he has a 3.63 CERA in 302.66 innings of catching.

Second, Mathis: He has a 3.06 CERA in 244 innings catching starters.
He has a 3.22 CERA in 86.66 innings catching relievers.
Total, he has a 3.10 CERA in 330.66 innings catching.

At first glance, the obvious edge goes to mathis. in 28 more innings, his CERA is .5249 points lower than napoli’s. But if you look deeper, starters pitch 72% of napolis innings (a 6.48 innings per 9). Compare that to 74% of mathis catching starters (which translates to a 6.64 innings per 9). That is an out every 2 starts mathis saves our bullpen from (thats 81 innings a year less work (potentially for bootcheck)). That means that we save an entire relievers work over the course of the year by starting mathis over napoli.
But defense isnt the only way to look at it. Napoli clearly has the superior bat. But does his bat make up more than a half a run a per game? would that half a run per game justify needing to allocate another 81 innings to the pen?

*these numbers may not be truly accurate because the catching duties have not been shared completely equally, (although each catcher has caught lackey 4 times) it is likely that one pitcher has pitched to one catcher more often than the other. for example, jon garland has pitched 9 games to mike napoli, and only 6 to jeff mathis (one of his starts to napoli included that awful game against oakland, the 14-2 one where he allowed 7 run in 6 innings). The fact that both catchers have similar stats catching relievers possibly indicates that mathis has just been luckier in getting better starters than napoli has.

I AM THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. BOW TO MY WILL AND MY HAMMER!

by anaheim angels on Jun 25, 2008 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs