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BP Unfiltered |
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May 24, 2013 7:46 am
BP Unfiltered: Chris Stewart and Miguel Montero on Catcher Receiving Skills |
Talking to Chris Stewart and Miguel Montero about framing pitches.
Yankees catcher Chris Stewart has never had the bat to be a first-stringer, though until a recent groin injury, he was getting the bulk of the playing time behind the plate for the Bombers with Francisco Cervelli out with a fractured hand. But when Stewart does start, he adds value on defense, combining a strong arm with excellent receiving skills. According to Max Marchi, Stewart’s framing over the past five-plus seasons has been worth nearly 20 runs, an impressive total considering his sporadic playing time. Stewart stopped reading A Storm of Swords on a couch in the Yankees clubhouse long enough to answer some questions about how he receives so well.
May 23, 2013 8:00 am
BP Unfiltered: Munenori Kawasaki Tries to Survive |
A slap hitter adapts, but his days are still numbered.
Last season, according to Baseball Prospectus 2013, Munenori Kawasaki was “unspeakably bad.” I’ll speak a bit about how bad he was anyway: Kawasaki hit .192/.257/.202. He had one extra-base hit (a double) in 115 plate appearances. And he was released by the Mariners, a team whose shortstops were hitting .160/.233/.188 this season heading into Wednesday night.
May 23, 2013 7:30 am
BP Unfiltered: Hot Prospect Video: Taijuan Walker |
Jason Cole catches up with the Mariners' top pitching prospect.
There’s no doubting Mariners prospect Taijuan Walker’s immense raw talent. Ranked by Baseball Prospectus as Seattle’s no. 1 prospect (and no. 9 in baseball) entering this season, the right-hander has all the tools a scout wants to see in a potential big-league starter. Walker and his sky-high ceiling have been well-publicized in recent years; he isn’t exactly a pop-up prospect.
May 23, 2013 7:00 am
BP Unfiltered: An AL Scout on Evaluating Catcher Receiving Skills |
An AL scout weighs in on the evaluation of catcher receiving skills.
I asked a former catcher and current pro scout for an American League team what he looks for when evaluating a catcher’s receiving skills. Due to team policy, he wished to remain anonymous.
May 22, 2013 7:00 am
BP Unfiltered: Kevin Towers on Catcher Receiving Skills |
The Diamondbacks GM on the importance of catcher receiving skills.
A former minor league pitcher, pitching coach, and scout, Kevin Towers served as the General Manager of the San Diego Padres from 1995-2009. After spending 2010 as a special assignment scout for the Yankees, he was hired as the GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a role in which he remains today.
May 21, 2013 3:49 pm
BP Unfiltered: The Worst Thing The Dodgers Have Done This Year |
Copyright, not copywritten.
Say it with me, now: This copyrighted broadcast is presented by the authority of the [baseball team in question] and may not be reproduced or retransmitted in any form. The accounts and descriptions of this game may not be disseminated without the express written consent of the [team in question].
May 21, 2013 12:51 pm
BP Unfiltered: Sanabia's Spitball |
Alex Sanabia may have broken a rule, but he probably didn't alter the outcome of a game.
As you may have heard by now, Marlins pitcher Alex Sanabia indisputably spat on a baseball last night directly after surrendering a home run to the Phillies’ Domonic Brown. David Brown of Big League Stew downplayed its ultimate effect on the game, but at least one Philly sportswriter took great umbrage at this infraction. (Bonus points to the commenter on that last link who said, “Maybe our team should try it? The bullpen in particular.”)
May 21, 2013 8:23 am
BP Unfiltered: Former MLB Umpire Jim McKean on Catcher Framing |
A former umpire and umpire supervisor weighs in on the influence catchers have over calls.
Jim McKean worked as an MLB umpire from 1973-2001, serving on three World Series crews. He became one of MLB’s umpire supervisors after retiring from active duty and has since served as an umpiring consultant for ESPN. He offered his thoughts on the influence a catcher’s receiving skills can have on an umpire’s calls.
May 20, 2013 1:50 pm
BP Unfiltered: The Week In Albert Pujols Playing Through Pain, May 13-May 19 |
Albert Pujols runs well, basically.
Last week, we saw positive indications that Albert Pujols was playing in less pain. This week, we saw positive indications that Albert Pujols is playing in less pain still. Someday, perhaps, he'll be playing in no pain, except the pain we all feel knowing that death is coming to claim us all, and also knowing we'll never be as handy around the house as our fathers were.
May 20, 2013 7:00 am
BP Unfiltered: Brandon McCarthy on Catcher Framing |
What the cerebral Diamondbacks starter thinks about the importance of framing pitches.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy is known as one of baseball’s most thoughtful, analytical pitchers; two years ago, he famously embraced advanced statistics and remade himself as a pitcher by perfecting a two-seamer that helped him get groundballs more often. As a result, he’s pretty popular on the internet. I asked him to provide the pitcher’s perspective on the importance of pitch framing and receiving skills.
May 17, 2013 12:43 pm
BP Unfiltered: Dissecting the Draft: Trey Ball (Player Report--Pitcher) |
Player reports supplementing the 2013 Dissecting the Draft series.
Trey Ball | LHP | New Castle HS (New Castle, IN)
Ht/Wt: 6-5/185 | B/T: L/L | Age at Draft: 18y 11m
May 17, 2013 11:02 am
BP Unfiltered: Jeff Keppinger Finally Works a Walk, and a Disar Awards Update |
The latest on the longest season-starting walkless streaks.
It’s appropriate that Jeff Keppinger’s first walk of 2013 was a game-winner. After 140 plate appearances without one—150 dating back to the end of last season—it would’ve been a shame if the walk we’d all been waiting for hadn’t helped the White Sox win.
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BP Unfiltered: 2013 Top Prospect Compilation - Version 14.1 (April 17, 2013)
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